Barr announces campaign
Bob Barr has announced his plans to run for the Libertarian nomination:
Former Republican Rep. Bob Barr formally jumped into the White House race Monday as a candidate for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination.Barr will have to win the party's nomination next weekend in Denver. I would not say that it is a slam dunk either. There has been some heated criticism of Barr, which was to be expected, though it could be a very vocal minority.
[...]
"They believe that America has more and better to offer than what the current political situation is serving up to us," he said Monday at the National Press Club in Washington. "The reason for that is very simple, they believe in America as I believe in America. We believe in an America that is not and should not be and should never be driven by fear as current policies on behalf of both parties are in this country."Barr, 59, represented Georgia's 7th congressional district from 1995-2003, and became an increasingly vocal critic of President Bush, especially over the president's support of the Patriot Act. He formally left the Republican Party in 2006.
[UPDATE] There is audio of the press conference from Reason. You can listen to it here. There is also more here and here. There is some video of the press conference here.
Comments
So - who will get to make the decision about the LP nominee? Do they have primaries or caucuses (cauci?)?
Posted by: Green Death | May 12, 2008 02:13 PM
Green death
We have a convention and it is all done there. Think of it as a super delegate only process.The states send people from each state based on membership. In Georgia we ahve 40 super delegates.
I believe three or four people who comment here will be going. I will be heading up there next week.
Posted by: Doug Craig | May 12, 2008 04:56 PM
Green Death-
I believe that it is mainly credentialed delagates that have been elected at various state LP conventions leading up to the national convention. I think there are a handful of states that hold Libertarian primaries but I'm not sure if it makes a difference w/ the delegates in those states.
In terms of the LP nod, Barr has the name recognition and the abililty to articulate our message in a way the LP has never seen. Do we we want the same old 1/2 percent showings in the POTUS race or do we want something like 3 to 5 to 10%?
Barr is the man to do it. Root is better than any of the rest but he couldn't come close to what Barr could do. I know some of the "hardcores" are not happy about Barr and would rather see a lifelong, extreme Libertarian like Phillies or Mary Ruwart. That would be a major mistake. I really think that this is not just the chance for the LP to prove its relevance, it might be its last chance to avoid proving the fact that its completely irrelevant. And honestly, with anyone but Barr, the LP may unknowingly start its decline into the history bin that dozens of other third parties have ended up in throughout our country's history.
Posted by: Marshall | May 12, 2008 04:57 PM