Libertarian Bob Barr to Run for Presidency

Bob Barr, former Republican representative, announced today that he would run for president on the Libertarian ticket. According to the Associated Press, Barr has hired Ross Perot's former campaign manager. This may pose a legitimate third-party threat to the democratic nominee and to John McCain.

Some of the policies Barr would enforce, according to his website would include putting a freeze on big government spending, repealing income tax and instead enforcing sales tax to solve deficit problems, restoring personal freedoms from what he calls the "Nanny State", put a stop to illegal immigration, and bring our military men and women back home.

Barr may appeal to democrats and republicans alike as a third choice. His wish to pull troops out of Iraq and to avoid further pre-emptive strikes against foreign nations will appeal to democrats. His pledge to reduce the federal deficit and stimulate the economy will also appeal to republicans and democrats alike. People on both sides of the fence may also like that Barr pledges to restore freedoms to the people of our nation. On his website, he writes "The United States was created for the purpose of securing the liberties of its people. The colonists fled oppressive old world governments. The nation's founders drafted the Constitution to sharply limit the federal government's powers." He then makes an allusion to some of the atrocities occurring within the 20^th century.

One area that might be weak for Barr is his position on immigration. While many republicans are likely to support his views on this topic, left-leaning liberals may not be as open to this. Moreover, democrats are less likely to support his tax ideas as they may cause services to cease operation.

The big question, with any third-party candidate is whether they have a reasonable shot at the white house. Barr, if he plays his cards right might have a shot. If he focuses on consistency and the issues, he may be able to appeal to a public wary of political quarreling.