Bob Barr Announces Libertarian Presidential Run
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barr, Libertarian, McCain, Republicans, Ron Paul
Could he be McCain’s Nader?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr has announced that he’s running for president as a Libertarian.His candidacy would be a wild card in the White House race and many believe it would hurt Republican Sen. John McCain.
Barr made the announcement Monday at a news conference. He 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.
And apparently the GOP has been talking to Barr about not running.
Today’s news means he apparently didn’t listen…
Former Rep. Bob Barr says a number of Republicans have been trying to persuade him not to run for president on the Libertarian Party ticket, but none has given him a convincing reason.The former Republican congressman from Georgia formed an exploratory committee last month and told The Washington Times that he has since been subjected to the behind-the-scenes pressure from Republicans not to run.
Mr. Barr says even people who have tried to dissuade him understand why he thinks it important to raise issues from what he calls a “genuinely conservative” perspective and to offer alternatives to the positions of the two major-party candidates.
Will Ron Paul’s supporters back him?
This entry was posted on Monday, May 12th, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Barr, Libertarian, McCain, Republicans, Ron Paul. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Good News Indeed.
Remember Ross Perot. He’s the guy that elected Clinton.
Remember RalpH Nader. He’s the guy that elected Bush.
Remeber Bob Barr. Yep!
May 12th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
It’s far from a sure thing that Barr will get the nod. Libertarian conventions are notoriously unpredictable (no pledged-delegatocracy as with the major parties), and Barr is way, waaay off-platform.
Barr is an old-school drug warrior who only “saw the light” once he was out of Congress and seems insincere even now. And he’s been peddling a middle way on the Iraq War which is not going to go over well at all. Oh, and he’s donating money to Republican candidates even while sitting on the Libertarian Party board, which isn’t exactly kosher either.
Barr is a Lieberman figure within the LP, and I expect he’ll be treated much as Lieberman was by his party. My money is Barr and Root splitting the pragmatist vote and Ruwart walking away with the nomination as a result. But see above about “unpredictable”.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
If Barr gets the nomination, he should get Newt Gingrich as his VP. They’ll set some kind of record for “most divorces in the Oval Office” every time they have a meeting.
Barr-Gingrich ‘08
Because four faces are better than two
Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com