I just watched Glenn Beck’s interview of Bob Barr. The candidate impressed me with his comments and his answers to Beck’s questions. Of particular note was his admission that he is trying to transform the Libertarian Party from a debating society into a real political party.
Barr and I have traversed the same ground, but in opposite directions. He went from conservative Republican to Libertarian, whereas I went from Libertarian to libertarian Republican. I left for the very reason that Barr cited as being characteristic of the “old” LP; I found it fixated on abstract political theory and ideological purity rather than the practical realities of electoral politics (granted, this was circa 1990s). If you can’t get your candidates elected your policies are irrelevant, even if you are right - as the Libertarians frequently are.
For what it is worth, Barr and I met several times at various Georgia GOP functions in years past. He sometimes came across as a bit of a flake (unlike me, of course - not that he should have any recollection whatsoever of me). Even so, I saw no indications of any “flakiness” on the Beck program.
If Georgia were a slam dunk for either Barack Obama or John McCain, I would consider voting for Barr as an act of protest. If, as I keep hearing, the state’s 15 electoral votes are up for grabs (with the caveat that the claim may just be wishful thinking on the part of the Dems), that won’t happen. If the race is that close, any vote for Barr would mean one fewer vote needed for Obama to win – therefore I must vote for McCain.
Even so, I think that Barr should be included in the upcoming presidential debates.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Some Thoughts On Bob Barr
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3 comments:
How in the world do you not see Libertarian-Republican as an oxymoron? The Republican party has, over the past 28 years, visited upon us the largest increases in the size of the federal government in the history of this republic, and has introduced the most intrusions by that same government into our personal liberties we have ever seen.
Locally, this same Republican party has recently tried to deny Georgians home rule, and even more locally, maintains governments role in deciding whether individuals can choose to have a glass of wine with dinner.
No, the Republicans, though they pay lip service to the concepts of smaller government and lower taxes, don't pass muster.
P.S. Lower taxes don't count if you borrow from your grandchildren, who will have to pay higher taxes in order to service the interest to China.
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