A Pale Ron Paul? Skimpy Agenda for Libertarian Bob Barr

Barr more of a threat to Obama than McCain

The real danger in the Barr/Root campaign is not to the Republicans, but to the Democrats, and the reason is the "blue" Democrats -- the Blue Dogs and the Blue Collars. Current polling shows 12% of Democrats cannot stomach Obama, and these are primarily the Blues. They likely will not switch to McCain either, but in what will be a contentious election, they won't sit it out either. Come time for the debates, they will be open to the small-government pitch of the Libs. The 8% of Republicans who can't stomach McCain may do the same. That's a 4% spread, and enough to influence an election.

But it gets worse for the Democrats. Few Republicans can take the pure-freedom policies of the Libertarians (borders, abortions, drugs, gays, etc) and will not switch. However, these are hot-button issues for Democrats, and ones on which Obama will equivocate. Singe-issue Democrats will defect where as single-issue Republicans won't. Pair this draining of votes with the Nader factor, and it all starts piling up against Obama.

And it gets worse.

For all his charisma, Obama breaks when discussing the details of policy in a confrontational mode. He will wither during the debates when pitted against well-honed warriors like Barr, McCain and Nader. Obama will finish the job the Libs have started.

Enjoy your moment my Democrat friends ... it will be short lived.

Guy Smith of CA @ Jun 10, 2008 11:06:22 AM

Ron Paul was

Count me among those deeply troubled by the results in Denver, which I saw first-hand as a delegate, especially (as Jesse of Illinois writes) the selection of Wayne Allyn Root as the VP candidate. As things stand, myself and many others are stuck with a presidential ticket we cannot in good conscience support.

I hope that Barr and Root make a strong and clear enough break with their conservative roots, and talk enough about hardcore libertarian ideas, to earn my support, if not my enthusiasm. But given the possibility the Libertarian Party's 2008 standard-bearers will not get markedly better, and that they will meanwhile accelerate the party's ideological drift still further by attracting more pragmatist and conservative oriented members, it is definitely worth taking a hard look at the future of the LP as a vehicle for liberty.

For the present however, I think the results in Denver were close enough, and mixed enough, that the fight for the soul of the Libertarian Party is not lost. Leaving the name "Libertarian Party" in the hands of people who aren't promoting libertarianism would be a great loss for the libertarian movement, and those of us who believe in the Non-Aggression Principle would be unwise to abandon ship unless/until an equally viable alternative vehicle for promoting liberty materializes. Therefore I urge my fellow radical freedom loving Libertarians to be patient and not let them drive you out of the party just yet.

There are, as always, many good down-ticket Libertarian candidates worth supporting in this cycle. If Barr and Root do poorly, some previously misguided Libertarians may realize that single-mindedly pursuing the golden ring of electoral success is not the magic bullet they thought it was. And who knows when the U.S. government may unexpectedly commit some outrage that will have a transformatively radicalizing effect on many. Let's see where things go.

Starchild of CA @ Jun 10, 2008 04:04:55 AM

About The Only Thing About Libertarian Policies...

I disagree with is cut Defense willy-nilly. It's a dangerous world out there, and we MUST have the premier military force, and not be afraid to use it at need. And although the "One Worlders" are hoping for the opposite, things like NAFTA aren't all bad, either... except for certain segments of the economy. Should we "protect" Big Labor because it's priced itself out of the market? What would all the buggy-whip manufacturers have done? Note that excessive tariffs were what got the Founding Fathers off the sixpence in the first place. Eliminating "entitlements" is good; starting with DoE and HHS - although so many folks rely on income from the World's Largest Ponzi Scheme, that will have to be phased out gradually. Irreducible minimums... Change Defense back to it's Constitutional name - WAR. Then apply Amendments 9 and 10 - if it ain't spelled out herein, then the Federal Government ain't got no business doing it!

Although I'm not familiar with actor Robin Williams' personal politics, the character he portrayed convincingly in "Man Of The Year" would have gotten my vote.

Tom S. of IN @ Jun 07, 2008 19:26:45 PM

We need to see where Barr stands first...

Why do people look down on third party candidates? Based on where they stand on the issues I think both the republican and democratic parties (and candidates) have become more about politics and getting reelected than about the people. I am actually happy to see a third party join the race. I am going to watch him on Glenn Beck tomorrow (June 6th) and I suggest you do the same just to see where he stands on the issues before making up your mind about him.

Dale of NV @ Jun 06, 2008 00:52:35 AM

Lawyers

I can not vote for a lawyer. Their whole profession is against the constitution. Only members of the private association , The Barr, can support you in their Admiralty courts. I want to go back to common law.

chessmaster of @ Jun 03, 2008 12:01:52 PM

Bob Barr Not a Libertarian

Sorry, but Bob Barr isn't anything close to a Libertarian. And he certainly isn't a libertarian either. You can't be either a big L or little l libertarian if you favor government outlawing abortion, drugs, gay marriage etc. Those positions are conservative Republican all of the way and are very anti-Libertarian stances.

True Libertarian of IN @ May 30, 2008 20:16:17 PM

JustSayNoFairTax

Jason maybe it is you who have not done enough reading about the FairTax. Remember there are TWO sides to every argument. You offered nothing in defense of the FairTax either.

Mises.org

"The FairTax Plan is currently pending in Congress under the name of "The Fair Tax Act of 2005." It is a consumption tax in the form of a national sales tax of 23 percent on new goods and services. Although it would "not be imposed on used or previously owned items," it would apply to all new goods and services: medical procedures, haircuts, new cars, new homes, gasoline, food, medicine, Internet purchases, and electricity."

you can read the whole review here: http://mises.org/story/1975

NoFairTax of @ May 30, 2008 10:54:12 AM

barr root ticket

Does anyone know where the official campaign site of Libertarian ticket BarrRoot is? I have not been able to find the official website of BarrRoot08 Ive been to

www.BarrRoot.com wwwBarrRoot08.com the websites dont exist? Can any one tell me where the official BarrRoot site is? what I know of bob barr (which is very little) I like. I dont know much about wayne root. So I can figure out why they dont have theyre site up yet? If any one can tell me which BarrRoot2008 site is active Id be glad to hear from you thanks. However I did find an anti Mccain site called www.McCanes.com I already knew I wasnt voting for McCain but that site settled it in my mind. If anyone knows of the official libertarian party website let me know.

charles of OH @ May 29, 2008 18:04:46 PM