DEL.ICIO.USThere's talk of him creating an exploratory committee
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/04/08
Former Georgia Republican Congressman may be returning to the campaign life — as a Libertarian candidate for president.
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Barr is a featured speaker at the Heartland Libertarian Conference in Kansas City, Mo., today and the chatter in political circles is that he will announce the creation of an exploratory committee.
Barr was not available for comment Friday and his staff would only talk about the usual topics in his speech outline — protecting civil liberties, reducing government spending and shrinking government.
But last week, Barr confirmed on the internet site Antiwar.com that he was 'very seriously" considering a Libertarian presidential race, a contest that already has 10 announced candidates. Only one of those candidates has any national political experience.
Barr, who writes a column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said in that interview many people were encouraging him to run and there was evidence voters had a "great deal of dissatisfaction with the current candidates and the current two-party system."
He said in that interview his candidacy would be an extension of the campaign of Republican Ron Paul, who remains a candidate for president even though Sen. John McCain has surpassed the minimum number of delegates to win the nomination.
"Ron Paul tapped into a great deal of that dissatisfaction and that awareness," Barr said on the website. "Unfortunately, working through the Republican party structure, it became impossible for him to really move forward with his movement. But we have to have ... a rallying point out there to harness that energy, that freedom, in this election cycle."
Barr has been preaching his philosophy to relatively small crowds.
Last month, he was featured at a meeting of the Georgia Libertarian Party, where fewer than 50 people met in a small hotel meeting room in Gwinnett County. There he complained about government spying on individuals and threats to the Bill of Rights.
"Unless you're terribly deluded, you don't do it thinking you're going to take the oath of office next January," University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock said of Barr's potential Libertarian run. "It does give you a bit of a platform where you can articulate your view of the world. You aren't going to get a lot of [news] coverage, but you're going to get a little coverage."
Barr was a Republican congressman representing Cobb County from 1995 until 2003, when he became a Libertarian.
Emory University political scientist Merle Black said third party candidates like Barr, run because they "feel strongly about the issues. They are self-motivated. They know they aren't going to win. They just get out there and make the case for the way they think it should be."
The Libertarian presidential candidate in 2004, Michael Badnarik, won slightly more than 3 percent of the 122 million votes cast.
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Comments
By T GREVEAS
May 12, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
Don't be like Ross Perot!!!!!! Last time it got us B.J.CLINTON!!!!for eight long years.Mccain is not our best but you will worse off with either or both Dem's. PS You can;t possibly win.You Know It..Just work to keep at least a Republican in the White House.
By iLarynx
May 1, 2008 3:02 PM | Link to this
Sounds like R. Adams is not only frustrated and foul-mouthed, he's also an awful parent - by his own admission. Son is a doper and R. Adams just whines about it? BTW - Where's the missus? Did she skip town too? Typical of the Boortz Bone-Heads out there. All bluster and no brains.
The current batch of Republicans are clowns. When was the last time you heard any one of them do anything to protect and defend the Constitution, as they are sworn to do? The GOP now mostly tries to find ways to bypass, circumvent, or shred the Constitution.
To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, "Republicans aren't the solution. Republicans are the problem!"
By A.A.
Apr 7, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this
Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik won only 0.3% of the vote in 2004, not 3% as the article states.
By David Duke
Apr 6, 2008 8:46 PM | Link to this
Brother Barr isn't a libertarian. He's a Republican who pointed his nasty finger at philandering Bill while he was engaged in exactly the same sort of extra-marital activity. This is the guy you would support for president? Not me! Brother Barr is not someone to defend the Constitution. After all, he's one of the folks who has sought to trample it!
By scott kadet
Apr 6, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
bob barr is 100% correct, america needs and wants a choice weneed a third party. i will vote for him if he runs and will tell all my friends to do so. its the only way to get back to a true democracy again as america is no longer a true democracy as our founding fathers created.they would roll over in their graves if they saw what this country has become. we need a libertarian party . you run for president bob barr!
By David Duke
Apr 6, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this
Rick Adams, moron, Bill brought unrivaled prosperity to this nation. The old fool Reagan put the country into unprecedented debt and conspired with enemies whom, he knew, had killed Americans. He should have been impeached and shot like any other traitor. That an idiot like you would wax nostalgic about this old, incompetent embarrassment is not surprising but it is still disgusting. I bet you just love the Hitleresque fool who slithers around the White House now. **** off Nazi!
By Michael Shanklin
Apr 6, 2008 4:07 AM | Link to this
What does America mean? Does it mean Hillary/Obama welfare or McCain tripling the department of education just like the fake republican Bush? Does it mean sending troops to nation build like Clinton in Bosnia for "freedom" or like Bush in Iraq, Afghanistan, or like Obama/Hillary in Iran, Pakistan? To me I see alot of party politics and very little constitutional liberties! Who cares about potheads not being arrested? It isn't going to solve things just because you setup some federal jurisdiction. You can't get rid of these drugs. Why do we have to be forced into welfare like the libtards want us to be? Does this build more economic growth???? No! Once again it's the republicans and libtards thinking they are so different when they are just different peas in the same pod. I ashamed at 90% of the people in America because they are not American anymore! The truth is very few people understand the liberty and freedom we had to fight for. Today we give power to the IRS and the CIA and expect them to "take care of us." People are so concerned with their big government program that they won't take the time to open the constitution and read it! I refuse to vote for a libtard like socialist Obama/Hillary and I refuse to vote for a liberal like McCain. I can't believe I am actually going to vote for the last American left, Ron Paul. Am I some punk pothead? NOOOO! I am a graduate student who works 40+ hours a week who understands the peace and prosperity the constitution was suppose to bring us. Today we have forgotten that and until we realize the truth about what made our country better than the rest we will continue to lose it and my grandkids will be paying your debt! We are going bankrupt and everybody turns to the government to save us, the last thing we should be doing!
By rick adams
Apr 6, 2008 2:44 AM | Link to this
David Duke the only place Bill Clinton belongs is behind bars or in a grave he did nothing as president but ride out the Reagan Legacy he never proposed or passed any legislation. He did get a BJ by Monica while soldiers were being killed in Somalia.
By rick adams
Apr 6, 2008 2:35 AM | Link to this
You Fucked around on your wife you will **** around on this country. Drop your egotistical bid and endorse the true patriot and american Senator John Mccain
By rick adams
Apr 6, 2008 2:31 AM | Link to this
I thought you were a true patriot you did not fall to the party lines as a federal prosecutor but if you are assisting the ACLU then you are a communist piece of **** that organization has done more to destroy america than Al Qaeda. I am a career Marine and Ga Army Naional Guardsman with 3 tours in Iraq I will fight to destroy any campaign you may try to start. Medical marijuana is a ******* joke my son has a prescription in California without any real medical problem he calls me all the time for money because he is to stone d to work. Mr. Barr return to your roots you never served in the military maybe you should have you would know what america needs. The republicans are not perfect but they have the best answer for americas problem. Stop the God Damn give way programs and a National sales tax abolish the IRS that way all the fuckking drug dealers and illegals will pay taxes to.
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