Barr seeks to escape Paul's shadow in Libertarian Party presidential bid
Posted August 18th, 2008 by Michael Nystrom
output
By Maria Recio | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Bob Barr, the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party, is not your usual fringe candidate.
For one thing, he's got a record as an elected official. Barr, at the time a conservative Republican, represented a suburban Atlanta congressional district from 1994-2003. And he became a national figure as a House leader of the impeachment effort against President Clinton.
But Barr also took positions in Congress that are at odds with the laissez-faire Libertarians, notably the war in Iraq. Barr voted in favor of the congressional war resolution in 2002, although he now says, "I never voted for an occupation of Iraq."
Barr's record has hurt him with some party faithful who still look to Ron Paul, the anti-war Texas Republican congressman and 1988 Libertarian Party presidential nominee who became an Internet sensation during his 2008 run for the GOP presidential nomination.
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Barr VS. Nader VS. Baldwin VS. Mckinney The Results
Once again we need to take a look at reality. Maybe just maybe Ron Paul will endorse a candidate for President after or even during the Campaign for Liberty Rallies in St. Paul from August 31st to September 2nd, 2008. If he does not we all know the choices or the arguments for each candidate If the election were held today, here are the final popular vote likely results: Barrack Obama 47%, John McCain 45%, Bob Barr 6%,Ralph Nader 1.5%, Cynthia McKinney 0.3%, Chuck Baldwin 0.1%, and others such as Alan Keyes less than 0.1%. Now, ask yourself why is Barr or Baldwin receiving single digit support.
Answer: Money, Media Exposure, History of Third-Party lack of winning, not able to obtain ballot access or in the national debates. So, the answer to all these problems is to work within the Republican Party starting now in the early presidential contests in 2012 and make every contest a closed primary in the state legislature where Democrats cannot choose the nominee.
Anyone who voted for the Patriot Act.
Is no friend of liberty.. I'm sorry. I don't trust Barr one bit.
My vote is for Ron Paul til the end... my vote is my Revolution.
a capitalized
DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!
i had a beer
with bob barr at a nyc bar. he isnt gonna win anything but he is better then the two scumbags. usa deserves the next president they get,
Oh yeah... lets be sure to
Oh yeah... lets be sure to beatup on Barr as he USED to think a different way then he does now. But its OK for Ron Paul to fraudulently use my money NOW to support candidates that vote for these things NOW? Geee you guys are totally screwed up. If Barr did what Paul did you guys would be all over him like ugly on an ape, but yet its our hero Ron Paul and we dare not say a word. Paul is wrong on this issue. It is a clear case of FRAUD. I donated to him not to the Republican Party, who is working everyday to take my freedom away.
Barr is on Fox right now.
Barr is on Fox right now. 8/18/2008. 4pm et
Everyone is so quick to
Everyone is so quick to criticize Barr during this election cycle, but is there a more feasible option that can spread the philosophy to a large number of people?
The only thing we should be concerned about right now is spreading the philosophy of liberty, but honestly who is going to do that if we eliminate Barr completely from the equation?
Barr is not spreading the 'philosophy of liberty'
That is giving him too much credit I'm afraid. If you examine him, you find that he doesn't know much about libertarianism.
The message he is spreading is a 'bit of liberty here, but not liberty there.'
It's definitely not consistent enough to be called a philosophy.
Barr
voted IN FAVOR of the USA Patriot Act...maybe this is why!!
"We dare not forget that we are heirs of that first revolution" -JFK
another candidate
There is this one candidate that alot of people having heard of. He shares many ideas of Bob Barr, but he has been speaking about them for 30 years now. Very consistent. Very anti-war. His name is Ron Paul. He's getting my vote.
By writing in Dr. Paul, will
By writing in Dr. Paul, will that help spread the message of liberty in the run up to the election? Will that help the public contemplate and learn the philosophy of liberty?
Your meaningless rhetoric
Your meaningless rhetoric means nothing to me. I dont want to a candidate that will support 'liberty'...that is a meaningless word. I will not bend knee to some guy who claims to be a Ron Pauliticians. He has to have the goods to back it up. And no one has done that so far.
Meaingless rhetoric?
All I asked was if writing in Ron Paul is actively helping to spread the message of liberty?
The only thing we should be concerned about is informing the public of liberty and describing how the R's and D's are anti-liberty and are therefore ruining our country.
Meaingless rhetoric?
All I asked was if writing in Ron Paul is actively helping to spread the message of liberty?
The only thing we should be concerned about is informing the public of liberty and describing how the R's and D's are anti-liberty which is therefore ruining our country.
Too bad we can only rally
Too bad we can only rally around Ron Paul and no other candidate. I'm starting to see first hand the saying that states the Libertarians will never succeed because they eat their own kind...
There is no one on the radar other than Ron Paul that could unite this group in 2012...
Too bad you and Cameron are
Too bad you and Cameron are the same individual.
Bob Barr sucks
Ron Paul or bust.
Great comment on McClatchy site
Someone else wrote the below quote on the McClatchy site, but I completely agree with it. I was suspicious of Barr, but I completely lost faith in him after he came out in support of the Freddie/Fannie bailout. I will still probably vote for Barr just to cast a vote for the Libertarian party, to help them out for the next election.
05:08:51 08/16/2008
debohun
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Ron Paul is not in Bob Barr's way. Quite the opposite is the problem: Bob Barr continues to keep his distance from Ron Paul.
The bigger problem for Barr is that Paul has already set a higher standard for libertarianism, one to which Barr, as a former conservative, is not quite ready to commit to. Ron Paul inspires people with his integrity and commitment to that standard. Barr on the other hand turns people off with his mushy, kinda-sorta view of liberty.
When Barr starts sounding like a libertarian rather than a pandering, wishy-washy politician, then his fortunes may change. We can only hope that that occurs in time for the election.
Barr and Baldwin are planted diversions...ignore them
Ron Paul is the great uniter, the income tax fighter...the military-supported, defender of the border...the political apathy solution and the champion of the Constitution! Doctor Paul is on-call!
The only reason Bob Barr is
The only reason Bob Barr is even remotely popular is because his candidacy is in Ron Paul's shadow.
That's a good point,
That's a good point, although not entirely true.
A secondary reason he's 'even remotely popular' is because the mainstream media likes him. Because Barr is not a threat to the Status Quo, and the job of the mainstream media is to support the Status Quo.
I have about decided I'll still vote Libertarian, but only at the bottom of the ticket. My top vote will go to Ron Paul or Chuck Baldwin.
SUPPORT OUR FOUNDERS' AMERICA
Support the Constitution of the United States
Logic
Perhaps it is Bob Bullshit Barr's infamous unconstitutional voting record as a member of Congress, that is hurting his chances with the Libertarian party. Call me crazy, but perhaps logic needs to be used in order to re-obtain a Constitutional Republic.
Web Developer
www.writetoredress.com
Take Back Your Country!
Let's just get
Ron Paul on a ticket with someone of his choice, some way, some where, some how.
he don´t need escape paul´s shadow
he needs to make his own impression.
The groundwork was all laid out, a never before seen rally of freedom loving individuals who would love to donate.
The fact that bob barr cannot take advantage of this is only testament to his own failure.
Who knows what happens at the ballot boxes... ron paul supporters have not many choices...
write ron paul in, vote bob barr or vote for chuck baldwin as it now stands..
The purpose of the Barr
The purpose of the Barr candidacy, for those who backed him, was to transplant GOP ideas to the Libertarian Party in order to have a new conservative party---in the event that McCain creates a catastrophic, bloody-train-wreck Democratic landslide in November.
This attempt appears, to me, to be failing miserably. Because Obama and Pelosi are such obvious fakes, I doubt the Democrats will get the historc landslide they wanted and the GOP will probably survive November intact. Which is good, because we need as much gridlock as possible. And there is a great deal of distaste for Barr/Root in not only the Ron Paul movement but the Libertarian Party itself. Which is encouraging. The B.S. is not being bought by the crowd.
I don't have a lot of personal dislike for Barr; to me, he's just another mainstream Republican. I won't vote for them, either. We can do better.
SUPPORT OUR FOUNDERS' AMERICA
Support the Constitution of the United States
"I never voted for an occupation of Iraq."
It is that kind of statement that will keep me from voting for Barr.
(I'm still planning on writing in Ron Paul in sharpie on the face of the silly electronic voting machine). If he could just admit that he made a mistake and own up to it, I would have lot more respect for him.
After all, I'm an ignorant peon and I knew that was a vote for the occupation of Iraq. Like Jesse Ventura says... anyone who was duped by that lie is unfit to hold office.
About a quarter mile from
About a quarter mile from where I live is a main road with a bus stop. I was up there the other day when a reporter came by and asked the person who was waiting all day what he was waiting for. His answer was the was waiting for ride on the beautiful Ron Paul Limo. Confused, the reporter then told him that the Ron Paul limo stopped running, but in the past hour the McCain dirty dump truck and the Obama sewer tuck went by and he could have got a ride in the back of one of those. Then I told him, "wait, here comes the Barr Bus! You can ride that." He said, "but its not as nice as the limo."
Like the reporter, I told him the Paul limo is not coming this year, and again told him his best choice of the available rides was the Barr Bus. Of course the reporter said that the majority of people will pick the Dump or the Sewer truck as they are seen all over town and run a lot of ads on TV, si he really should choose one of those. Then he said he never even heard of the Barr Bus and didn't want to hear about it, as everyone knows there are really only two companies to choose from.. Still, I went on and said the Bus is better, but this man would not listen at all! He was determined, he only wanted the limo as it was the best ride.
When the Barr Bus came by I alone got on it, but I left wondering just how many people are standing at other bus stops thinking the same thing. Forget about all the one who ride in the dump or sewer truck, they are too stupid to see they have a third option, but what about this guy? No matter how many times he was told that the limo stopped running this year he refused to listen. As I took the bus that day I found it was better then I thought, better than most people were saying. As for that guy sitting there waiting for something that is just not running any more this year, I just have to wonder if he's any smarter than the guys who sit in dirt or shit on the two major trucks? All I know is, he's either jump on the dump or sewer truck, or he'll just sit there and go nowhere. As for me, well, while the Barr Bus isn't perfect, at least its taking me towards Liberty!
You failed to mention...
That the dump truck, the sewer truck and the Bob CIA Borring bus all have the same destination... and the same starting point. You failed to understand that person waiting for the limo is wiser to wait in limbo than to drive into oblivion. Bob Barr's bus does not lead to liberty, it goes way to the right of liberty but because it goes slightly further than the other two big trucks, he advertises it as liberty. But it is a lie.
Thanks i'll wait for the limo though.
Or, i'll walk - with the people, the patriots- with Chuck Baldwin and make my way to liberty... even if it's a long walk.
Aku Soku Zan
Would that be the short yellow Barr bus.
you speak of.
3rd party or changed Republicans?
As a former neocon fool I have little substance to add other than I can understand Barr's changes and flops, I'm guilty of the same former sins. I was a delegate for Dr. Paul, a financial supporter and sign distributor to other states and I'll be in St. Paul at the University Inn to attend the Campaign for Liberty in a couple of weeks. We can either vote for someone who will help create a third party or at a minimum force the Republican party to follow the wishes of conservative libertarians? Letting Obama or McCain win without a 3rd candidate over 10% guarantees the continuation of the statusquo.
Liberty Freedom Peace
We need to create a new Third Party.
The Libertarian Party seems in a crisis of leadership and the Constitution Party needs platform work badly. Both would be minor issues if Ron Paul followers were interested in taking over either party. But there seems little interest in that out there.
And the idea of taking over the GOP from within seems to be fizzling, too (thanks be to God).
So the logical thing, in my opinion, to reenergize the movement would be to create a new Third Party that purifies the message, that adopts Ron Paul's ideas and constitutionalism intact. We have the numbers and the energy.
SUPPORT OUR FOUNDERS' AMERICA
Support the Constitution of the United States
Root.
He's about as status quo as one can get. I'll be in St. Paul as well. I was a neo-con fool myself once.. Seems you still are. You want to see less of the status quo then get behind someone who really upholds the Constitution.
Don't jump on the Barr bus and be a band wagoner.. Be a pioneer.
Post of the night!
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Chuck Baldwin is closer to
Chuck Baldwin is closer to Ron Paul than any other candidate.
Barr running on the L ticket is like Mike Gravel running on the L ticket.
Ron Paul said himself Chuck Baldwin is very very close to my views and Chuck Baldwin worked very hard on my Presidential campaign.
go here are hear it for yourself www.nonewworldorder.com
www.nonewworldorder.com
www.whokilledtheconstitut...
www.revolutionbroadcastin...
www.constitutionrevolutio...
Dr. Steve Parent
Card carrying Libertarian
And there is NO WAY I'd vote for barr, he may be head and shoulders above mccant and nobama, but he's no libertarian. The way I see it voting 3rd party is pretty much a protest vote in todays political climate. If I'm going to "throw my vote away" I may as well write in Ron Paul.
Absolutely Agree
You are RIGHT. I'd like to vote Libertarian, but I could never support anyone who voted for the illegal (Constitutionally) Resolution to use force in Iraq. I will write in Ron Paul because I may never have the chance to do it again...PB seattle
Pawnstorm
Strange comments after the article
Most people seem to be splitting hairs between Barr and Dr. Paul instead of recognizing that either one of them is so much better than McCain or Obama when it comes to freedom, that who to vote for isn't even an issue.
There's no question I prefer Dr. Paul to Barr, but that may not be the choice I am given in November.
I'm not sure why the author couldn't tell what Dr. Paul's motives for the Rally are; couldn't they find the website?
IMissLiberty
that's still
that "the lesser of two evils" mentality of well, he's still better than so and so. uh NO!!!! Barr is no good! Not that he has a snowball's chance anyway.
All candidates are
All candidates are lesser-evil candidates. That is to say, none are perfect, not even Ron Paul (and he'd be the first to say so).
Your "snowball's chance" comment is why people keep voting for the two major parties.
I'd rather have any LP candidate than a typical major-party candidate.
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Liberty for Dummies
Interesting
I think Barr is no where near Dr. Paul. In fact I think he is in a different time zone. Just my two cents. Peace