The Big Government Republican Politburo has made its selections, but they'll let you vote anyway.

Each wing of the two-party duopoly will hold its statewide caucuses tonight.

Nothing unusual will happen with the Democrats.

Unfortunately, I predict nothing unusual will happen with the Republicans, either. (Of course, I also predicted that North Carolina would finish in the top half of the ACC, so my clairvoyance is quite limited.)

I foresee that, despite the recent "Tea Party" and related phenomena, it will be business as usual for the Republicans. All of the Tea Party support for governor candidate Dan Maes will be dwarfed by the establishment support of Scott McInnis. Likewise for Tea Party favorite Ken Buck in the Senate Race. The grassroots support for Buck will be stomped on by the Republican establishment support for Jane Norton.

The status will remain quo.

As a Libertarian, I find it amusing when Republican Dan Maes' supporters tell me I'm wasting my vote because Libertarians "can't win." There is no more accurate description of Dan Maes than "can't win."

The Republican Politburo has annointed Jane Norton and Scott McInnis as the candidates that will represent the party. And they will. The Soviet Union had elections, too, and the outcome was just as certain.

The sad part is that all too many Maes' supporters will then perpetuate the problem by holding their noses and voting for Big Government Republican Scott McInnis. Likewise for the Ken Buck supporters (and Tom Weins and Cleve Tidwell supporters) that decide they owe their vote to Big Government Republican Jane Norton out of some misguided sense of "party loyalty."

Loyalty is owed to principle, not party. Loyalty is owed to the country, not party. Loyalty is owed to the Constitution, not party. Loyalty is owed to freedom, not party. Most importantly, loyalty is owed to yourself, not party.

I hope my predictions are wrong. We shall see.

But for those that actually believe small government principles are more important than their Big Government Republican Party, they have a home.

And we welcome you. Don't waste your vote on Big Government Republicans. Vote Libertarian.

And let freedom ring.