Or too busy with the Democratic National Prizefight, a new contender has entered the Presidential Race. From a NYT article:
Mr. Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia who on Monday announced his candidacy for the Libertarian Party nomination, certainly hopes so. It is a prospect that could give Senator John McCain’s campaign fits, threatening to siphon critical Republican votes away from him in important battleground states.
The situation is purely speculative. But Mr. Barr is keeping close to the script that has had Mr. Paul, a Texas congressman, drawing votes long after Mr. McCain became the presumed Republican presidential nomine
Barr, who has hired Ross Perot’s former campaign manager, acknowledged that some Republicans have tried to discourage him from running. But he said he’s getting in the race to win, not to play spoiler or to make a point.
“I’ve heard from Americans from all walks of life … they want a choice,” he said at a news conference in Washington. “They believe that America has more and better to offer than what the current political situation is serving up to us.”
Barr first must win the Libertarian nomination at the party’s national convention that begins May 22. Party officials consider him a front-runner thanks to the national profile he developed as a Georgia congressman from 1995 to 2003.
If he wins the White House, he said he would immediately freeze discretionary spending in Washington. He also would begin withdrawing troops from Iraq and consider slashing spending at federal agencies such as the departments of education and commerce — as well as at overseas military bases.
The former U.S. attorney also said he would strictly enforce immigration laws.
“This notion that government owes something to people just because they’re here does not resonate with me,” he said. “This is not a charity.”
So who the heck is Bob Barr? Here is some info straight from the horse’s mouth; his campaign site.
Mr. Barr said he believed the support was out there. But several political analysts said much depended on the blogosphere, which has yet to weigh in.
So weigh in! What do you think this will do?
5 Comments
May 13, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I’ve been meaning to write about this; there are some very unhappy and activist Libertarians in the Republican Party and they are really pissed off at how shabbily the Party treated Ron Paul in the debates. They almost took control of the Nevada delegation but were snookered by the inner circle; that one has yet to play out because the delegates didn’t actually get chosen. Other states have similar, although small, thorns in their side from Paul and Huckabee loyalists. In the recent primaries, even though Huckabee wasn’t campaigning, McCain’s majorities were not spectacular and certainly not unanimous. This may yet be very interesting, because there are definitely conservatives and libertarians who wouldn’t vote for McCain to save their lives.
May 14, 2008 at 5:46 am
If Barr wants to cut back on Government spending then he should start by eliminating the president’s salary and health care benefits… all paid for by taxpayer’s money. Then he can move onto other agencies and then eliminate federal income tax. Hey, if he believes that the government shouldn’t be giving handouts, then the government shouldn’t be collecting taxes either.
May 14, 2008 at 5:49 am
While working the polls, I met Republicans that voted for Ron Paul in the primary and then asked me for Obama information because they were going to vote for Obama in November.
The boy Bush really does destroy everything he touches, including his own party. Smart people run in the opposite direction when they see George W Bush approaching.
May 14, 2008 at 6:17 am
From what I have heard, Ron Paul doesn’t want to give up on the Republican party. He is going to try and change it from within. This is why he didn’t run for the Libertarian candidcy himself. It is still up in the air whether he will endorse Barr or not, giving Barr the momentum of his movement. Either way, the Republican party is split in ways we haven’t seen in some time.
The machine is breaking down. The Neocons have ensured it. They have pissed off too many of their base. The true “conservatives” want represented. There is nothing fiscally conservative about Neocons or this government in general. And even the base is thinking the social conservative aspect is just pandering.
I said a long time ago, it will be the Republicans that end up cleaning their own house because the Dems won’t do anything about it. I guess we will see.
May 14, 2008 at 8:11 am
i welcome anyone who can help dismantle the abortion known as the republican party.