Former Republican [Bob Barr] to seek Libertarian presidential nomination

CNN ^ | 5-8-2008 | CNN

[jmc813]

Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr will announce Monday that he will run for president as a Libertarian, a source close to the Georgian told CNN.

Barr will officially declare his candidacy at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington. The four-term congressman left the GOP in 2006, saying that Republicans had "lost their core principles."

Barr made a name for himself in Congress for his ardent conservative philosophy and his role in President Clinton's impeachment. He lost a primary election in 2002.

Last month, Barr formed a presidential exploratory committee as he weighed a run for the White House. The source said that Barr had been considering a presidential bid "for several months. He currently runs Liberty Strategies, a consulting firm in Atlanta and Washington.

Barr joins a handful of other candidates seeking the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination including former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination this year. Libertarians meet in Denver on May 22 for a four day convention where members will choose the party's presidential nominee.

[SoCalPol]

Third Party - stay at home voters AKA Obama voters.

Don’t bitch when Obama wins and taxes go up, left wing judges, second amendment done away with.
Our military decimated, Muslims finish off their Jihad
around the world, but then again this is what the third party stay at home voters want.

Don’t agree with some of McCain’s views but at least you won’t get the above.

[A CA Guy]

McCain and Bush were closed down by the people.

Obama doesn't care what the people will say or do.

There is a BIG difference.

Plus you don't want Obama cut and running which would kill millions in connection with our Middle East effort.

Then we have lots of Judges to fill positions for.
We know Obama would pick the most left Justices he can find.

So wasting a vote by not voting for McCain (piss on him), gets you a far worse Barry Obama.

[Joe 6-pack]

Yep...I haven't yet written off McCain altogether, but he has yet to win my vote...and the more he keeps spitting on me and poking me in the eye, the less inclined I will be to vote for him.

The "lesser of two evils" argument doesn't cut it with me anymore. I don't expect a candidate to perfectly mirror my views, but I should be proud to have them represent me. People will say, "but so many have died to give you the right to vote." I know; a number of them were my family and friends, and I doubt they would have wanted me to give my vote away by default to the candidate that offended me least.

[Dick Holmes]

You people in New York, Illinois, California, Maryland, Vermont, DC, and Taxachussetts, by all means cast a protest ballot for Bob Barr. Those of us in red and purple states regrettably need to act like adults and vote for McCain.

If a state is red enough, by your logic, a protest vote wouldn't change the outcome, either.

I always thought it was a shame none of the states enacted the instant runoff ballot. You could vote for the candidate you really want, even if he has no real chance, and put as your second choice the "lesser of two evils," who does. Even if your state is a swing state, voting for Barr or whoever wouldn't be throwing your vote away or giving it to Obama.

I guess the instant runoff idea just makes too much sense, or maybe both parties are afraid that if people could vote for who they really wanted without worrying about the spoiler factor, one of these days the third party candidate could win.

[devere]

“maybe both parties are afraid that if people could vote for who they really wanted without worrying about the spoiler factor, one of these days the third party candidate could win. “

You’ve got it.