A Candidate Runs to a G.O.P. Chorus of ‘Don’t’ (GOP begs Barr not to run)

[onehandle]

Source: New York Times

ATLANTA — He has been called a spoiler. A would-be Ralph Nader. A thorn in the side of Senator John McCain and the Republican establishment. None of it bothers Bob Barr, the former Republican congressman from Georgia turned Libertarian Party candidate for president, who gleefully recounted what he says a group of Republicans told him at a recent meeting in Washington: Don’t run.

“ ‘Well, gee, you might take votes from Senator McCain,’ ” Mr. Barr said this week, mimicking one of the complainers, as he sat sipping Coca-Cola in his plush corner office, 12 stories above Atlanta. “They all said, ‘Look, we understand why you’re doing this. We agree with why you’re doing it. But please don’t do it.’ ”

But with the Libertarian nomination in hand, Mr. Barr hopes to follow in the footsteps of Ross Perot and Mr. Nader, whose third-party presidential bids wreaked general-election havoc.

For one, he is hoping to hitch his wagon to the enormous grass-roots movement behind Representative Ron Paul, the libertarian-minded Republican from Texas who recently abandoned his own presidential bid. And with presidential elections increasingly boiling down to state-by-state battles for Electoral College votes, many political analysts think a Barr candidacy, no matter how marginal, could have some impact.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/us/politics/28barr.html

[still_one]

1. Even if Barr listened to them, which he won't, those individuals who would vote for Barr

won't vote for mccain

[onehandle]

8. Bullshit. Barr will deliver the exact same argument that Nader did in Florida.

Bush and Gore are exactly the same.

This time:

McCain and Obama are exactly the same. But with the perspective of a Libertarian view.

Barr will fight to deliver Georgia (and other states) to Obama like Nader fought to deliver Florida to Bush.


Looneytarians are much, much more likely to be Republican leaning than Democratic leaning.

[still_one]

9. All I am saying is those voters who would vote for barr would not vote for mccain

I wasn't supporting barr, or any extreme right wing ideology, if if they try wrap it under the veil of a "libertarian view"

Do you really believe the people that would vote for barr would even consider voting for mccain if barr was not running?

even though mccain is as extreme right as they come, they still don't consider him "their" kind of rethug

[Trajan]

11. Actually ... They are quite similar ... with similar constituencies ...

I am not sure why you are insisting this is not true ....

I see Barr taking votes DIRECTLY from McCain ...

[still_one]

12. I am not really insisting, just stating my view, and basically agree with you

[Happyhippychick]

2. Thanks for the reminder 'pukes - have to send Barr my donation.

[sellitman]

3. This could be our operation Chaos.

Everyone on DU should contribute!

[AwakeAtLast]

4. Absolutely! Run Barr, run!

:D


:kick:

[pollo poco]

5. Gobarrra! Yes you can! n/t

[Zambero]

6. Georgia looks to be competitive for Obama

Stay the course Bob!

[Heywood J]

7. Bob Barr/Ron Paul '08

would be the shit. I wonder how many disaffected Republicans that would pull from McCain, and what difference that could make?

For every dollar donated to the Democratic party, I'm considering asking people to donate some fraction of the next dollar to these two... it may be just as effective. Especially if they wouldn't have donated to Obama or McCain in the first place, that would be a winning donation.

[ShockediSay]

10. Ron Paul was one of my favorites

I think I even tossed him some dollars

He warned us about creeping Facism, and I see it all around.

My kind of guy.

My problem w/ Nader: he's only out on the stump every 4 years
not anything before or after
Not what I would call dedicated or genuine