Is Bob Barr Another Ross Perot?

If there was ever a presidential election in which a third-party candidate stood a glimmer of a chance for getting elected, the upcoming contest certainly is it. The Republicans have an almost non-entity running and the Democrats seem determined to run the most controversial figure they can possibly find. That is, if the smoke ever clears from the little scrap they have going on in their corner right now.

Now former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, currently of the Libertarian Party, thinks it is a good time to jump into the fray, announcing his candidacy on May the 12. Perhaps he is right; the American people do not seem too awful thrilled with the two major party candidates at this moment.

For those of you who can recall, Congressman Barr was one of the leading advocates for the impeachment of President Clinton while serving four terms as the 7^th district Representative from Georgia. According to a quick check of his Wikipedia page, he was born in Iowa and graduating from high school in, now get this, Tehran, Iran. He went on to work for the Central Intelligence Agency for eight years.

According to the "About Bob" section of his campaign site, he is a Board Member of the National Rifle Association, a member of the American Conservative Union, and a member of the Constitution Project's Initiative on Liberty and Security. Of course, as seems to be required for politicians today, he is a lawyer having served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia from 1986-1990. Well, at least he has a well rounded past.

Now, what really are former Congressman Barr's chances of getting elected? That is the real question. Yes, the American people are tired of not having a choice and yes the two big parties seem to think that any third party is a joke. If you remember the last time a third party candidate came close to the Presidency it was the 1992 election with Ross Perot. Ross Perot is an extremely wealthy man with a lot of personal money to pour into a campaign on his own to get it started.

Bob Barr does not appear to have that much financial "oomph" behind him and, let us face it; elections are bought in this country these days. Oh don't get snippy, they are not bought in the sense that voters are paid for their votes, rather, it takes money to finance a campaign. The two big parties have the money, the Libertarians do not. So, while this election is one in which a "Ross Perot" type candidate could come out of left field and get elected, Bob Barr probably isn't him.