Barr at seven percent
An internal poll shows Bob Barr with 7%:
In a survey commissioned last week by the Bob Barr 2008 Presidential Exploratory Committee, seven percent of likely voters responded that they would vote for the former Georgia congressman for president if he were on the ballot in November. Shortly after Ross Perot announced he was re-entering the presidential race in October 1992, he polled at seven percent. Barr is considering whether to seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party for president.Make sure you check out BobBarr2008.com for more updates.According to the latest poll, Barr enjoys 36 percent name recognition. When questions were asked reminding voters about Barr’s role in the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, and about the reasons why Barr left the Republican Party to join the Libertarian Party, Barr’s seven percent rose to nine percent against Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain. He polled at eleven percent against Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
Comments
Please don't publicize this to the wider Libertarian Party! If they get the notion in their heads that he's a high-caliber serious candidate, half the delegates at next month's convention will freak out and vote against him. :)
Posted by: Steve Perkins | April 11, 2008 03:38 PM
One caveat here that I raised in my own post on the poll:
This poll didn't use traditional polling methods, so I'm not sure how reliable it is.
Posted by: Doug Mataconis | April 11, 2008 03:50 PM
The biggest test comes this weekend, Steve. Barr is in North Carolina at their state convention. This is the group that has been the most vocal against him.
Doug, we'll need to wait for more polling to see what kind of impact he will have. One poll may or may not tell the story.
Posted by: Jason | April 11, 2008 04:17 PM
Any news out of NC?
Posted by: Daniel N. Adams | April 12, 2008 11:00 PM
Republicans had better be praying hard to the God that they think favors their party over the Democrats, because if Bob Barr enters this race, you can kiss McCain's chances goodbye!
You reap what you sow and all that.
Posted by: Jace Walden | April 14, 2008 10:04 AM
Assessment of what I think might happen at the LP national convention (might just be wishful thinking):
A Barr/Ruwart ticket. It would play well all around. Barr: Press appeal and contacts, name recognition, conservative. Ruwart: Articulate liberty message that appeals to both Libertarian purist and left leaning independents.
I believe a ticket like this would at least lead to many states getting party recognition(due to vote totals) and therefore future ballot access, leading to more libertarians being elected. A win, win, win.
Posted by: Daniel N. Adams | April 14, 2008 12:12 PM