What About Bob? GOP Mum On Barr

Politico: If Republicans Are Worried About Third-Party Candidacy, They Aren't Showing It

(The Politico)  This story was written by Ben Adler.

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If Republicans are worried about the third-party presidential candidacy of former GOP Congressman Bob Barr and the possibility that he could win enough votes to affect the outcome in several states, they aren’t showing it.

At present there are no plans to follow the time-honored method of dealing with pesky third-party candidates by seeking to knock Barr off various state ballots. Indeed, when asked for comment about the Barr campaign, John McCain’s campaign flat out declined to offer any at all. Underscoring that indifferent approach, the Republican National Committee offered this response when asked about the former conservative congressman from Georgia.

“We’re confident that McCain’s record of putting the country before politics will appeal to voters of all walks of life,” said Amber Wilkerson, an RNC spokesperson. “Right now we’re focused on John McCain’s message.”

The GOP strategy toward the Libertarian Party nominee presents a stark contrast to 2004, when Democrats aggressively challenged left-leaning Independent candidate Ralph Nader’s ballot petitions in order to remove him from the ballot in places where he might siphon critical votes from nominee John Kerry.

Back then, Democrats were intent on avoiding a repeat of the 2000 presidential election, when Nader, running that year as the Green Party nominee, was widely-believed to have cost Al Gore the presidency by winning three percent of the nationwide vote.

Democrats weren’t successful in torpedoing Nader’s bid in all of the 18 states where they challenged his candidate petitions in 2004, but they managed to knock him off the ballot in some key states, including Pennsylvania, where Kerry ultimately won a narrow 51 percent to 48 percent win over President George W. Bush.

At the moment, however, there is little indication that Republicans will pursue a similar tactic against Barr, even in the states where a strong Barr showing seems most likely to hurt McCain.

“At this point we haven’t looked into it,” said Scott Darnell, a spokesman for the Republican Party in New Mexico, a battleground state decided by just 6,000 votes in 2004. “We’re very confident that Senator McCain is going to do well in New Mexico regardless of who is on the ballot.”

In New Hampshire, where less than 9,300 votes decided the state in 2004, the state Republican Party expressed skepticism that Barr would even make the ballot. “I’m not aware of any Barr activists or supporters in the state of New Hampshire,” said Fergus Cullen, chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party. “I haven’t heard reports of anyone gathering signatures.”

As third parties go, the Libertarian Party has done a solid job of getting its presidential candidate on the ballot nationwide in recent years. The Libertarian nominee has appeared on the ballot in 48 of the 50 states since 1988, and the party has qualified for ballot lines in 31 states this year-including Georgia, where Barr was elected to four terms from a suburban Atlanta House seat. The Barr campaign has met filing deadlines in every state so far and again expects to be on the ballot in at least 48 states.

The only states where the party anticipates trouble are Oklahoma and West Virginia, and Barr will likely sue for access in Oklahoma, according to Richard Winger, a ballot access expert who is advising the Barr campaign.

Winger says that Republicans have never pushed minor party presidential candidates off the ballot in the past and he is hopeful that tradition will continue. “The Republican party never has gone to court to keep any presidential candidate off the ballot,” he noted.

Still, that could change this year if Barr gathers steam.

In Alaska, a state with a strong libertarian streak, state GOP chairman Randy Ruedrich said he hasn’t seen any indications of support for Barr and doesn’t consider him to be a threat. But Ruedrich didn’t rule out challenging Barr’s candidate petitions at a later date-a position also taken by New Hampshire’s Cullen.

“Anything is possible but at this time we have not pursued any actions,” Ruedrich said.

Nick Ayers, a former campaign manager for Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue who currently serves as executive director of the Republican Governors Association, also dismissed Barr as a potential threat, but noted that it made sense to investigate the legitimacy of Barr’s ballot signatures wherever possible.

“I think it’s the right thing for the party to do to clarify it anyway,” Ayers said.

If McCain’s campaign, or anyone acting on his behalf, does challenge Barr’s ballot access, Barr’s campaign believes they would have a powerful argument that the Republican would be acting hypocritically and they are optimistic he will not do so for that reason.

“I remember when McCain was locked out of the New York ballot in the 2000 primary,” said Russell Verney, Barr’s campaign manager. “He eventually sued the state and said the people deserved a choice. I don’t think he’ll go back on his word and will tell his activists to refrain from denying people a choice.”

[antoniof123]

At present there are no plans to follow the time-honored method of dealing with pesky third-party candidates by seeking to knock Barr off various state ballots.

Did you notice the words time-honored method this should say something about the fiscal family value party of god they will do anything for a vote including steal another persons dream.

[kansas1946]

I think the Reublicans are smart to ignore him. All the Democrats did was give Nader more publicity by fussing with him.

[junegenis]

Have you noticed that the Republicans are talking out of both side of their mouth? On the one hand they are claiming he is no threat, hopefully to discourage the media for from having any reason to cover him. On the other hand their pundits are busy talking about him s a spoiler so Republicans will have someone to blame when they go down in flames this fall.

Barr deserves coverage; not because he is a spoiler but because he is talking about substantive issues in ways that the major parties are not. I hope that the media will refuse to participate in any debates to which he is not invited. The American public needs to hear more that the dribble from the two so-called major parties. But press people need to start asking Barr more about the issues than rather than "do you see yourself as a spoler?" type questions.

[junegenis]

Have you noticed that the Republicans are talking out of both side of their mouth? On the one hand they are claiming he is no threat, hopefully to discourage the media for from having any reason to cover him. On the other hand their pundits are busy talking about him s a spoiler so Republicans will have someone to blame when they go down in flames this fall.

Barr deserves coverage; not because he is a spoiler but because he is talking about substantive issues in ways that the major parties are not. I hope that the media will refuse to participate in any debates to which he is not invited. The American public needs to hear more that the dribble from the two so-called major parties. But press people need to start asking Barr more about the issues than rather than "do you see yourself as a spoler?" type questions.

[junegenis]

Have you noticed that the Republicans are talking out of both side of their mouth? On the one hand they are claiming he is no threat, hopefully to discourage the media for from having any reason to cover him. On the other hand their pundits are busy talking about him s a spoiler so Republicans will have someone to blame when they go down in flames this fall.

Barr deserves coverage; not because he is a spoiler but because he is talking about substantive issues in ways that the major parties are not. I hope that the media will refuse to participate in any debates to which he is not invited. The American public needs to hear more that the dribble from the two so-called major parties. But press people need to start asking Barr more about the issues than rather than "do you see yourself as a spoler?" type questions.

[junegenis]

Have you noticed that the Republicans are talking out of both side of their mouth? On the one hand they are claiming he is no threat, hopefully to discourage the media for from having any reason to cover him. On the other hand their pundits are busy talking about him s a spoiler so Republicans will have someone to blame when they go down in flames this fall.

Barr deserves coverage; not because he is a spoiler but because he is talking about substantive issues in ways that the major parties are not. I hope that the media will refuse to participate in any debates to which he is not invited. The American public needs to hear more that the dribble from the two so-called major parties. But press people need to start asking Barr more about the issues than rather than "do you see yourself as a spoler?" type questions.

[junegenis]

Sorry about the duplicates. It kept coming back with a message that Publish had been temporarily suspended and I don''t recall seeing anything that indicated that the post had actually gone thru.

[guyshomenet]

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 (Wall Street Journal) shows 12% of Democrats cannot stomach Obama, and these are primarily the Blues. They likely will not switch to McCain, 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, ***, 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.

[conspiracygirl]

I don''t expect Bob Barr to win, but I do expect McCain to lose.

[forthepeopl1]

you realy want to see a lie that has been for over 40 years, the goverment owns 7 oil wells already to produce alreay drill, just hook up and start draining oil and gas..and its more oil and gas than saudias and more gas than russia.

back in 1970 they discover these well and had them all capped and put on guard for the past 40 years, what a joke. gas would be pennys and oil in the penny for us americans. this has to get out into the media so everyone please help.

go to rense.com

look under GAS PRICE MANIPULATION AND GULL ISLAND OIL

AND START SCREAMING WHAT THE FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

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