ATLANTA, Ga., June 22, 2008
Will Bob Barr Be The Ralph Nader Of '08?
GOP Worries Former Republican Running On Libertarian Line Will Be Spoiler For McCain
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A fiery former Republican congressman who gained national prominence for doggedly pursuing impeachment of President Bill Clinton has some Republicans worried he will play spoiler in a tight presidential contest.
Bob Barr's Libertarian Party bid for the White House is the longest of long shots, but political experts say he may be able to exploit the unease some die-hard conservatives still feel about Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee-in-waiting. Combined with the surge in turnout among Democrats during the primaries and a difficult political climate for Republicans, they see what could be a recipe for trouble for the Republicans.
"Bob could be the Ralph Nader of 2008," said Dan Schnur, a Republican consultant in California who worked on McCain's 2000 campaign but is not involved in this year's contest. Consumer advocate Nader is the third-party candidate many Democrats blame for helping George W. Bush narrowly win over Al Gore in 2000.
Rep. John Linder, a Republican who defeated Barr in 2002 after Georgia's Democratic-controlled Legislature redrew congressional boundaries to put the two lawmakers in the same district, said he did not think Barr would top 4 percent of the vote.
"But in some states that may be enough," Linder said.
Democrats seem gleeful at the prospect. Tad Devine, a Washington-based Democratic strategist, said Republicans "are crazy if they aren't worried about Barr."
"Undoubtedly any votes he gets come out of McCain's votes," Devine said. "He hurts them."
Barr, a former federal prosecutor, was swept into Congress with more than 70 other House Republican freshmen in 1994. An articulate, sometimes outspoken orator, he gained attention as the first lawmaker to call for Clinton's resignation over the scandal involving White House intern Monica Lewinsky and was one of the House prosecutors who pressed the impeachment case in the Senate.
Barr also was known during his four terms in the House for his opposition to softening drug laws, including the medical use of marijuana, and his support for gun rights. He tried unsuccessfully to bar military bases from according witchcraft adherents the same accommodations as other religious worshippers.
Even after Clinton left office, Barr continued to pursue him. He asked congressional investigators to study the extent of White House damage done by departing Clinton staffers and tried to build a "Counter Clinton Library" in Little Rock, Arkansas. He filed a $30 million lawsuit against Clinton, adviser James Carville and Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt for causing him "emotional distress" in retaliation for the impeachment proceedings.
Some Republicans are not worried about Barr's candidacy. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said voting for Barr is the same as voting for Democrat Barack Obama, and said he is confident most Republican voters will understand that.
"No reasonable conservative is going to vote for anyone except McCain," Gingrich said.
Even so, Barr campaign manager Russell Verney said he expects Republicans to mount challenges to keep Barr off the ballot in a number of states, much like Democrats did to Nader in 2004.
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Verney was campaign manager for H. Ross Perot, who rocked the political establishment with his 1992 independent presidential bid that drew 19 percent of the vote.If Senator McCain is not successful, it will be because his message and his vision did not resonate with a plurality of the voters.
Bob BarrThe Libertarian Party has not cracked 1 percent of the national popular vote in a presidential race. But it bills itself as the third-largest political party and is already on the ballot in 30 states, with petition drives this summer aiming at 20 others.
The toughest obstacles are likely to be in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Illinois and Washington, D.C., where ballot access rules are prohibitive, said Libertarian Party political director Sean Haugh.
Democrats also have had success knocking third-party candidates off the ballot in Pennsylvania, considered a swing state.
But Barr may have the most impact in his home state of Georgia, where he is still well-known.
In recent years, Barr has earned a reputation as an iconoclast. A National Rifle Association board member, Barr has joined with the liberal American Civil Liberties Union against the Bush administration-backed Patriot Act and reversed himself on medical marijuana use, now lobbying in favor of it.
He said it is the unchecked growth of government that led him to abandon the Republican Party two years ago.
In the coming weeks, Barr plans to open a campaign headquarters in Atlanta.
"I think John McCain is going to have to battle for Georgia, a state that was a gimme for George Bush," said Matt Towery, a former Republican state lawmaker in Georgia who runs a political media company.
Georgia and its 15 electoral votes have been expected to go Republican on election night, and McCain spokesman Jeffrey Sadosky said he remained confident they still would.
Still, the enthusiasm Obama has generated among Georgia's large black population continues to worry McCain strategists. Far from writing off Georgia, Obama has a campaign team registering voters and is airing a TV ad in the state.
Barr scoffs at talk that he will play spoiler, saying he is in the race to win it and it won't be his fault if McCain loses.
"If Senator McCain is not successful, it will be because his message and his vision did not resonate with a plurality of the voters," Barr said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Barr also hopes to tap into the zealous grass-roots network of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who recently dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination and pledged to support "Libertarian-leaning Republicans." Paul, a Texas Republican who ran for president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1988, drew hefty campaign contributions online, but did not win any primaries.
Paul supporters said they are giving Barr a look. Some are skeptical.
"We're waiting to see if he's deliberately moving toward Ron Paul's principles to be politically popular," said Marlane O'Neill, a Paul supporter in Atlanta.
For more information visit Barr's campaign Web site at www.bobbarr2008.com.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Time is against the GOP they blew it when the refused to join the Aemrican people with Iraq and children''s healthcare.
Some of you may know what I mean...
All of my Republicon buds are voting either Bob Barr or Obama. Each one of them sees McCain as a closet neocon, and all agree that he is just too dumb and extremely dishonest to be president (remind you of anyone?)
Yeah..... the lying, incompetent, idiot that we have been stuck with for the last seven and half years.
He worked for the ACLU and claims to be a conservative?
Hah!
ACLU Barr. No chance.
Of couse, CBS will give him tons of free air time in your attempt to help Barrack Obama.
Posted by apolloknowsa at 03:00 PM : Jun 22, 2008
You mean kinda like what FOX is doing for McCain?? LOL
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Posted by cdfoxtrot
We have a really informed electorate. BOBBARR is a young animated elephant who leaves the jungle, visits a big city, and returns to bring the benefits of civilization to his fellow elephants.
We have a really informed electorate.
Posted by Zerato
From Rasmussen today
Seventy-one percent (71%) of likely voters know that Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat, but most don%u2019t have any idea about the party affiliation of other Congressional leaders including Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell.
Mc Dole and Obama are virtually tied in GA, as well as VA, NC, and MO, so Bob Barr can be a spoiler in a lot of places. Obama has 230 EV''s in states where he is up by 5+ pts; Mc Dole has about 150 EV''s where he is up by 5 .
Instead of spending his paltry campaign cash trying to win MI, OH, and FL, Mc Dole is going to have to defend traditionally red states.
Get used to the idea of President Obama; it''s going to be a landslide.
Posted by DVSDen at 03:35 PM : Jun 22, 2008
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A landslide into the pits of hell....
Posted by jfffnn1 at 04:17 PM : Jun 22, 2008
..............
Bob Barr is the definition of a Conservative (by today''s standards), where McCain is not. Who can trust McCain on immigration issues?! He clearly voted for Amnesty before he "voted against it."
Bob Barr will usurp some of the Conservative base, that is a guarantee. But the hard core Conservative base has disintegrated due to Bush''s huge government spending spree... not for the better of the country... but for the better of his well connected elite inner-circle!
Posted by jfffnn1 at 04:17 PM : Jun 22, 2008
..............
Bob Barr is the definition of a Conservative (by today''s standards), where McCain is not. Who can trust McCain on immigration issues?! He clearly voted for Amnesty before he "voted against it."
Bob Barr will usurp some of the Conservative base, that is a guarantee. But the hard core Conservative base has disintegrated due to Bush''s huge government spending spree... not for the better of the country... but for the better of his well connected elite inner-circle!
...........
I should note, McCain didn''t just vote for the Amnesty legislation, he helped to CREATE it!
I''ve never liked this GOP attack dog Barr but maybe he''s got a conscience, unlike the rest of the scumbag GOP who''s only into oil and money! (And trophy wives!)
I can''t decide whether to vote for :
an ugly, old, stupid (894/899 class rank at Navy), Hot-tempered, loose cannon determined to continue the policies of the current admin which I hate so much,
ORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR:
a youthful-looking, handsome, energetic, inspiring, even-keeled, brilliant, author and constitutional law professor whose message of change is what I firmly believe my country needs.
Whatever should I do?
Do you think I should listen to Rush Limbaugh for some clue???
Please, HELP ME !!!!!
Do you want the inexperienced candidate who hates America and who is friends with terrorists? Remember - Obama is friends with Bill Ayers, who bombed the Pentagon. Plus, he is endorsed by Hamas.
Or do you prefer the war hero who chose to remain a prisoner rather than leaving his fellow POW''s? Remember, when McCain was offered freedom, he instead told his captors to send home the other POW''s first.
No, the real challenge of the Republicans is to make their base -think- that McSame won''t continue the disastrous policies of Bush, regardless of the many quotes by McSame indicating that he in fact will.
Even the Republicans aren''t so reckless as to vote for a candidate who will continue the current policies, save for a rabid few.
aren''t you proud of the fruits of your labors? Many more died from the needless war of this president than ever did from Corvairs, I assure you.
It''s incredible how a man of significant intelligence can be so bereft of both wisdom and judgment.
Bugs has been photographed kissing Elmer Fudd. There is litle doubt the opposition would have those photos circulated if he were to run.
If the dnc had given us Hillary or anyone but obama i would have voted against McCain , now i plan on voting for Barr.
I can''t image who your second choice your talking about. If your trying to say obama ius handsome, i think he starred in the movie The Night of the Living Dead.
"In his book, The Nightingale''s Song, Robert Timberg chronicled McCain''s post-Vietnam military assignments and some of his "adulterous" behavior leading to his divorce from Carol and marriage to Cindy Hensley. "
"While Executive Officer and later as Squadron Commander McCain used his authority to arrange frequent flights that allowed him to carouse with subordinates and "engage in extra-marital affairs." Such behavior was a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice rules against adultery and fraternization with subordinates... "
I am glad you are voting, and I hope every eligible American does the same.
That speak volumes!
Well, at least he can have all the free beer he can drink after Obama kicks his butt all up and down the countryside.
Posted by incog-nito at 08:12 PM : Jun 22, 2008
I agree. As a lifelong Democrat I strongly encourage Barr to run.
But it gets worse for the Democrats. Few Republicans can take the pure-freedom policies of the Libertarians (borders, abortions, drugs, ***, etc) and will not switch. However, these are hot-button issues for Democrats, and ones on which Obama will equivocate as he tries to appeal to the political center. 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.
Nobody is buying that convoluted and unsubstantiated BS you are so lamely and obviously trying to spread. Just go ahead and continue to play on people''s worst instincts instead of actually discussing facts and data.
Congratulations, you are a posterchild for all of the right-wing lemmings who are blindly and ignorantly trying to continue the failed and destructive policies of the last 8 years of this failed Presidential administration. Good job moron...
Ha, tight presidential contest? McCain is the McSame of four more years of republicon neo con deconstruction of the founding principles of the american revolution. Bush''s approval ratings are extremely low for blatant reasons.