Originally posted by bsdaddict
the argument can be made that libertarianism is the core of old-school (as opposed to new-school, or "neo") conservatism. Most libertarians I know are disaffected Republicans, not disaffected Democrats. Wasn't "smaller gov't, lower taxes" the GOP mantra for years?
Ronald Reagan in Reason Mag, 1975
It is the core of conservatism, but very few people are willing to make that step into Libertarianism.
To nearly all people, it's very tempting to tell other people how to run their lives. So much to the point that most people (just look at core conservative beliefs) are unwilling to say to themselves that they do not have that right to tell other people how to live.
For example, conservatives do believe that government should be smaller, but then they come out and say that Homosexuality should be denied any rights or priviledges given to regular men and women. This isn't so much as a desire for smaller government, but being repulsed by the evils of an all engrossing government.