23 responses so far ↓

• StevePerkins // Nov 16, 2007 at 3:35 pm

  

  I share your enthusiasm for the rumor, Jason… but I wonder if the LP would nominate him, though?

  When he was first named Southeast region rep, all I recall was the outcry that he was too “soft” on drug legalization (argh). That’s the whole problem with the LP. The ideology is so fanatical that sometimes it feels like old Jim Crow laws… if you have “one drop” of moderate blood, then you’re even MORE hated than the people who are full-blown against you!

  The party’s moderate Reform Caucus is promising, and the platform trimming at the Portland convention was a breath of fresh air. I still have a membership card, and still show up at the annual convention to throw in my moderate two-cents. However, as long as I keep running into the notion that I don’t “really belong there” unless I’m an outright ANARCHIST, then I’ll continue keeping a toe or two dipped in the GOP/RLC waters. As much as Ron Paul gets knocked around here… I still find the GOP to be more welcoming of libertarians than the LP is welcoming of moderates. That’s a shame for the LP.

• GordonUnleashed » Blog Archive » On A Bob Barr Presidential Bid // Nov 16, 2007 at 3:45 pm

  

  [...] are rumors floating about that former congressman Bob Barr is considering a presidential bid on the Libertarian Party [...]

• Jason Pye // Nov 16, 2007 at 5:04 pm

  

  I share your enthusiasm for the rumor, Jason

• drjay // Nov 16, 2007 at 5:21 pm

  

  so is ga trying to just flat corner the market on the crazies running for prez this year

• StevePerkins // Nov 16, 2007 at 5:35 pm

  

  Crazies? Bob Barr was a bedrock of the Georgia GOP up until 5 years ago, when Roy Barnes’ redistricting forced him to compete for his congressional seat on John Linder’s home turf. Other than saying that the Patriot Act should be reigned in, Barr really hasn’t changed his positions any since he was a state Republican leader. Barr hasn’t changed or gone crazy over the past 5 years… the Georgia GOP has.

• drjay // Nov 16, 2007 at 5:48 pm

  

  barr could have run in what is now the gingrey district but chose to take on linder instead–geography and congressional districts are not as limiting as your statement makes them seem–he has flip flopped rather impressively on a number of issues in the past couple of years and always came across as a borderline conspiracy theorist to me as far as clinton’s exploits and impeachment were concerned–nice guy, met him at a state gop convention in sav’h a few years ago but he has that outsider/infiltrator feel to me–even when he was a member of congress i don’t know that i would have called him a “bedrock” of the gop in ga the way folks like coverdell or gingrich or isakson were

• TPSoCal // Nov 16, 2007 at 5:49 pm

  

  I have Libertarian leanings. I probably agree with 80-90% of what the LP believes. Drug legalization is a deal breaker for me. I cannot support drug legalization. If the LP would at least open to others with a differing opinion on this issue, I would probably check out a few meetings.

  That said, Bob Barr was my grandmother’s rep and see LOVED him. He took care of some problems she was having with some division of the government, and she became a big fan. She even went to war with her HOA over her Bob Barr for Congress signs. I am proud to say, she won.

  If Hillary is the Dems nominee, I have to vote for the GOP nominee. No time for conscience voting.

• TPSoCal // Nov 16, 2007 at 5:51 pm

  

  Although, if I am still voting in CA next year, I guess it wouldn’t matter. CA is as blue as the Pacific Ocean (beyond all the polluted So Cal beaches).

• shep1975 // Nov 16, 2007 at 5:59 pm

  

  I’ll echo Dr. Jay on the redistricting. Barr moved from Cobb County to Cherokee to run against Linder in a safe Republican seat. Linder had been in the 11th and most of his district became the new 7th.

  Barr had been in the 7th, but most of his district became the new 11th. Barr chased his district number, not the actual lines. Gingrey ran in the new 11th which had been drawn to make a Democrat competitive, but not overtly Democrat leaning. The 11th was designed to trend Democrat as time went on.

  If Barr had beaten Linder, Barr would not have to face serious opposition again (or at least until 2012). If he had stayed, he would have faced competition every year in a district that by 2010 would have probably become majority Democrat. When the GOP took the legislature, they made the 11th more solidly Republican (and the 13th more solidly Democrat).

  Barr should have stayed and not gone after a fellow Republican. The result of that race was we were going to lose a great GOP leader in Congress, regardless of the outcome.

• StevePerkins // Nov 16, 2007 at 6:05 pm

  

  “No time for conscience”… oh good Lord. That’s basically the bread and butter of both major political parties… demonizing the opposition’s figurehead to draw out passionate votes against them. How often do people actually vote FOR any candidate they like, rather that just voting AGAINST a candidate they hate?

  The crazy thing is the overwhelming majority of partisan voters don’t even know WHY they hate the opposition figurehead. Hillary Clinton is the most moderate Democrat on the stage, has a foreign policy stance not that far off from that of George Bush, and yet the marks still rage about her like the Antichrist. They don’t even know why… they usually just sputter some nonsense about her health care from 14 years ago that has nothing to do with today. Basically, they just don’t like her simply because she’s “HILLARY”… and for no other reason.

  Of course, what’s even more retarded is that the Left loves her for no other reason than because the Right hates her. If they were objective, they would abandon her in droves for a more leftist candidate like Obama or Edwards.

  You’ve just summed up in a one-sentence nutshell why major-party partisans are even more nutty than third-party folks. At least the latter UNDERSTAND that they’re nutty.

• TPSoCal // Nov 16, 2007 at 6:17 pm

  

  Steve,

  I don’t disagree. Your right, she is the least liberal dem running. I am just very weary of Bushes and Clintons. Also, I think she is the least honest running. I could handle having a liberal as President if I felt he/she is honest. I just think she is crooked and I am sick of crooked politicians.

• drjay // Nov 16, 2007 at 6:24 pm

  

  socal–i would be very interested in the details of your grandmothers fight w/ her hoa as we came close to having a similar problem here and was wondering what my recourse would have been if the hoa had kept pushing on the subject of political signage—thanx

• TPSoCal // Nov 16, 2007 at 6:36 pm

  

  She ended up calling their bluff. She did what she wanted and dared them to interfere. My understanding is that courts have ruled on this issue. Campaign signs are politcal speech and hoa’s, landlords, etc. cannot prevent you from expressing your speech. They could threaten a lot, but puch come to shove, you would win in court.

• liberator // Nov 16, 2007 at 9:19 pm

  

  Actually Barr has changed his positions alot since he joined the LP.

• candlerpark // Nov 16, 2007 at 9:53 pm

  

  Bring it on Bob Barr!

  I am a died in the wool liberal, but I respect Barr above 90% of the so called ‘conservatives’ out there. The reason? I know that Barr respects & honors the constitution . . . I wish I could say the same about our President & his party. Give me Barr over a Neocon any day of the week!

• GOP Girl // Nov 16, 2007 at 11:29 pm

  

  Bob Barr is a complete whacko.

  Ray McKinney
  Cynthia McCommie
  Newt
  The guy from St. Simons
  Sam Nunn………
  now Barr

  I’m just waitin for ZigZag Zell.

• candlerpark // Nov 16, 2007 at 11:40 pm

  

  GOP Girl, Sam Nunn is a Whacko? i dont think so. Newt is kinda wakky but he is no whacko either . . .

  I agree that McKinney & Zell McHannity suck, though.

• northside elephant // Nov 17, 2007 at 12:40 pm

  

  GOP Girl how young are you?

  Barr only served 4 terms but accomplished far more than most. This guy was ridiculed when he introduced the articles of impeachment against Clinton but he succeeded.

  Sam Nunn a whacko? He is one of the most respected senators in modern history.

  Newt is still doing good things. I’m always impressed when I see him speak, he’s very smart.

• GOP Girl // Nov 18, 2007 at 12:32 am

  

  Didn’t mean that the others were whacko’s….just commenting on the rumors that they may enter the race…

  As for Barr…..I’m 40 and still consider Barr a whacko.

• Brian Laurens // Nov 19, 2007 at 12:07 am

  

  Barr told me he wasn’t as soon ago as the N. GA Fair. Can not see him changing his mind in that time period.

• rugby_fan // Nov 19, 2007 at 10:47 am

  
  
  

• Carpe Forem // Nov 19, 2007 at 11:32 am

  

  I was hoping he’d run for Governor of Georgia. I would love to see a Barr v. Isakson debate. What do you all think?

• ThirdPartyNews.net // Nov 19, 2007 at 2:22 pm

  

  This has given me a very interesting thought: I