by: Garry Reed

While many libertarians decry the use of "litmus tests" to determine people's libertarian credentials, many have to ask: How libertarian can former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson be if he won't even mention the word "libertarian" on his website?

Independent Political Report (IPR) announced that, "Johnson has launched a new campaign organization to promote libertarian policy issues and back libertarian candidates for public office."

But without once mentioning the word "libertarian?"

IPR mentions the ongoing speculation that "he may run an anti-establishment Republican presidential campaign with significant support from libertarians in 2012, a la Ron Paul."

But without once mentioning the word "libertarian?"

A person can go to Johnson's new website, Our America, punch up every one of his web pages and perform a search on the word "libertarian" and never get a hit. Maybe, if a person wanted to watch and listen to every video on the website, the word might pop up in conversation at some point. Or maybe not.

Unfortunately, the same can be said for the website of Congressman Ron Paul, 14th District, Texas. Pop open every page and the "L" word never appears in the text.

Paul's son is no different. Rand's campaign website, Rand Paul U.S. Senate 2010, is large, full of text and videos, and covers a lot of political ground. He wants folks to donate money and time and effort, but he never explicitly admits to being even a little bit "libertarian" in the written prose anywhere on his site.

Wikipedia says, "Jeff Flake is known as one of the more libertarian House Republicans."

But that's Wikipedia. What does the man's own website, Congressman Jeff Flake, have to say? As with the others, the libertarian word is a no-show.

However, under the "Buzz" header there's a link to a Reason blog article that begins with the sentence, "In the Washington Examiner, John LaBeaume writes up a kerfuffle between two of the rootin-tootinest libertarian members of Congress, Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)." But the teaser text on Flake's website begins at the end of that sentence with "Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)." Suspicious, slighted, and/or paranoid Libertarians need to ask: Was it purposely done that way to prevent the "libertarian" word from showing up on Flake's website?

Typically, there are three reasons why a mainstream "Libertarian-Republican" politician won't mention libertarians. Either they're embarrassed to be associated with libertarians, afraid any mention of libertarians might scare away conservative Republican votes, or they're just not all that libertarian.

There's really little doubt that these particular politicos are by far more libertarian than any other mainstream politicians in America, so apparently they're just so embarrassed by their hick Bubba libertarian half cousins that they want to keep them in the closet like a redheaded bastard stepchild.

But don't forget: they still want libertarian's money, time, and effort.