Will Wilkinson writes,

People who finally gained equal political rights through a long democratic struggle cannot have been unreasonable to see democratic politics as a morally and politically progressive force.

Basically, what I read into this sentence is the notion that the right to vote is so precious we have no business questioning what people use that right for. If they elect a demagogue who proceeds to nationalize most of the U.S. economy, well, they earned that privilege “through a long democratic struggle.”

Romanticizing the right to vote is a bad move. The only good voting does is that it permits you to peacefully throw out the incumbents. However, once you romanticize voting, you undermine a lot of that value. The political class exploits your romantic feelings to expand its powers and take away your rights.

Libertarians face three choices relative to their postures on democratic voting.

1. Share the enchantment.

2. At least pretend to share the enchantment.

3. Express open disenchantment.

Will’s post (read the whole thing) seems to advocate something between 1 and 2. I’m going with 3.