Posted on 05/21/2008 10:01:44 AM PDT by mukraker
I'd like to ask my fellow FReepers what you think about the Presidential candidacy of Bob Barr?
Given our current choices for President, Obama, Clinton & McCain, is Bob Barr a good alternative this year?
I know no one will agree 100% with any candidate's positions. But, instead of not voting, would a vote for Bob Barr be an alternative you would consider?
As a disappointed Republican, I'm considering going Libertarian this year. I like most of their positins, especially on safeguarding Liberty for All. I'm tired of carrying Big Brother with me everywhere I go. I'd like to see the Constitution brought back into American governance.
Your thoughts? Thanks.
The Libertarian Party will be lucky if it can get on the ballot in most states. They can’t win even if they could qualify on all 50 state ballots.
Its critically important that we prevent Hillary or Obama from becoming President. If they’re in they’ll appoint all liberal judges to the Supreme Court and prevent us from correcting Judicial Invention. No matter how difficult McCain is or becomees he is still 10,000 times better than Obama, Hillary or any Democrat.
We have to push for McCain to take a very conservative Vice President like Fred Thompson. Thompson’s desk was next to McCain’s on the Senate floor and they’ve been good friends since. Thompson can bring the conservatives back under the Republican banner. He assures us that constructionist will be chose on the Court. He has will be a largely stabilizing force on the liberal fancies of McCain.
McCain - Thompson 08 !
Ewwww, ACLU? No way. Here’s what I think: there are two candidates and 30 Million citizens (ok, I am REALLY bad with numbers...). Will you find a really great fit? No, most likely not. Do you want to throw your vote away? Then vote for Barr. It will count for nothing and will work against McCain, who at least understands Bad Guys and the Jihadists.
This is a tremendously important election; the downside is that it is binary. Chose the best of the TWO real candidates and continue to fight in your own circle of influence for what you believe.
Obama is SINISTER, and he will unfold a chilling vision that you cannot even imagine in our wonderful country. imho. We cannot let him win.
When I recently raised that ticket in a discussion, I was quickly told that the dems would paint it as the ‘too old’ choice. When I reminded them of the number of turning middle aged people back or still living with their parents for financial security, the notion of ‘too’ old became a non-issue! In fact, I think there is a way to portray McCain-Thompson as the best leadership in these very unstable times!
Got that right.
I was worried about a Gore presidency. Thankfully Bush won.
I was worried about a Kerry presidency. Thankfully Bush won.
I worry about a Hillary Clinton presidency. Thankfully she ain't gonna get the democratic nomination.
An Obama presidency scares the crap out of me.
I've gotta vote for McCain even though I don't want to.
That being said let's clear the air some on Barr's affiliation with the ACLU. Barr worked for them on personal privacy issues, topics that many conservatives would agree. He disagreed with some of the provisions of the Patriot Act, as did other conservatives, on a Constitutional basis.
I don't fault Barr or other conservatives for questioning some of the Act, I think there was sound, constitutional basis to do so and to not at least address them would be irresponsible. If there are questions, I say get them out in the open and discuss them because if they are wrong we need to understand that and if they are okay then it will only solidify that position.
The “torch and pitchfork” crowd want everyone to take to the streets just on the mention of the word ACLU. I agree they are usually at odds with conservative opinion, but that doesn't mean they always are and each situation needs to be judged on it's own merits. I'm not going to go back through the archives and make a list of when or where but I remember several times FReepers being in amazement that the ACLU “was on the right side” of a certain issue.
Although the odds may be with you, blindly being against something only because it has the ACLU attached to it makes about as much sense as being against welfare reform because Bill Clinton signed it into law.
As for Barr, I'm disappointed he may go to a 3rd party but as far as his association with the ACLU, to me he was taking money from them that might have gone to efforts more hated by the right. I can't support Barr's candidacy but this knee ignorant jerk hatred of him is almost pathological.
BTW - Barr was a good friend of Free Republic and our “congressional sponsor” for a long time. He passionately spoke at many of our rallies in DC and I sat in his office several times discussing issues important to all of us. You may disagree with him now and the path he has chosen but at least show him the respect an old friend of Free Republic deserves.
McCain-Feingold makes McCain a no-go for me.
Sorry, triangulating isn’t going to make the stench of the ACLU turn into scent of roses just for Bob Barr. He chose to go to work for an institution dedicated to the degeneration of America. He’s one of them regardless of how much he and his defenders try to spin the ACLU into ‘not so bad on some issues’. You might have gotten further by characterizing his joining the ACLU as pragmatic, like ‘he needed a job.’ People in North GA know Barr for what he really is and it isn’t pretty.
There is no longer an alternative. There will be two real candidates.
Bob ALCU Barr and all others are merely pretenders. A vote for them is a cop out.
Part of the system? No more.
When you spend a long time banging your head against a brick wall, sometimes it just feels good to stop for a while.
>> I’ve gotta vote for McCain even though I don’t want to.
+1
My nose will hurt from the vise-grips (clothespin no longer adequate). And I’m sure I’ll be sick the rest of the day, maybe the rest of the year. But John McCain is, unfortunately, the only sane alternative.
If you can’t vote for McCain the best alternative, I believe, is to write-in a vote for Ronald Reagan.
Could you imagine if Ronald Reagan got 3-4% of the vote instead of some fringe candidate? THAT would send a message. The proper message.
Are you talking about the American political process?
Just my opinion
Cutting off your nose to spite your face isn’t sending a message, it’s suicide.
If you want to send a message call Western Union.
I listened to Bob Barr on Glen Beck’s show last week. Barr wants to take down the border fence (”it’s ugly”) and favors open immigration, restricted only by screens for criminal background and public health and safety considerations.
You lie with dogs, you get fleas
Although I do not like Barr, he is far better than the 3 clowns now running. These are the worst possible choices. McCain is the only one of the GOP candidates for whom I cannot hold my nose and vote. Of concern is that he shows signs of being mentally ill and/or a sociopath. His lies are outrageous.
Cutting off your nose to spite your face isn’t sending a message, it’s suicide.
If you want to send a message call Western Union.
__
The QUESTION was is Bob Barr a good ALTERNATIVE, smart aleck.
The question implies that said person won’t be voting for McCain, so if seeking an alternative I offered one.
The DNC will appreciate you for that. 3-4% out of the McCain vote will elect even Hussein Obama. You’ll get what you and apparently Rush want ... complete democrap rule to make the nation pay for the foolishness of allowing Republicans to drift away from conservatism. Suicide is fun for such folks.
"Could you imagine if Ronald Reagan got 3-4% of the vote instead of some fringe candidate? THAT would send a message."
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