Posted on 03/20/2008 5:16:43 PM PDT by NoWayMcCain
Former Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia is considering a third-party presidential run — a bid that could steal support from Republican John McCain and potentially offset the damage Ralph Nader"s candidacy is predicted to have on the Democratic candidate.
Mr. Barr, a House Republican impeachment manager during President Clinton's administration, yesterday confirmed his interest in running as a Libertarian but said he is unwilling to talk about any "polling we may have done or may do, not at this point."
"There is great deal [of] dissatisfaction with the candidates for the two major parties, particularly among conservatives, but also a great deal of Internet and other support for a candidate like Ron Paul who advocates libertarian and true conservative principles," said Mr. Barr, who is now a Libertarian.
Activists have started a Facebook campaign to draft Mr. Barr for the Libertarian Party nomination.
GOP presidential campaign pollster John McLaughlin said a Barr bid wouldn't be good for Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. It "takes more points from us than Nader takes from them," he said.
Pollster John Zogby agreed.
"Why should Democrats have all the fun worrying about Nader? Republicans can try to implode, too," Mr. Zogby said. "My gut sense is that Bob Barr can get some votes as a consistent libertarian who opposed the Patriot Act, budget deficits and gun control."
"In this election cycle, where red and blue states can get realigned, where race and gender are wild cards, it won't take all that many votes in some states to mix things up even further," Mr. Zogby said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
If Barr runs I’ll vote for him.
Republicans don’t want a true conservative...why does Bob Barr think that America would want a libertarian. We’re a socialist nation now!
I’d have to do more research on Barr, but I’d probably vote for him over McCain — especially since I’m in CA, and any vote I make is essentially throwaway since the Dems will win this state.
Run Bob run! Look at the groundswell of support for Ron Paul. A reasonable Libertarian like Bob Barr along with Ralph N. could finally shatter the death grip the two major parties have had on this country. Maybe these two parties Green and Libertarian can put together a full slate of Federal candidates and make inroads into the congress. Just imagine the libertarians controlling the balance of power with even 30 house seats or 5 senate seats how much idiocy would that put a dead stop to? Much as I hate to admit it the Greens would bring a stop to things too but probably not the things I would like to see stopped. My theory with congress though is that less is always more I root hard for govn’t shutdowns.
Yeah, I want anyone who took Borat seriously.
I’d have to take a look at his current positions. I understand that he is pro-life and pro-marriage, but haven’t looked at that in detail. Those are important issues for me.
Is he strong on defense and the war on terror? Illegal mmigration? He used to understand the need to control drugs, but does he still? I certainly think the War on Drugs could use a gigantic overhaul.
I did not vote third party for Ross Perot, who I thought was an idiot. But I might reconsider the matter this time.
He is said to be a conservative libertarian. I’m open to considering it.
I would never vote for third party ordinarily, but I really despise McCain, so I’m open to considering it.
It would be interesting to see if Barr’s friends and colleagues at the aCLU would vote for him.
I would DEFINITELY consider voting for him.
“Five years after the beginning of the U.S. war with Iraq, the Libertarian Party renews its call to bring the troops home
Washington, D.C. - On the five-year anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Libertarian Party offers the following statement by Executive Director Shane Cory:
It is with a heavy heart that I woke up on March 19, 2008, in a country still at war in Iraq, now five years after it first began. It is also with great disappointment that neither Republicans nor Democrats have provided a plan to end what is shaping up to be a “forever war.” On this five-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the Libertarian Party renews our call to bring American troops home without undue delay. May the courage and sacrifice of the 3,990 soldiers who have died in Iraq while serving their country never be forgotten.”
Libertarians don't get it. They don't get it on the battle for Iraq and they don't get it on Immigration.
Think of this election as a blistering hot day, and Barr as a refreshing glass of ice water.
And what is it that they don't get on immigration?
http://www.dehnbase.org/lpus/library/platform/
“IMMIGRATION
We hold that human rights should not be denied or abridged on the basis of nationality. We condemn massive roundups of Hispanic Americans and others by the federal government in its hunt for individuals not possessing required government documents. We strongly oppose all measures that punish employers who hire undocumented workers. Such measures repress free enterprise, harass workers, and systematically discourage employers from hiring Hispanics.
We welcome all refugees to our country and condemn the efforts of U.S. officials to create a new “Berlin Wall” which would keep them captive. We condemn the U.S. government's policy of barring those refugees from our country and preventing Americans from assisting their passage to help them escape tyranny or improve their economic prospects.
Undocumented non-citizens should not be denied the fundamental freedom to labor and to move about unmolested. Furthermore, immigration must not be restricted for reasons of race, religion, political creed, age, or sexual preference.
We therefore call for the elimination of all restrictions on immigration, the abolition of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Border Patrol, and a declaration of full amnesty for all people who have entered the country illegally. We oppose government welfare and resettlement payments to non-citizens just as we oppose government welfare payments to all other persons. “
See post 14.
And joined the ACLU.
Any relation? :-)
Wow, if Barr supports that, then people may as well vote for McCain.
His stance on the Patriot Act is fairly sane - strong sunset clauses, weakening of provisions not directly related to terrorism, and strengthening it where its primary focus should be. It is in this capacity he has largely been involved with at the ACLU - trim the fat from the Patriot Act so real civil-liberties arguments have no leg to stand on, and the political risk the entire act is currently exposed to will largely be eliminated.
As would I.
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