In previous posts I speculated on the possible impact of Bob Barr being the Libertarian Party’s nominee for president—but at the time he was about neck-and-neck with Mike Gravel (rhymes with Chanel), and I didn’t realize Barr’s stand on U.S. involvement in Iraq sounds downright Buchanan-esquely isolationist.
The Libertarian Party on Sunday picked former Republican Rep. Bob Barr to be its presidential candidate after six rounds of balloting.
Barr beat research scientist Mary Ruwart, who also sought the party’s presidential nomination unsuccessfully in 1983, on the final ballot. The vote was 324-276.
Barr endorsed Wayne Allyn Root, who was eliminated in the fifth round, to be his vice-presidential nominee.
Barr left the GOP in 2006 over what he called bloated spending and civil liberties intrusions by the Bush administration.
The former Georgia congressman said he’s not in the race to be a spoiler.»
Libertarian Party picks Barr as presidential candidate
Given Barr’s views on Iraq, I can’t vote for him either. As for his effect in Georgia, his mainline conservatism might attract some McCain-skeptic Republicans, but I think he’s more likely to take votes from among anti-Iraq single-issue types on the Left and Right who find Obama’s recent waffling (by their standards) on that issue unacceptable.
Had Barr not adopted the stance he’s taken on Iraq, he could tilt Georgia to the Democrats. But he would never have been nominated by the Libertarian Party.
