To follow or be followed?

Once again John Ray touches a sensitive nerve in me - that of libertarians in the political mainstream-battle - if they should group up with one of the "big", existing parties (e.g. conservatives), or stand on their own. It's an issue I've mentioned once or twice, but I see a few more words are needed.

People make political decisions based on their political nature (or that's my theory anyway). Either it's the need to control, or the will to set free. John Ray says:

Libertarians have always opposed conservatives on issues of sexual morality and Leftists on issues of economic regulation so libertarians have always had to make a choice if they wish to do more than spend all their time talking to one-another.

True for most part. Libertarians have a big job fighting for freedom on all fronts, but no job when it comes to compromising with the Left on economic-issues and the conservatives on moral issues. The problem is that this fight sometimes means that libertarians can't win votes on their own. Whether or not libertarians should run independently is another story, in part discussed by me here.

For my part I have a big challenge voting for non-libertarian politicians, and I tend to think I have to vote to minimize the damage from politicians rather than voting according to my personal beliefs. In that respect I have always ended on voting for "the big right-party" because it is the only one which shows some understanding for economics. A policy that (more or less) focuses on material well-being rather than spiritual tends to lead to increased social freedom and moral tolerance. That's why a vote to the right will "cover more basis" than a vote to the left. Besides, in Europe the whole political spectrum seems to have gotten the age-old libertarian point that no government has the right to control people's sexual activities, personal decisions and moral standpoints. A big reason for that is the economic success of Europeans, or so I see it.

Whether or not libertarians should run independently or not is a complex issue. In Iceland the political landscape seems fairly well suited that. However, if libertarians run independently they should have the goal of decreasing the total vote of the left, rather than fight too much for existing right-votes with other existing, right-winged parties.