Bill Maher: Liberal or Libertarian?

[NeoRicen]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.

I've recently been thinking about Bill Maher's political ideology. I've heard him self-identify as a Libertarian but the more I listen to him it just sounds like he's a Liberal.

While his social views tend to be Libertarian they don't particularly conflict with Liberalism. His views on Government however appear to conflict greatly with Libertarianism.

He's ridiculed the Republican line of running on the idea of Government being a bad thing by saying things like "They run on the idea that Government sucks then they get in and prove it" and "Government can work" etc.

He also seems to support Universal Health Care, doesn't seem as radically opposed to Taxes as most Libertarians are and doesn't appear to be isolationist as alot of Libertarians are (Ron Paul), supporting Israel etc.

So what do you think?

His views tend to line up with mine pretty strongly and I don't consider myself a Libertarian so that might means something.

 

[Cain]

Maher has been describing himself as a libertarian for a long while. I do not know if he still does so (I don't get HBO), but it's rather clear he's not one. You have to understand that there are basically two camps for conservative (or capitalist) libertarianism. In the popular press libertarianism is a blunt term used to describe a person who is "socially liberal and fiscally conservative," which is really in some ways just a traditional pro-business Republican, though not necessarily as ideological as Barry Goldwater. Of course if people were true to "fiscally conservative" then Bill Clinton, who is Republican-lite, might qualify. The other type of libertarian, or Libertarian, the kind one often encounters on the Internet, is self-consciously libertarian and fanatical about it: a large part of their identity is invested in this politics/economics/cult of the Almighty Free Market and other wacky beliefs (gold standard, guns). You seem the on this forum; they're tendentious blowhards.

In the 90s Maher's show "Politically Incorrect" largely dealt with politically incorrect social views. Maher would "bravely" pick a bone with feminists, and people sensitive to the concerns of traditionally disadvantaged/oppressed groups (He is or was friends with Ann Coulter). Maher would say positive things about Reagan, maybe he still does, and I think he voted for Dole. However, he always considered himself an environmentalist, and his policy views here were anathema to the staunchly anti-regulation stance of Republicans and Libertarians. He's also some type of animal rights activist, which put him at odds with frequent guest Ted Nugent (who is more of a libertarian). When he got booted from ABC for saying something patriotically incorrect, he finally woke up and got a clue.

 

[CFLarsen]

The other type of libertarian, or Libertarian, the kind one often encounters on the Internet, is self-consciously libertarian and fanatical about it: a large part of their identity is invested in this politics/economics/cult of the Almighty Free Market and other wacky beliefs (gold standard, guns). You seem the on this forum; they're tendentious blowhards.

Gee, who could you be thinking of?

 

[LordoftheLeftHand]

I would say he is neither. Most people don't fit perfectly into these nice pigeon holes.

LLH

 

[Number Six]

When Politically Incorrect was on ABC I watched it almost every night except near the end. Maher often called himself Libertarian and yet in the election of 2000 he openly supported and endorsed Ralph Nader even though the Libertarians had a candidate of their own on the ballot. Maher was one of those Nader Libertarians, which is another way of saying he was a liberal with maybe a libertarian tendency here and there. I can't say what he is now because I don't see him that much anymore.

And he likes to talk about how ABC kicked him off because he said something un-PC but I think he's just playing the martyr. The show had gotten old. As I said, I watched it every night for a long time and then near the end even I was getting sick of it and starting to skip it. It became less and less about people sitting around discussing stuff and more and more about Bill pushing his pet views. He was getting obnoxious and when I see him now on TV he is still usually (but not always) obnoxious. He comes off as so full of himself and so dismissive of anyone that disagrees with him. I agree with some of what he says but I still find it hard to watch him.

 

[RandFan]

I would say he is neither. Most people don't fit perfectly into these nice pigeon holes.

LLH

Bingo.

Political parties have a purpose for everyone involved but they serve politicians more than people. Politics is to a large extent about coalitions so I don't see a day when they will ever be eliminated but I wish people would stop identifying so strongly with them. Us vs them isn't in our best interest, IMO.

 

[hgc]

When Politically Incorrect was on ABC I watched it almost every night except near the end. Maher often called himself Libertarian and yet in the election of 2000 he openly supported and endorsed Ralph Nader even though the Libertarians had a candidate of their own on the ballot. Maher was one of those Nader Libertarians, which is another way of saying he was a liberal with maybe a libertarian tendency here and there. I can't say what he is now because I don't see him that much anymore.

He calls himself libertarian with a small L. That doesn't mean he's expected to support the nominee of the Libertarian party.

 

[plumjam]

What's with all these silly labels?

Just make your mind up about each issue on its own merits.

 

[JoeEllison]

Pure libertarianism is a stupid position. Bill Maher isn't stupid. So, he's likely going to reject a pure form of libertarianism.

Odds are, in a rational context he'd be seen as a centrist... but we don't live in rational times.

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

He thinks he's a Libertarian because he likes pot and hookers.

Seriously though, he's called himself a Libertarian very often- such as when Ron Paul was on and he told him "I've always considered myself something of a Libertarian but I'm Chairman Mao compared to you!" and when he was talking sympathetically about the LP on Overtime- but what he actually stands for is 180 degrees from Libertarianism.

I don't know though, he's very unconventional. He's said himself that he doesn't know what he is because he's a political party of one. He's for civil liberties but for wire-tapping. He's blasted the hypocrisy of death penalty supporters but supports the death penalty. He's fiercely pro-choice and yet expresses sympathy for pro-life. He's unforgiving towards American racists and anti-Muslim rhetoric but goes Sam Harris on Muslims and Arabs himself.

So I always took the Libertarianism thing as another one of his contrasts but not exactly contradictions.

 

[JoeEllison]

He thinks he's a Libertarian because he likes pot and hookers.

Seriously though, he's called himself a Libertarian very often- such as when Ron Paul was on and he told him "I've always considered myself something of a Libertarian but I'm Chairman Mao compared to you!" and when he was talking sympathetically about the LP on Overtime- but what he actually stands for is 180 degrees from Libertarianism.

I don't know though, he's very unconventional. He's said himself that he doesn't know what he is because he's a political party of one. He's for civil liberties but for wire-tapping. He's blasted the hypocrisy of death penalty supporters but supports the death penalty. He's fiercely pro-choice and yet expresses sympathy for pro-life. He's unforgiving towards American racists and anti-Muslim rhetoric but goes Sam Harris on Muslims and Arabs himself.

So I always took the Libertarianism thing as another one of his contrasts but not exactly contradictions.

In other words, he buys into what he buys into, and rejects the rest.

 

[Wheezebucket]

I don't care what he is, but he needs to get new writers for his monologues (or just stop doing them altogether). Dear lord, I thought Leno's was bad...

Rest of the show is usually good, though.

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Yeah, I wonder if he writes the monologues himself. It sometimes seems he does and sometimes seems he doesn't.

Last Friday's monolouge jokes about Phil Spector were right on the money, though. "O.J. heard about this and said 'You've got to be f-ing kidding me!'"

 

[Wheezebucket]

Every now and then he'll nail at least a few jokes in there, but sometimes I have to just fast forward to the panel/interview, it gets too hard to watch. More often than not he bombs *hard*, and then the audience politely claps and hoots and he looks around awkwardly. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers!

I'm usually not big on his stand-up either, but 'The Decider' (his most recent show) actually wasn't half bad. Mostly re-used material from the jokes that scored on his show, but still, not too shabby.

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Really? I always think he's graceful, sharp and very quick on his feet even when he bombs.

I always listen to every minute of the opening jokes... and I admit it's because that's where I get alot of my news for the week from.

 

[NeoRicen]

The Decider didn't really appear to me to be a comdey routine, it was more like a long rant. It was good, just more of a politcal rant than pure comedy.

 

[Wheezebucket]

The Decider didn't really appear to me to be a comdey routine, it was more like a long rant. It was good, just more of a politcal rant than pure comedy.

Agreed, which I think is why it worked so well. Whenever he strays too far from direct political commentary (with some humor mixed in) and goes for the straight laughs he tends to bomb and bomb and bomb...

I love his 'New Rules' segments too, they're usually killer.

 

[Beerina]

He also seems to support Universal Health Care

It also depends what you mean by this. While a "true" Libertarian would not support any kind of this, there are different kinds:

- Government requiring everyone be covered, ala auto liability insurance, with a government pool for those who cannot get it privately.

- Government mandating private insurance cover everybody

- Government provides a minimal care, with people remaining free to buy better care if they chose to

- Government providing a minimal care, and it is illegal for people to get better care with their own money


It's the last one that is probably as far as you can get from Libertarian (and as far as you can get from the concept of a free nation and what freedom means.)

 

[Number Six]

He calls himself libertarian with a small L. That doesn't mean he's expected to support the nominee of the Libertarian party.

Perhaps he does now but back when he was on Politically Incorrect every night he was making no qualifications. He was libertarian or Libertarian, he didn't spell the word, but he didn't give qualifications but rather just said he was...-ibertarian. Maybe someone pointed out to him it was ambiguous, especially since he was touting Ralph Nader at the same time.

 

[corplinx]

I'm still surprised Maher's show got picked up from Comedy Central onto ABC and then to HBO. His show redefines overrated weekly.