The following is from a letter Donald J. Boudreaux sent to the Washington Post:

Speculations centered on party struggles are tiresome.

The real struggle is between persons who love liberty and persons enthralled with power.  A liberty lover refuses to exercise power over others and, therefore, has solid principles upon which he can stand when defending himself against those who would exercise power over him.  In contrast, someone enthralled with power – by endorsing its exercise over others – kicks out from beneath his own feet the principles he will need to stand on when the time comes for him to defend himself against the power of those who would force him to submit to their will.

Full letter here.