I just spoke with my thirty-something niece -- a very intelligent young woman, an Army wife stationed in Alaska, and a mother of four -- who has been pondering whether to vote for the libertarian candidate in the coming election because Mitt Romney just doesn't meet all her needs.  As I explained to her, Romney wasn't my first choice, either.  I was big on my former Texas governor until he blew it big-time in the Republican debates.  So be it; your guy drops the ball, and you hand off to the next-strongest runner.

My libertarian niece is a supporter of Ron Paul.  I reminded her that Ron Paul and his son, Rand Paul, are both registered Republicans and achieved their present offices as such.  They selected the Republican Party because its principles most closely reflect those of libertarians, and because the Republican Party offers libertarians a seat at the table.  Democrats, most assuredly, do not.  I asked her if she believes that the bedrock principle of libertarian thought is limited government control over the individual, and she assured me that she does.  Then, I asked her, that being so, which of the two leading presidential candidates offers libertarians the best opportunity to have a voice in the future of our country -- a Democrat socialist hell-bent on federal control of virtually every aspect of our lives, or a Republican businessman and capitalist, with a growing Tea Party snapping at his heels, who seeks to curtail federal expansion?  She conceded that it must be the Republicans.

We ended the call with her agreeing that the best probability for libertarians would be a vote for Romney.  I would hope that others out there who have a problem with voting for Romney because he just isn't their perfect candidate would consider the hard truth that as conservatives and libertarians, we must face the reality that perfection isn't ours to be had.  But then, we must consider the alternative: Barack Obama, who was, in fact, back in 2008, considered the perfect candidate.  And as the saying goes:

"How'd that work out for you, America?"