Former Republican Congressman, Bob Barr, Will Run for President as a Libertarian
Bob Barr has some impressive credentials and a wide base of experience. An attorney, he received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. In the 1970s, Bob Barr worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. Under President Reagan, he became the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
In 1992, Bob Barr made ran unsuccessful campaign to be elected to the US Senate as a Republican. In 1994, he succeeded in being elected to the House of Representatives. He was re-elected 3 times.
During his years in Congress, Bob Barr served on the Judiciary Committee, the Committee on Government Reform and the Committee of Financial Services. He was often described as the most conservative member of Congress. Bob Barr was a strong supporter of the War on Drugs. He wrote the Defense of Marriage Act. He also voted for the Patriot Act. Bob Barr also proposed that the military ban the practice of Wicca among its ranks and supports the Fair Tax Amendment.
Bob Barr is most known for taking a lead role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. He introduced the resolution calling for the Judiciary Committee to investigate impeachment proceedings.
After leaving Congress, Bob Barr began to work with the American Civil Liberties Union. He has stated that he regrets voting for the Patriot Act.
Some believe that Bob Barr will take votes from Obama among college aged voters. This is an age group which typically supports the Libertarian Party. However, his extremely conservative stance makes it more likely that he'll win votes of conservatives displeased with the Bush administration. Many see McCain as a continuation of the Bush administration's policies. A strong conservative running with another party could potentially woo those voters. Many fear that as a result, Bob Barr's presidential campaign will affect McCain's chances much in the same way that Ralph Nader affected Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election.
Bob Barr is a vocal critic of what he calls abuses of power by the federal government. He has also decried fiscal irresponsibility and involvement in foreign wars. His message is likely to resonate well with American voters concerned with the state of the economy, unhappy with the Iraq War. It is also a message that resonates with conservative concerned about the erosion of personal liberties.
It seems unlikely that Bob Barr can win the 2008 Presidential Election. In 2000, the Libertarian Party received only .36% of the popular vote according to the Federal Election Commission. The Green Party candidate, Ralph Nader, received 2.4%. Polls suggest that 10 to 20 percent of the population identify as Libertarian.
It does seem possible though that Bob Barr may be able to achieve a double digit percentage of the popular vote. His very conservative views may attract former Republicans. His opposition to foreign wars and government abuses of power will likely attract disenchanted Democrats as well.
While he may not win the Presidency, Bob Barr's campaign may achieve something else. It may finally challenge the notion that American politics is a two-party system. A strong showing in the popular vote would demonstrate the viability of the Libertarian Party and may encourage more people to vote for alternate parties in future elections. And for the American people, that would be a win.
Sources
Bob Barr to run for president as a Libertarian, Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times,
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-campaign13-2008may13,0,5031407.story
Bob Barr, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Barr
Bob Barr, Civil Libertarian The right wing of the ACLU
Jesse Walker, Reason Magazine
http://www.reason.com/news/show/28960.html
Federal Election 2000: 2000 Presidential Popular vote Summary Table, Federal Election Commission, http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2000/prespop.htm
The Libertarian Vote, David Boaz & David Kirby, Cato Institute, http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa580.pdf
Published by J Julian Hill
Julian considers himself an explorer. He has various interests and is always trying out something new. Julian enjoys writing on a variety of subjects and is available for work-for-hire. He lives in Columb... View profile
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- Bob Barr, a former Georgia Congressman and Republican plans to run for President as a Libertarian.
- Bob Barr is extremely conservative and may be a threat to McCain.
- Barr says he is opposed to abuses of power by government and irresponsible spending.
5 Comments
Post a CommentBob Barr should have won the election... he was much more conservative than the "conservative" candidate John McCain, who was just as progressive as Barack Obama... people need to realize that there's more choices than just two.
Bob Barr is a lawyer. This means a few things. First and most important. He will sway his public views to fit an agenda or public platform. Which in my eyes makes him untrustworthy. This means he has no ethics.
"If you have Ethics you do not need Morals. If you don't have Ethics Morals will not help you."
Wade Berlin
Blessings,
Rev. XZander
"Bob Barr was a strong supporter of the War on Drugs. He wrote the Defense of Marriage Act. He also voted for the Patriot Act. Bob Barr also proposed that the military ban the practice of Wicca among its ranks..."
So what made him repent and become a Libertarian?
None of his positions listed above fit Libertarian values, which can be summarized as limiting government to protecting citizens from force and fraud. Libertarians defend the right of individuals to make their own choices about matters of personal morality such as sexual preference, religious identity, and intoxicant of choice, among others.
Barr may be an economic conservative, but that is not enough to be a Libertarian.
Christa Mason Landon, past Libertarian Party candidate for Chicago Mayor.
he has no business representing the libertarian party '.'
It is unclear whether Mr. Barr stands by former statements opposing religious tolerance of non-Judeo Christian religions. The Libertarian Party opposes religious repression. Has Barr changed his mind on this subject? If not, he has no business representing the Libertarian Party.