I distributed this survey earlier this year; its goal is to better understand where Tea Partiers get their ideas. Replies follow the questions. (Obviously, I do not necessarily agree with all the replies.)
1. What is your name?
2. What city and state do you live in? [Answers omitted.]
3. What is your primary occupation?
4. If you have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, please list your major(s) and degree(s).
5. Did you become politically active through the Tea Party movement? How long have you been active in politics?
6. Besides the Tea Party label, how do you usually describe yourself in terms of your political commitments? If any of the following apply, please list them: conservative, Republican, independent, Christian conservative, fiscal conservative, free-market activist, libertarian, classical liberal, Objectivist.
7. Through what channels do you share your ideas with others? If you use any of the following means, please briefly explain how: social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), electronic email list, radio show, podcast, blog, regular newspaper column, occasional letters to newspapers, organize or participate in politically-oriented meetings or discussion groups.
8. What (if any) ideological or political organizations do you contribute to financially or volunteer to support?
9. Were you exposed to free-market ideas in college? If so, please briefly explain how.
10. What are your main, regular sources of politically-related ideas and information? Please list the most significant radio shows, TV shows, publications, blogs, organizations, or writers that you turn to on a regular basis.
11. Have you read any books since the rise of the modern Tea Party movement that have strongly influenced your political ideas? If so, which ones?
12. For each of the following figures, please briefly explain whether you have heard of the figure, whether he or she has influenced you, and, if so, how:
a) Milton Friedman
b) Friedrich Hayek
c) Ayn Rand
d) Henry Hazlitt
e) Ludwig von Mises
f) Thomas Sowell
13. Besides the figures already listed, have any scholars, intellectuals, or religious leaders strongly influenced your political ideas? If so, please name them and briefly explain how they influenced you.
Keith Peterson
3. RF Engineer (part-time)/All things computer the rest of the time
4. NA
5. No. 20 years
6. Conservative (Social and fiscal). However, I am becoming more Libertarian with each passing second.
7. Organize meetings (Legislative reviews with state Senators/Reps, Tea Party gatherings, guest speakers on issues). Facebook, Google+, website, assisting with radio program (not a host).
8. individual campaigns/candidates. Have in the past been a contributing member of Heritage and similar organizations.
9. No
10. Talk radio/podcasts (Glenn Beck, CATO, Coffee and Markets, Reason Magazine podcast, and others). Imprimis, Reason Magazine, PPC, I2I, Complete Colorado, Gasden Society of Colorado, Big Government, Daily KOS, MoveOn, Occupy sites. Too many to list all. Mostly Right leaning and Libertarian sites and publications, with a healthy sprinkling from the Left as well.
11. No
12. Ayn Rand, Hayek, and Mises. Mises mostly in helping me better understand how an economy should, and can, function.
13. The person who has maybe influenced me the most since the Tea Party came along is not well known outside of Colorado (so far as I know he isn’t), that would likely be David K. Williams. Ravi Zacharias, even though he rarely touches on the political in an in depth way, has influenced me politically for well over a decade now.
Anonymous
3. Software Development
4. Almost. I got a job in my field while still in school, and have enough major specific credits in Computer Science to graduate, but I make more than average for people with my degree already and don’t have all of the general education credits I need to graduate.
5. Tea party movement, I’m not terribly active in it, though I agree with its original intent and still talk to people about it. I’ve been voting since I could (2000) and have discussed politics with my friends since about 1992. My ideas didn’t really solidify until 2002 to 2003.
6. Libertarian primarily. Republican secondary. (It used to be reversed.) Classical Liberal, Fiscal conservative, and Objectivist are all things that I agree with at least partially.
7. Twitter, Tumblr, and my own blog (socia.arkaic.com), I comment on Facebook and Google+ posts by others, but rarely start those myself. I comment regularly on the blogs of others as well. I used to use Google Reader to share, discuss, and read articles, but Google neutered it, so now I use Newsblur with Tumblr and Disqus to do the same thing.
8. I have contributed to Freedomworks and the Fairtax foundation before.
9. To an extent, though the professor didn’t directly espouse it. Macroeconomics class had the building blocks for free market ideas, but I had to put them together myself. Microeconomics wasn’t very useful for free market ideas.
10. Reason.com, BigGovernment, John Stossel, Penn Jillette, South Park, The Blaze, The Jerry Doyle show, The Neal Boortz program and Free Colorado, to name a few. I have friends that cull interesting articles from sites like The Huffington Post and others, so I get a subset of those as well.
11. Actually very few, given my job I haven’t had as much time to read political books since the Tea party was founded.
12. A. Definitely, the sense of optimism combined with concrete examples of how the market works was very helpful in solidifying my ideas.
b. Indirectly, I’ve read a number of things from people who cite Hayek and I find these second hand bits to be quite insightful, but haven’t yet gone to read his stuff directly.
c. Yes, though not always in the direction she intends. Still good fodder to bring up new directions of thinking to problems I’m already looking at.
d. Sadly, no.
e. Another person I’ve read things indirectly from.
f. Some stuff here and there. Mostly articles rather than books. I’ve shared a number of them to better explain to others why I take the positions I do.
13. Walter E Williams’ writing has helped me with some of the concepts of free markets.
Earl Allen
3. Flight Instructor
4. M.A. English Literature
5. No. Since 1993, when I moved to CO.
6. libertarian/Libertarian/free-market activist/classical liberal in that order.
7. Twitter, Facebook, various email lists, blog http://flypro.blogspot.com , LTE’s, Boulder Libertarians.
8. Cato, downsizedc.org , Libertarian Party, theadvocates.org , ij.org
9. Yes. But not by teachers or classes. Read Milton Friedman’s “Free To Choose” when I was a college teacher.
10. wattsupwiththat.com , sppiblog.org , joannenova.com.au , news.google.com , Drudge Report , peoplespresscollective.org
11. “The Most Dangerous Superstition” http://larkenrose.com/store.html
12. a) Milton Friedman read “Free To Choose”
b) Friedrich Hayek read “Road To Serfdom”
c) Ayn Rand read “everything I could get my hands on” and own three copies of “Atlas Shrugged”, one of which is falling apart at the seams due to overuse.
d) Henry Hazlitt read “Economics in One Lesson”
e) Ludwig von Mises have read parts of “Human Action” and many of his essays
f) Thomas Sowell read “Inside American Education” and “The Vision of the Anointed”
13. Ari Armstrong for his untiring efforts to promote liberty in my home State. David Kopel for his articulate defense of self-defense rights. Jon Caldara for his articulation of liberty and free markets everywhere. Ron Paul for having the guts to stand up to the Repellicant status quo. Harry Browne for his gentlemanly articulation of free-market politics. Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il for being the perfect illustrations of what happens when authoritarians are in control. Trey Parker and Matt Stone for their Galt’s Gulch of humor at Comedy Central and for “The Book of Mormon”, which has a chance to change history (away from a Mormon Prez candidate).
Howard Towt
3. Internet Service Provider.
4. Engineering: BS, MS; Business Administration: MBA.
5. No; Since 2004.
6. Republican.
7. Blog: http://anti-republicanculture.com.
8. None.
9. Yes; Courses in political science and economics.
10. Radio: Rush Limbaugh; Blogs: Instapundit, Power Line, The Other McCain, Ricochet, Urgent Agenda, Black Five.
11. Breitbart’s “Righteous Indignation;” Bolton’s “Surrender is not an Option.”
12. a) Milton Friedman – Monetary policy vs. fiscal policy.
b) Friedrich Hayek – The role of intellectuals.
c) Ayn Rand – “The Fountainhead” is the best novel written.
d) Henry Hazlitt – (Don’t know.)
e) Ludwig von Mises – I need to know more about the Austrian economists…
f) Thomas Sowell – Great respect for his economic pragmatism and courage.
13. Ron Radosh, Victor Davis Hanson, Sarah Palin: people with the courage to promote the U.S. Constitution as a unique and important philosophical document.
Anonymous
3. Computer programmer
4. BSEE
5. No. 30 years.
6. Libertarian
7. Electronic email list
Blog
Occasional LTE’s
Organize and participate in meetings and discussion groups.
8. Libertarian Party
9. Once in 1972 when a Libertarian Party sympathizer came to speak. I was also heavily involved with free market economists at Columbia University and the University of Chicago
10. Ari and Linn Armstrong, John Stossel
11. No
12. a) Milton Friedman – Free to choose
c) Ayn Rand – Yes. I thought she was prescient when I first read her in high school.
d) Yes.
e) Yes.
f) Yes. I read his articles in Townhall
13. James Heckman, Nobel Laureate. I worked for him for 5 years before he got his Nobel.
Anonymous
3. Computer Modeler for Smart Grid and Direct Marketing applications
4. Bachelor in Chemistry, Bachelor in Physics
5. Not explicitly through the Tea party movement. I have been active since returning to the US from Thailand, though my disillusionment of late had caused me to be less active then initially on my
return. The gestation and birth of the Tea Party may change that.
6. Libertarian, with Nationalist tendencies.
7. Email and discussions
8. I have helped the Libertarian party in the past.
9. not really– but that was the 1970s
10. Fox news, KCOL600, Glenn Beck, CNN (yuck), 760 radio in Boulder (yuck, keep your enemies closer), Mark Steyn, National Review
11. A great many… Mark Steyn– America Alone, After America
Glenn Beck — Common Sense, Broke, Arguing with Idiots
Politically incorrect guide to Socialism,
Politically incorrect guide to Islam and the Crusades
12. a) Milton Friedman — Yes, blessed be his name– Rational economic
analysis
b) Friedrich Hayek — Yes, blessed be his name — argued Keynes into a
corner
c) Ayn Rand — Yes, Blessed be her name (though she wouldn’t appreciate it) A great deal of VERY good writing about our world and how it might get corrected and/or go wrong…. In defense of Selfishness is GREAT
d) Henry Hazlitt — no?
e) Ludwig von Mises — Yes, blessed be his name — I get stuff from the institute every day…
f) Thomas Sowell — I’ve read a number of his pieces and enjoy them immensely… solid…
13. Mark Steyn, how much fun is that? GREAT writing about important subjects
“How Civilizations Die” — I don’t’ know author–treatise on impact of demographics on society and civilization actually
“Guns, Germs and Steel” — jared Diamond– rational explanations and a clarity of analysis of history everyone could use
“Clash of Civilizations” — Huntington? — Another necessary read in this world.
“Wisdom of Crowds” — again, forget author — about how bodies of people are proven to make better decision then individual “experts”
Jonah Goldberg — Liberal Fascism… MUST READ
3. Unemployed
4. BSBA Business; MBA Business
5. NO. How long have you been active in politics? 25 years
6.
7. Active in Republican organizations, occasional letters to newspapers, organize and participate in politically-oriented meetings, lobby state legislature.
8. Colorado Union of Taxpayers, Republican Party
9. NO
10.
11. Read Atlas Shrugged for the fourth time.
12. a) Milton Friedman yes, yes
b) Friedrich Hayek yes, yes
c) Ayn Rand yes, yes
d) Henry Hazlitt yes, yes
e) Ludwig von Mises yes, yes
f) Thomas Sowell yes, yes
13.
Kyle Haight
3. I am a software engineer.
4. I hold a BS in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego. I took a year and a half of graduate study in philosophy from San Jose State but left the program without obtaining a degree.
5. It depends on what you mean by ‘politically active’. I have been politically aware since I was a teenager in the mid-to-late 1980’s, in the sense of paying attention to political developments, voting regularly and discussing political issues with friends and co-workers. The Tea Party movement was the first time I have moved beyond that to such actions as attending public rallies, holding sign-making events and the like.
6. I am an Objectivist and will describe myself as such when appropriate. In contexts where “Objectivist” would be uninformative I usually describe myself as a “secular pro-freedom advocate” or “pro-free market”.
7. I’m a regular participant in the Objectivism Seminar, an on-line book discussion forum which explores books by Objectivists. I have blogged in the past but have not done so actively for a few years. I make political posts to Facebook occasionally.
8. I support the Ayn Rand Institute and the Anthem Foundation. I also make targeted contributions to specific political campaigns, e.g. I made a contribution to Scott Brown’s campaign in early 2010 and contributed to the Wisconsin Club for Growth in support of Justice David Prosser’s reelection campaign. I will probably make a similar donation in support of Governor Walker to help him fight the recall campaign the left has pushed him into.
9. I was an active member of the UCSD Objectivist club for two years; I also read a variety of pro-free-market books from the university library. This activity was largely self-motivated, not something I encountered in the classroom.
10. I get a lot of information from blogs: Instapundit, Dailypundit, Power Line, RedState, Vodkapundit and the PJ Tatler are the main ones. I also read other PJ Media more broadly. I don’t listen to talk radio or watch TV news. Too bombastic, and anything they push hard will work its way into the blogosphere fairly quickly.
I also read the Objective Standard for longer-form analysis.
11. Influenced in the sense of changing my political ideas? Not particularly; I’ve been an Objectivist for over two decades. I did find Angelo Codevilla’s essay on the ruling class to be insightful and I’ve used the categories he set up to help with my analysis of shorter-term political trends and conflicts particularly within the Republican party.
12. a) Milton Friedman
Yes, I’ve heard of him, but I haven’t read any of his major works. (I did go to an ‘anarchist party’ thrown by his son David back in the 1990’s.) I wouldn’t consider him influential on my thinking.
b) Friedrich Hayek
I’ve heard of him. I tried reading his book “The Constitution of Liberty” when I was in college but bounced off. I’ve made use of his insights regarding the so-called ‘knowledge problem’.
c) Ayn Rand
Obviously a major influence.
d) Henry Hazlitt
I read Hazlitt’s “Economics in One Lesson” when I was in high school and it provided a very useful foundation for my understanding of how to analyze the operations of a mixed economy.
e) Ludwig von Mises
I read a large chunk of Mises’ “Human Action” in high school while researching a term paper for an economic class. I was very impressed, but too young to really understand it. I consider Mises’ ‘Calculation Argument’ to be the definitive economic refutation of socialism. Rand shows why socialism is immoral; Mises shows why it can’t work in practice.
f) Thomas Sowell
I read Sowell’s “Race and Culture” and “The Vision of the Anointed” in the 1990’s. I found them flawed but insightful; the former provides great ammunition for arguments over discrimination, race relations and affirmative action while the latter provides excellent insights into the liberal and conservative worldviews.
His short essays are also very much worth reading in my opinion, not so much for their theoretical content (which his often flawed by his conservatism) but for the facts and the way he ties them together.
13. I’m defining ‘political ideas’ somewhat broadly here.
Other Objectivist intellectuals, obviously: Leonard Peikoff and Tara Smith stand out for special notice.
I learned a lot of useful economics from George Reisman and Murray Rothbard (pity the latter is such a nutcase on other issues).
Angelo Codevilla on foreign policy.
Strauss and Howe’s “Generations” and “The Fourth Turning” have influenced my view of history and the nature of the crisis in which the country is currently embroiled.
Yochelson and Samenow’s “The Criminal Personality” has been a major influence on my view of criminal psychology and how the government should deal with criminals.
David Horowitz’s “The Politics of Bad Faith” has significantly shaped my understanding of the psychology and goals of the left.
I also have to give a nod to Bill Whittle. While he isn’t an intellectual he’s probably about as good a cultural commentator as you can find these days who isn’t an Objectivist.
Martin Buchanan
3. Software engineer and technical writer.
4. Four years of college with no degree. Many computer science and electrical engineering courses along with physics, math, medical laboratory courses, and a variety of other subjects. Attended MIT and George Washington University and have credits from four other institutions as well.
5. No.
In a major way from 1980 through the early 1990s in Oregon, including a 1988 run for Secretary of State as the LP candidate, creating the first major school choice organization in Oregon, writing the 1990 school choice initiative and heading the campaign, and writing other initiatives for tax limits and term limits (where others did the vast majority of the real work on those other initiative; the term limits were enacted by voters and are in the Oregon constitution). Occasionally active in Colorado, including a 2008 run in the First Congressional District, though mainly active by writing letters to the editor and giving money. Wrote and published a book in 2007 that anticipated our current federal budget crisis and provided appropriate solutions (cut spending and entitlements). Have set aside another book project, about the sovereign default of the United States, as I’m working two jobs.
6. Have identified as a libertarian since 1970, am a life member of the LP, was very active in the Oregon LP, and am somewhat active in the Colorado LP. First read Ayn Rand in 1967 and am still reading her works today. I share all of her major premises while disagreeing with some specific interpretations or applications of Objectivist ideas by Ms. Rand or by those in the movement. As a libertarian I avoid the “Objectivist” label, though I could fairly be described as an Objectivist sympathizer/someone who often finds value in the Objectivist movement. “Fiscal conservative” is another fair label. I abhor deficit and debts as government policy and strongly support a balanced budget amendment. Free market activist: yes. Classical liberal: yes.
7. Occasional letters to the editors, posting to email lists, or runs for office. When my book came out, did some radio and TV appearances for it. Once I really retire I may want to run initiative campaigns again. Can imagine blogging but do not want to Facebook nor tweet, nor podcast.
8. Ayn Rand Institute, Libertarian Party national and state and candidates, Cato Institute, ISIL, and occasionally other organizations as well.
9. At MIT was active in the Radicals for Capitalism and was a reporter for Ergo, an Objectivist student newspaper. A fellow worker at Ergo was Dan Karlan who introduced me to many other libertarian writers and thinkers including Murray Rothbard, Lysander Spooner, Roy Childs, Morris and Linda Tannehill, and David Friedman. I personally accept the argument for limited government put forth by Robert Nozick in Anarchy, State, and Utopia, but found and still find considerable value in the writings of the anarchocapitalists.
10. Internet each day check the Washington Post, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Drudge, Wired, New Scientist, and Slashdot. Listen to PBS, Fox, ABC, and CNN on TV.
11. None with a strong influence, though I liked the Dirty Dozen that Ari Armstrong gave me about Supreme Court cases. The last book I read was Handbook of Floating-Point Arithmetic.
12. a) Milton Friedman – middling, read Free to Choose
b) Friedrich Hayek – minor, nas been on my “ought to read” list
c) Ayn Rand – strong influence, power and clarity of her writing and philosophy
d) Henry Hazlitt – strong influence via Economics in One Lesson and other books including Thinking as a Science and Time Will Run Back
e) Ludwig von Mises – middling, read some of his books years ago but never finished Human Action
f) Thomas Sowell – minor
13. Was moved by the power of C.S. Lewis’s writing and reasoning as well when I was a young man, and pondered the interesting problem of reconciling Lewis and Rand. That may be part of the reason I’ve generally been a deist for decades, putting me at odds with both thinkers. Was raised in the Presbyterian church as the grandson and great grandson of Presbyterian ministers by parents who valued parts of the Bible, reasoned about religion, and oscillated between liberal Christianity and agnosticism. My family background and my parents influenced me strongly and still do. As noted above, read and still value the work of several anarchocapitalist writers.
Jim McKindles
3. Retired Lucent Technologies installer/ Residential Builder
4. School of hard knocks!
5. Politically active since 1996, the year of my discovery of Dr Paul and Lew Rockwell.
6. Libertarian
7. My own email list.
8. Ron Paul and other Liberty minded candidates locally.
9. No college, just riding home with my Uncle from the construction jobsite listening to him carry on about Roosevelt and how crooked he and the unions were back in the mid sixties as a 20 year old.
10) Lew Rockwell, “Freedom Watch” on FBN
11-13) I have read each of these authors and all have influenced my way of living up here in [Michigan].
John Zaugg
3. Construction
4. Architecture-Bachelor Degree
5. No I’m not active in politics.
6. Objectivist
7. [Rarely write letters to papers; no on everything else.]
8. None
9. No
10. News commentary and books. Link TV, Democracy Now, Broadcast news commentary is shallow and bias.
11. No
12. a) Milton Friedman I have read some of his works
b) Friedrich Hayek I have read some of his works
c) Ayn Rand I have read all her works and I met Ayn Rand at a presentation in New York
d) Henry Hazlitt I have read some of his works
e) Ludwig von Mises I have read some of his works
f) Thomas Sowell I have read some of his works
Mary Lee Harsha
3. Retired IT professional
4. Theatre major
5. Three years
7. Letters to the Editor – occasionally
Facebook – post to Agenda 21 sites as well as my own. It is linked to a one year World Wide Amplified show about Objectivism that I led.
Twitter – only comments on political events, debates, etc.
The Objectivist Living blog – occassional
Electronic e-mail list: to friends in the Tea Party and 912 movements about everything I think is important to our politics and economics as well as a list of members of the Des Moines Objectivists about all things related to Objectivism.
8. 912, Tea Party, support through subscriptions The Objective Standard and The New Individualist at the Atlas Society.
9. No. I discovered them through Ayn Rand’s writings which led me to the Austrian economists.
10. Ayn Rand Institute, Objectivist presentations, Tara Smith, Glenn Beck TV (GBTV), Stossel, Freedom Watch, Varney and Company, general Fox Business news all day long, The Objectivist Standard, The New Individualist, Pajama T.V., Dianne Hsieh’s blog, George Reisman’s Blog, Facebook Agenda 21 groups, www.mises.org, WSJ Online, Reuters, American Thinker, and what ever comes up when I Google a particular subject.
11. Helpful Books:
Amity Shlaes – The Forgotten Man
Tara Smith – Moral Rights and Political Freedom
Ayn Rand – Atlas Shrugged – again and again
Ayn Rand – Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology again
Ayn Rand – Philosophy – Who Needs it again
Nathaniel Branden’s lectures – The Vision of Ayn Rand – Intro to Objectivist Philosophy
Barbara Branden’s audio book – The Principles of Efficient Thinking
Leonard Peikoff – Objectivism:The Philosophy of Ayn Rand
Leonard Peikoff – The Ominous Parallels
Andrew Bernstein – The Capitalist Manifesto
David Harriman – The Logical Leap: Induction in Physics
Ludwig von Mises – Human Nature and Epistemological Problems of Economics
Murray Rothbard – read in Man, Economy and State and Conceived in Liberty
Frederic Bastiat – Law, Unintended Consequences and selections from the complete works of
Saul Alinsky – Rules for Radicals
Karl Marx – The Communist Manifesto
Eugen von Bohm Bawerk – Karl Marx and the Close of his System
Glenn Beck – The Overton Window, How to Talk to Idiots, Broke
Jonah Goldberg – Liberal Fascism
Charles Beard – read in History of the United States
Stephen R.C. Hicks – Explaining Post-Modernism
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison – The Federalist Papers
Helpful for understanding Communitarianism and Agenda 21
Rosa Koire – Behind the Green Mask: U.N. Agenda 21
Amitai Etzioni – The Communitarian Reader
Amitai Etzioni – New Common Ground
Jay Walljasper – All That We Share
Helpful for Understanding the somewhat poor thinking of Conservatives:
Mark Levin – Liberty and Tyranny
Newt Gingrich – To Save the Country
Sarah Palin – Going Rogue
Helpful for Understanding Islam and Sharia Law
Barry Rubin – The Muslim Brotherhood
Brigiette Gabriel – Because They Hate
Brigiette Gabriel – They Must be Stopped
12. a) Milton Friedman – Yes, somewhat of an influence, though not as much as the Austrians (because his philosophy is not slid all the way down).
b) Friedrich Hayek – Yes, helped with understanding politcs and economics with his Road to Serfdom
c) Ayn Rand – Yes. Probably the most influential public figure in my life.
d) Henry Hazlitt – Yes – haven’t read him yet, but he’s on my list
e) Ludwig von Mises – Yes – big influence on understanding Austrian economics
f) Thomas Sowell – Yes – like to read his articles on the Atlas Society web site, have him on my book list.
13. Tara Smith – her philosophical articles in a variety of journals have taught me how to think about issues like judicial activism, how the U.S. Constitution has been interpreted, Objective and non-objective law, Zero Sum thinking in Environmentalism and the welfare state.
Yaron Brook – his excellent arguments for Objectivism at debates and on P.J. T.V. and other lectures have been a source of good cheer in the face of insane politics.
Jacob Bronowski – author of the Ascent of Man – did a beautiful job of making sense of the history of science. Led me to pursue more education in that field.
Richard Dawkins – his “The Greatest Show on Earth” and “The Magic of Reality” have helped clarify my thinking on Evolution and the nature of reality.
Todd Walton
3. System Administrator
4. N/A
5. Yes, I became politically active through the Tea Party movement. I was not before. I got involved in second half of 2010.
6. Objectivist.
7. Google+, Meetup group, Tea Party meetings, mailing lists, Republican Party committee meetings, I used to have a radio show, occasional letters to newspapers.
8. Local tea party activities, Ron Paul campaign, ARI.
9. No. Wasn’t really the point of my education.
10. Cato, Reason, ARI of course.
11. No.
12. I’ve heard of them all. Mises and Ayn Rand have influenced me. Mises
a little, Rand a lot.
13. No. I have other ideas, but my political philosophy is pretty much Ayn Rand 90% and then 10% from this and that and what I’ve cooked up myself.
Gladys Woynowskie
My primary occupation was “mother.”
4. BA in Humanities, AS in Early Childhood Education, I hold an Elementary Teacher’s license (in the state of CO).
5. I’m not sure I’m active yet. I have always had some interest as I see it as a citizen’s responsibility. In April of 2008 I went to Lincoln Park. I was motivated by the incredible disregard for the law and for political procedure (as set forth in the constitution) which was being demonstrated by the executive branch and the democratically controlled congress.
7. On facebook, I promote unity and mutual respect with all my communications. There is one group: Free Agent Diaz within which I freely communicate because we all recognize the failure of the judicial system to protect this man and we recognize the near futility of finding justice for him.
I also make occasional comments on blogs, etc. I write to my congressmen about once every two months. Mostly I talk with my friends.
I do not see myself as an activist and I resist activist techniques. I guess I am looking for a better definition and a more productive method of participation.
8. Parental Rights.org, NRA, Freedom Center (Horowitz), Judicial Watch, United American Patriots, Wounded Warriors Project.org
9. 2 classes: Economics, Retail Marketing
10. Local: blog.ariarmstrong.com/ gjresult.com junctiondailyblog.com livingthegrandlife.blogspot.com/ waronwrong.blogspot.com coloradoindependent.com/
completecolorado.com
National: Drudge Report, The Blaze, Huffington Post, Reuters, Politico, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck
11. The Coming Insurrection by unknown, You Don’t Need a Weatherman. . . by Ayers, A Point in Time by Horowitz, Chaplins and Clergy of the Revolution by JT Headley.
12. a) Milton Friedman : recognize as free market economist-never read
b) Friedrich Hayek: recognize as support of capitalism-never read
c) Ayn Rand: first read Atlas Shrugged in 1969 (give or take a year) Have re-read it at least 3 times since, have read all of her books. Her promotion of personal rights and responsibilities was irresistible.
d) Henry Hazlitt : no idea
e) Ludwig von Mises: no idea
f) Thomas Sowell: I know this name, seems linked to economics
13. The greatest influence on my political thought is the Bible. When I can understand how God wants me to interact with my fellowman, then I will know how act as a political entity. When I understand the constitution and the environment in which it developed, then I know how to act as an American. I am a self-educated historian with focus on ancient history and early American history
I have read most of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations . I have read both of Thomas Paine’s books (Rights of Man and Common Sense). Both of these men have been read more than once. This effort helped to build my understanding of the context from which our country came to be. Along with this would be the writings of Bradford and the Mayflower compact, and the biographies and writings of the founding fathers. Of the latter, my knowledge is not exhaustive but is varied. I seem to be lacking great scholars and intellectuals (living) who have influenced me. I find no suitable explanation for that.
Bill Setser
3. Director at Damon Runyon Repertory Theater
5. No. 32 years
6. I am an individualist with a mix of the following: conservative, Republican, fiscal conservative, free-market activist, libertarian, classical liberal.
7. I talk politics with friends and family, and read and comment frequently on libertarian and
conservative blogs, and occasionally write letters to the Pueblo Chieftain.
8. RNC, Colorado Republican Party, NRA, and ISP through Outdoors Unlimited
9. No
10. Pueblo Chieftain, Mike Rosen, Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Cafe Hayek, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Don
Surber blog, Rossputin, Black and Right blog, National Review Online.
11. a) The Discovery of Freedom, by Rose Wilder Lane
b) Our Enemy The State, by Albert Jay Nock
12. All of these people have greatly influenced my individualist philosophy. Hazlitt the least so,
simply because I’ve not seen enough of his work.
13. Walter E Williams, Don Boudreaux, and Russ Roberts have all helped give an economic foundation
to my individualist philosophies.
H.L. Mencken, Robert A Heinlein, and Mark Twain help reinforce a distrust of government (no matter
who is running the show)
Karl Schwols
3. Own my own small retail business in Boulder CO
4. Double Major BS in Engineering Science and BA in Social Science
5. 2 years, yes Tea Party Inspired
6. Libertarian leaning conservative.
7. Facebook mostly
8. not much yet
9. Always have been somewhat conservative, but I have been inspired and have read a great deal lately
10. Mike Rosen, America’s Morning News, Laura Ingram, The 5000 Year Leap by Skousen, CK Prahalad, ICECAP.US
11. The 5000 Year Leap by Skousen, CK Prahalad, The Federalist Papers, the Anti-Federalist papers
12. a) Milton Friedman…Heard of, read some of his books, watched many of his videos, agree with
b) Friedrich Hayek….Heard of, tried to read but a bit cumbersome
c) Ayn Rand….Heard of, read some, agree with some, disagree with some
d) Henry Hazlitt …not familiar enough with
e) Ludwig von Mises…not super familiar with, but I believe he inspired Hayek and is a strict libertarian.
f) Thomas Sowell …great writer, makes things very clear. agree with.
13. William F Buckly, Mark Levin,
Anonymous
3. IT.
4. No. Currently attending Front Range for A.A.S. in Comp Sci.
5. I have been “active” to some degree since age 16 or so. I am 22 at present so this predates the Tea Party.
6. Fiscal Conservative but social centrist.
7. Facebook, occasional letters to public officials. Caucuses every 2 years.
8. I have volunteered to help candidates for a state house campaign, a school board race, and as a county assembly delegate.
9. I am in college and no, college is not the source of my views.
10. Mike Rosen’s radio show on 850 KOA, the Denver Post Spot Blog, and Devil’s Advocate on PBS. I periodically watch news and political talk TV shows and track a substantial number of political websites and think tanks via RSS feeds.
11. Few that would have been influenced by the Tea Party per se. A Monetary History of the United States and Free To Choose, both by Milton Friedman influence me. A Conflict Of Visions by Thomas Sowell was also influential. I am presently reading through Bush’s memoirs and a book on political campaigning. I am also reading Machiavelli’s “The Prince”.
12. I’ve heard of all of them except Hazlitt but I only care for the ideas of Sowell and Friedman.
13. I also sort of like Krauthammer to some extent, though I often disagree with him.
Kathy Peterson
3. Sales/Activism/Social Media
4. BS in Business Administration (dual majors: Marketing/Organizational Management)
5. Mike Rosen/Rush Limbaugh listener since 1991, County Election Judge since 1998, attended first caucus in 2008, became truly active in politics as of 2/19/09 when Rick Santelli went “Tea Party” on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s trading floor in a righteous rant against President Obama’s proposal to help foreclosure “occupiers” refinance their mortgages.
6. I am a pro-choice, agnostic, strong national defense, fiscal conservative, and registered Republican. I also identify myself as a conservative, and free-market activist.
7. I communicate in person, through social media (Facebook: personal profile, non-profit org page, candidates pages, public and private groups, fan pages, private messages; Twitter: tweets; LinkedIn: private messages, status updates), emails incoming/outgoing, call-ins to radio shows, suggesting guests for radio programs, listening to and recommending podcasts, reading and recommending/sharing blogs and websites, attending/organizing/teaching at politically oriented events and activities.
8. R Block Party, Independence Institute, Colorado Christian University, Act! For America, Leadership Program of the Rockies, American Majority, Americans For Prosperity, various local candidate campaigns
9. I took both Macro and Micro Economics in High School, but do not recall taking these courses in college for my Business Degree.
10. Grassroots Radio Colorado (radio program on 560KLZ), Mike Rosen, Rush Limbaugh, Jon Caldara, Michael Brown (radio programs on 850KOA), various FOX News clips seen on Facebook, blogs: ColoradoPeakPolitics, PeoplesPressCollective, Michelle Malkin, Andrew Breitbart, Pamela Geller, etc., organizations: Centennial Institute, Independence Institute, PJTV (Pajamas Media), among others
11. Atlas Shrugged, Economics in One Lesson, The Law by Frederic Bastiat, Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell, America Alone by Mark Steyn, The Political Zoo by Michael Savage, Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies by Michelle Malkin, etc.
On a related topic, various movies have also strongly influenced my political ideas:
Waiting For Superman, Agenda: Driving America Down, Obsession, The Cartel, Kids Aren’t Cars, spOILed, Runaway Slave, I Want Your Money, America at Risk, Fitna, Commanding Heights (pbs), Atlas Shrugged the Movie, Iranium
12. a) Milton Friedman – Free to Choose video seen at his birthday party at the Independence Institute, great video on Greed during a 1979 interview with lefty Phil Donahue
b) Friedrich Hayek – Road to Serfdom (on my bedside table)
c) Ayn Rand – attended Diana Hsieh’s Atlas Shrugged discussion group, promoted Atlas Shrugged The Movie Part 1 premiere
d) Henry Hazlitt – Economics in One Lesson (Broken Window concept, Spread the Work scam, reality of unions)
e) Ludwig von Mises – Austrian School of Economic Thought
f) Thomas Sowell – Basic Economics (textbook of Penn Pfiffner’s Free People, Free Markets: Principles of Liberty class in which I am currently attending)
13. Columnist and Radio Talk Show Host Mike Rosen is the best economics and political science professor I have ever had, and I have been his grateful student since 1991.
Congressman Bob Schaffer is the most articulate, rational, prepared, and persuasive debater I have supported as a political candidate.
Colorado Senator Shawn Mitchell is a radiating mentor of liberty principles, social media mastery, and commitment to conservative ideals of smaller government, less regulation, lower tax rates, and individual responsibility.
Centennial Institute and Independence Institute founder John Andrews has a photographic memory of names and faces, is an uber-networker, and whose quick wit is the most effective un-ruffler of heated feathers.
Ayn Rand Institute’s Yaron Brook is a personable, thoughtful, and well-versed advocate for oftentimes disregarded non-religous conservatives.
Brigitte Gabriel and John Guandolo are brave, compelling, and informative educators on the realities of the threat of Shariah vs. our Constitution.
Governor Jan Brewer has exhibited strength, courage, and persistence in her fight to protect her Arizona constituents, as well as all Americans from our dangerously porous southern border.
On a local level, a personal hero, dedicated volunteer, and committed school board member Laura Boggs alerted, inspired, and recruited me to the current state of our non-tran$parent, top heavy, corrupt education system.
Anonymous
3. Retired airline pilot
4. BA, Colgate, English lit
Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, Aviation Safety Officer
5. Yes, my political activity began with the Tea Party. I’ve been active in Tea Party and Republican Party over 2 years.
6. Fiscal conservative, free-market activist, objectivist.
7. Leader of the Evergreen Tea Party. We have a website, Facebook, Twitter.
8. Evergreen Tea Party, Republican Party, Independence Institute, Leadership of the Rockies
9. Yes, senior level core course in American values.
10. Victor Davis Hansen blogs, National Review Uncommon Knowledge video interviews, Thomas Sowell editorials, Dr Hurd Daily Dose of Reason
Rosen, Limbaugh, etc on radio
FOX Business News and to a lesser extent, Fox News
11. The 1000 Year Leap, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution, Bastiat’s The Law, Rob Natelson’s The Original Constitution: What it Said and Meant, John Bolton’s Surrender is Not an Option, Daniel Hannan’s The New Road to Serfdom, Adam Ferguson’s When Money Dies
12. a) Milton Friedman – know him, have read various articles by him.
b) Friedrich Hayek – know him, have read various articles by him.
c) Ayn Rand – a fan, though I learned of her late in life. Have read Atlas Shrugged and various essays.
d) Henry Hazlitt – know him, have read various articles by him.
e) Ludwig von Mises – know him, have read various articles by him. Regular reader of the Mises Daily.
f) Thomas Sowell – a fan. I try to read every editorial he publishes. I’ve read Basic Economics and the recently published Thomas Sowell Reader. Consider him a NATIONAL TREASURE.
13. Ayn Rand for her individualistic philosophy and sense of life.
Victor Davis Hansen for his observations to today world and his ability to relate it to ancient times.
Also, David McAlvany’s Weekly Commentary podcast is great on economics and financial topics from a big picture point of view.
I also enjoy Tammy Bruce and Michelle Malkin. And I read The Objective Standard and The Intellectual Activist Daily.