# Breaking News: Bob Barr announces presidential run as Libertarian candidate **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 12, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032 "2008-05-12T15:27:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/21 "2008-05-12T17:29:18Z")
Hadn’t considered that. But didn’t the Dems just pick up a Congressional seat in a special election, or am I making that up out of whole cloth? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/22 "2008-05-12T17:31:04Z")
Pretty sure that was in Mississippi. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/23 "2008-05-12T17:35:59Z")
If elected, this would make Barr the second president to have been married to a woman prominently featured in _HUSTLER_. (The first was JFK [telephoto shots of Jackie sunbathing nude when married to Onassis were what really launched the publication]- Barr’s ex wife wasn’t nude but definitely pulled his panties down during MonicaGate.) My absolute dream, one that would make me have to be straightjacketed for the glee, would be to see the Republicans 1- gain the popular vote but lose due to electoral votes 2- live with the knowledge that had a few not voted for Barr it would have been clear victory 3- have a disputed election due to one southern state (if Clinton’s the nominee, then Arkansas, and if Obama’s the nominee, Hawaii) Those “SORE LOSERMAN” bumper stickers in the GORE LIEBERMAN fonts from 7 years ago still piss me off when you knew that that positions reversed the Bush supporters would have been slashing themselves in the town square and crying “Howl! Howl! Howl!” with Limbaugh and O’Reilly and every other conservative pundit demanding the end of the Electoral college. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/24 "2008-05-12T17:37:33Z")
[QUOTE=Jophiel] Pretty sure that was in Mississippi. [/QUOTE] Thinking about it, you could well be right. And the Dems sure as hell ain’t winning Mississippi… ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/25 "2008-05-12T17:40:54Z")
Ahh, a president who knows how to lick whipped cream! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/26 "2008-05-12T17:43:32Z")
[QUOTE=villa] Hadn’t considered that. But didn’t the Dems just pick up a Congressional seat in a special election, or am I making that up out of whole cloth? [/QUOTE] It was in Louisiana…LA-6. A Democrat won in a Republican district. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/27 "2008-05-12T17:44:47Z")
Didn’t Barr and Dick Armey both ally with the ACLU over privacy issues & concerns over the Patriot Act after they left Congress? The first time I ever heard of Bob Barr was when he was just appalled that Wicca could be a recognized faith by the U.S. military. I’ve had no use for him ever since. Anyway, if Ron Paul wants the LP nomination, he’ll probably get it. A Barr LP candidacy will be less a threat to McCain than a Nader one will be to Obama. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/28 "2008-05-12T17:45:41Z")
There was a [special election in Louisiana for a U.S. House seat, which a Dem won.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana's_6th_congressional_district_special_election,_2008) There was [another, which the Pub won.](http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1210224857270110.xml&coll=1) There **will** be a [special election in Mississippi in November to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Trent Lott.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Mississippi,_2008) And tomorrow, 5/13/08, [there will be a special election in Mississippi to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by Roger Wicker, who resigned to take Lott’s Senate seat.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi's_1st_congressional_district_special_election,_2008) All clear now? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/29 "2008-05-12T17:49:47Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Take a look at these numbers from [www.electoral-vote.com](http://www.electoral-vote.com) . The South is the most consistantly Republican and conservative region of the country. In 2004, the Republican won every southern state. In 2000, the Republican won every southern state. In 1996, when the Democrats had a Southern president, and the Republicans won a weak campaign, they still won Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. The last time a Democrat won Georgia was 1992, and that was only by .59% of the popular vote, and when there was a serious third party movement that took votes from the Republicans. The Libertarian party isn’t serious, and people don’t vote for them. [/QUOTE] What you are failing to consider is that Obama’s candidacy will turn out black voters in huge numbers. He had that effect here in Georgia during the Democratic primary. That, combined with Barr drawing off a few Republican votes, could well do the trick. Look at even a reliably Republican state like Mississippi. Black voters are a third of its electorate. Assuming (safely) that they turn out in large numbers and go better than 95% for Obama, it would take only a little more than one-fourth of white voters going for Obama to turn Mississippi blue. (Or an even smaller percentage if Republican voters who don’t like McCain just stay home – or more to the point of this thread, vote for Barr.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/30 "2008-05-12T17:55:07Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Well yeah, but that’s because their candidates typically have no name recognition and no press coverage. Barr will have both. [/quote] He will? I had never heard of him. Why will he have press coverage? Unless he polls high (or his name is Nader) he won’t get any significant press coverage. And he won’t poll high. You guys crack me up. It’s so funny to watch the triumph of hope over reason. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/31 "2008-05-12T17:57:11Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] He will? I had never heard of him. [/QUOTE] He’s certainly known in these parts. And this is where he could affect the election. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/32 "2008-05-12T17:58:23Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Anyway, if Ron Paul wants the LP nomination, he’ll probably get it. [/QUOTE] According to [Wiki:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_%28United_States%29#2008_Presidential_nominating_process) > [@](#): > > Several nominees are seeking to become the party’s 2008 presidential candidate. Mike Gravel has changed from the Democratic Party to the Libertarian Party. Bob Barr, former Republican US Congressman switched to the Libertarian Party several years ago is also considering running. The final election will be made at the 2008 national convention in Denver, Colorado, in late May 2008. Ron Paul, who was the party’s 1988 candidate, had been mentioned as a possible nominee as well, but has officially denied any intent to run under any third-party banner. On December 12, 2007, the Party adopted a resolution requesting Paul to run on the Libertarian ticket if he does not win the Republican Party nomination. [9] ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/33 "2008-05-12T18:37:39Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] He’s certainly known in these parts. And this is where he could affect the election. [/QUOTE] Affect how? Make McCain win by a smaller margin than he otherwise would? What’s the highest % of the vote a Libertarian has ever gotten in GA for president? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/34 "2008-05-12T18:39:44Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Nothing is going to put Georgia in play. Other than Florida, and maybe Virginia this year, the Democrats have no chance in the South regarding the presidency. [/QUOTE] I disagree. There’s an [i[awful\* lot of unrest among the yuppie suburbanites and the “Jessecrats” (raised Democratic, but out of ideological reasons have come to support strongly conservative Republicans like Jesse Helms more often than not). To quote Frank Daniels (retired publisher and former owner of the Raleigh News and Observer, “North Carolina’s been a red state, but it’s starting to pick up a purplish tinge.” I think that’s true to varying degrees for quite a lot of the South. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/35 "2008-05-12T18:44:27Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Affect how? Make McCain win by a smaller margin than he otherwise would? What’s the highest % of the vote a Libertarian has ever gotten in GA for president? [/QUOTE] We’ve never seen someone with this much name recognition running at the same time as a Republican who is unloved by his party. Barr could potentially draw off enough Republican votes that (when combined with what will surely be a record turnout for black voters) it would be enough to swing Georgia. Which could be enough to swing the election. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/36 "2008-05-12T18:55:07Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] We’ve never seen someone with this much name recognition running at the same time as a Republican who is unloved by his party. [/QUOTE] So, how much of the vote is he going to get, and would you like to place a wager on it? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/37 "2008-05-12T19:11:16Z")
I respect Bob Barr (any hardcore Republican who stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the ACLU gets a pat on the back from me.) He doesn’t have a snowball’s chance of winning, but he could glean some scraps from a GOP laid waste by hurricane GeorgeDick. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/38 "2008-05-12T19:17:22Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] So, how much of the vote is he going to get, and would you like to place a wager on it? [/QUOTE] In Georgia, or nationwide? And aren’t you the same guy who wanted to bet me that Giuliani would get more delegates than Huckabee? Might want to reevaluate your prognostication skills. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/39 "2008-05-12T19:26:20Z")
What I don’t get is, aren’t capital L Libertarians generally “laissez faire” when it comes to a person’s lifestyle choices? Don’t they generally believe that governments are there for defense and building bridges and such and not to legislate morality or to promote religion? If so, why would they choose Barr? Barr is [militantly] anti-gay marriage (one of the sponsors of DOMA), anti gays in the military, anti gays in general, as well as anti-abortion (except for the one that his ex-wife had and that he paid for with a check but swears he had no knowledge of), pro school prayer, the stereotypical womanizing/multiply divorced/deadbeat dad/abortions are evil except in my case/do as I say not as I do Fundie Religious Reich asshole. His ACLU anti-wiretapping lobbying was big news at the time but seen as a political expedience “a stopped clock is right twice a day” thing, but as a “live and let liver” this guy is pretty cirrhosified, so I don’t understand why Libertarians (as I understand them, and I could be wrong) would hand their banners to him. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032/40 "2008-05-12T19:28:16Z")
Barr’s effect, I predict, will not be in the votes he gets. It will be in exposing the contempt the Bushies have for the Bill of Rights. It won’t be hard to figure out that McCain has been part and parcel of all that. Eh, maybe not. We’ll see. :shrugs: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-bob-barr-announces-presidential-run-as-libertarian-candidate/449032.md?page=3)