Bob Barr's Libertarian Campaign for President

Libertarian Presidential candidate Bob Barr, a former Republican Congressman, seems to be running not so much to win as he is to send a message to his former party. Considering the tiny number of votes Bob Barr is expected to get, one wonders what that message will be.

Bob Barr was swept into Congress to represent the 7^th District of Georgia as part of the New Gingrich revolution. Bob Barr spent most of his Congressional career as a conventional Republican, pro life, pro gun, anti drugs, ant gay marriage, and anti tax. Bob Barr was one of the House managers who handled the impeachment of President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky Scandal.

After 9/11 Bob Barr voted for the Patriot Act, which enabled American law enforcement agencies to more effectively fight terrorism, and the Iraq War. Then he found himself facing fellow Republican Congressman John Linder in the 2002 primary thanks to a redistricting move to defeat either Barr or Linder. Barr lost handily.

After leaving Congress, Bob Barr underwent some major changes in his political beliefs. He turned against the Patriot Act and the Iraq War. He now supports legalized medical marijuana and opposes federal efforts to ban same sex marriage.

Bob Barr, accusing the Republican Party of having no vision and no message, left the party for the Libertarians in 2006, after endorsing the Libertarian Presidential candidate in 2004. After six rounds of voting at the Libertarian National Convention in May, 2008 he became the Libertarian Party Presidential nominee.

Bob Barr has never polled higher than six percent and as the election arrives, he polls at about one percent. Some analysts suggest that Bob Barr could be a spoiler for John McCain, siphoning off votes from the Republican candidate. There is no evidence of this occurring, however.

In recent weeks, Bob Barr has been attempting to get public traction by attacking the seven hundred billion dollar bailout bill, apparently to no avail. He has attempted to appeal to Obama supporters by suggesting that he represents "real change."

What lessons can be drawn from this? Perhaps the best way to reform a political party is not by leaving it, but by working from within. Bob Barr's opposition to the Patriot Act and the War in Iraq is, at best, misguided. But he has had some good points about spending and the growth of government that has taken place under the Bush Administration. But one suspects that conducting a losing campaign on behalf of a tiny, fringe third party is not the most effective way of making that point.

Source: Libertarian Barr wants to send signal to GOP, Greg Bluestein, Atlanta Journal Constititution, November 4th, 2008