Blogger explains why he is voting for Barr
July 21st, 2008 by Jason PyeBrett at Reclaim Your Republic tells us why he is voting for Bob Barr:
Since neither status quo candidate can sway me with their message of change or their bucking of the establishment, I was strongly considering sitting out what could ultimately prove to be the most important election of leadership in the last 150 years. Having followed the Libertarian Party since I was fourteen, I decided to wait until the LP announced their candidate, so that I could use a vote to further the battle for ballot access to allow for more choice in elections. When Bob Barr announced the formation of his exploratory interest in seeking the Libertarian nomination, I was intrigued but also concerned. I liked that he rode into Congress on the wave of the Contract with America, since it did have many good ideas. My concerns were no different that most liberty-minded individuals, as the memory of a privacy-invading, anti-choice, bigoted Republican representing my party was pushing the limits of my tolerance. Unlike most Americans, Libertarians included, I took the time to research Bob Barr’s time after losing a Congressional bid to the ever-popular John Linder. I found that he had studied and promoted some very important issues to me: privacy, security, and medical marijuana. He also worked against what the Defense of Marriage Act (which he authored) and the Patriot Act (which he voted for) had become. As with many people, he found he was now a square peg that no longer fit into one of the two circular holes. Neither status quo party fit him. I remember when I was in high school, and I tried to figure out if I was a Democrat or a Republican, because I held beliefs that “belonged to both.” I sought out a different ideology, so I relate with Bob’s so-called “transformation” to Libertarianism. He found a home that I had discovered already, and I see that he is someone that who most closely matches my political philosophy. This was the first time that the Libertarian Party had a candidate with national name recognition, and that excites me. He and I both believe in limiting the size of government, reducing the control government has over our lives, the power of the Bill of Rights, and the sanctity of the individual. I believe with his leadership and guidance, America can move toward the intended result of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War, the end of tyranny.
It is obvious that our country is moving in the wrong direction, and I think that Bob’s campaign is the only choice that actually aims to right the ship.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:15 am
Hear, hear!
July 21st, 2008 at 9:35 am
Brett: I think you have put into words the spirit of Bob’s campaign.
I’ve read at another thread at this site about someone not being energized.
It’s hard for me to imagine not being energized by Barr and this campaign and this Party.
Over three quarters of the people in this nation believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. Many of those people do not believe either the Republican or Democratic candidate is going to bring about the right kind of change.
Bob is the right candidate in the right place at the right time.
We shouldn’t let this opportunity slip through our fingers!
July 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Dear friend,
I urgently need your help.
I’m in Charleston, West Virginia attempting to get Bob Barr on the ballot. When I arrived early Wednesday morning, I didn’t think it would be possible, but I had to give it a shot.
We’re headed toward 48 state ballot access. Only West Virginia and Oklahoma are problems. However, there is hope in Oklahoma as we have just filed a lawsuit to get Bob Barr and Wayne Root on the ballot there.
If we win that case, only West Virginia will stand in our way of 50 state ballot access - an apex of achievement for a third-party candidate and something the media cannot ignore.
But here’s my problem.
There is no active Libertarian Party in West Virginia and a very limited pool of volunteers.
I have had to bring in out-of-state petitioners from across the nation to get this drive done.
So far I have 13 petitioners on the ground and another nine on their way.
I didn’t think we would have the manpower to get the drive done, but now I think it’s a possibility. I have enough petitioners in the state and on their way to collect enough signatures by our August 1st deadline.
But I won’t have the money to finish the drive if I don’t raise $43,000 by close of business on Monday.
Russ Verney, our campaign manager, wrote to me this morning and instructed me to shut down the drive if I cannot raise the funds by COB Monday.
So far this month, we’re raised less than $100,000. We’re even off pace from our June fundraising totals.
The campaign cannot afford this ballot drive as I write this. We would have to choose between basic campaign operations or the possibility of 50 state ballot access.
Russ has to make a tough call on this drive but he did give me 96 hours to raise the funds to continue the effort.
I ask that you keep this drive alive by helping me raise $43,000 by close of business on Monday.
Please make an emergency donation to fund the West Virginia ballot access drive right now. Please give generously by clicking here.
My friend, I’ve only been in this state for a few days and we need to be on the ballot here.
When I arrived in West Virginia it was 2:30 in the morning. I pulled into a hotel parking lot and a restaurant owner and one of her patrons were standing outside smoking a cigarette.
They didn’t look too happy.
As it turns out, just a few weeks earlier the county had banned smoking in all “enclosed workplaces” including bars and restaurants.
I’m not a smoker, but it’s the property owner’s decision to allow or disallow smoking on their premises - it is not a county bureaucrats’ decision.
When I explained libertarian philosophy to them and told them about our candidate Bob Barr, their eyes lit up.
They did not know that there is an alternative to the two-party system. They didn’t know that there is a party that respects an individual’s rights and personal decisions.
Since then, I’ve talked to many more folks in this state and the same holds true. We need to give West Virginians a better choice and the only way to do that is to get Bob Barr on the ballot.
Please donate today and help me keep this drive alive. I have two weeks left to pull it off and I sincerely need your support.
A gift of $50, $100, $250 or more would be a significant help. If you can’t give $50, give $5 or $10. Every dollar gets us one step closer to getting a pro-liberty candidate on the ballot in what could be our final ballot access hurdle.
Thank you for all that you do.
In Liberty,
Shane Cory
Deputy Campaign Manager
Bob Barr 2008
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:41 am
Why I am voting for Bob Barr is because we need a change from the two partys. It looks like to me that they can not do there job eather. and I am sick of only two partys to chose from and then taking the lesser of the two evils. A the other thing is tht the Ds and Rs need to know that are other partys out there and they do not always have it in the bag. Bob Barr is my man and he will win in 2008.
Lisa Leeds 2008
http://lisaleeds2008.com
Bob Barr for President 2008
http://www.bobbarr2008.com
Lisa Leeds
Candidate in 08
State House Dist. 58 TN
Vice Chair
Libertarian Party Nashville,TN
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:26 am
While watching the ongoing campaign for the last few months I have been disheartened. Both of the “normal” party’s candidates are doing nothing for this country that hasn’t already been tried and failed multiple times. Then I heard about Bob Barr. It finally seems we have a candidate that listens to the people! However there is one area of his agenda that I feel he is lacking knowledge of. It sounds as if his plan for the military is to not only make us smaller but to pull us out of all our major bases across the world (Germany, Japan, South Korea). While he seems to think we are there “protecting foreign countries” this is far far from the truth. The major bases across the world are there for their strategic location which makes it easier for the US to act in case of a threat to the US. Pulling out of all of these places would be a HUGE mistake and is possibly one of the most disturbing things I have heard regarding our military in the last few years. While I do agree with most people that we should pull out of Iraq, as is the norm, getting rid of these other bases would be a huge mistake. I feel if he would do his research on this topic and change his views to something a little less drastic he would not only be a better all around candidate and get a lot more votes from military personnel, but he would also be the #1 choice for most Americans.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Concerned Troop,
I know what it’s like being in theater and having the leadership message constantly hammered at you about how worthwhile you efforts are. In Viet Nam we were going to keep the Communist Chinese and North Vietnamese from taking over the Far East. They called it the Domino Effect. Now Viet Nam is independent, the Chinese haven’t taken over, and Australia is safe. They’re selling shirts at WalMart.
And our entre into it was a trumped up attack on our 2 destoyers the Maddox and Turner Joy. Oh, we were defending liberty in the world by moving people from their huts in one part of the country to another, burning their homes so they couldn’t return to them. And those primitive countrymen didn’t know a democracy from a water buffalo.
They knew they wanted to eat and have a peaceful life with their families. And it was called “pacification.”
Our attempts to install effective governments friendly to us failed, the people weren’t behind it, and Ho Chi Minh united his country.
The mililtary has its gung-ho speeches to fire people up to go over the hill in the face of death.
They have to do that, whether the cause is just or not. As a soldier, all you can do is believe in your country and do your best. Hopefully it will have been worthwhile.
Anyhow, we have plenty of islands around the globe, and allies with islands like the U.K. to put fuel depots and park aircraft. Russia and China aren’t trying to take over the world for Communism anymore. Even if fighting Communism was a worthwhile reason for combat, it isn’t anymore.
Hang it there and remember: 1 *
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Lisa Leeds…PLEASE do a little work on your spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc. The people of TN deserve a quality representative with a command of the English language and some basic communication skills when it comes to written words. As for Bob Barr, I love this guy’s opinions on basically every issue that faces this country. The one thing that makes me somewhat uncomfortable is Bob’s view on the military. Like it or not, we’re in Iraq and I would prefer to finish the job and make this part of the world a difficult place from which terrorists/fundamentalists could organize and train for future attacks against our great nation. We need freedom to spread in the Middle East in order to create an environment that is favorable to our way of life. Can we remove troops from places like Germany and Japan? You bet we can, and re-deploy them to our borders to stop illegal immigration. I’m giving Bob a serious look this time, but he needs to re-think his positions on the military and defense of this country to appeal to many true Regan conservatives. I’m just hoping he has a plan to reach the masses with his message to give him a legitimate chance to win. Otherwise we’re clearing the path for an Obama presidency. God help us all!
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Brett,
Since you took the time to research Bob Barr’s time after losing his congressional seat to “ever popular John Linder” you probably fould out that Linder’s popularity had him slightly behind Barr two weeks before the primary, with Barr leading 45 to 42 percent. The more than ever-popular medical marijuana issue popped up in the form of a commercial featuring a dying medical marijuana patient asking why Bob Barr wanted her in jail for using her medicine. Two weeks after that commercial started airing Barr lost by a 64 to 36 margin.
You say that he then “studied and promoted some very important issues” including medical marijuana. Actually, he has thus far only promoted states’ rights to enact medical marijuana laws. He has always been a states’ rights person, wanting more power given to the states and less to the federal government. He has indeed tried to help overturn his own “Barr amendment” which is preventing the District of Columbia from implementing the medical marijuana law that they passed in 1998. As far as promoting medical marijuana, he hasn’t even acknowledged that marijuana is beneficial to sick and dying Americans. You did the research. Tell me I’m wrong. Where in the public domain has he even said the phrase “medical marijuana patient”? It would be nice for someone who 71 months ago called marijuana bogus witchcraft to say it ain’t so.
Don’t get me wrong, I know he has evolved. It’s just puzzling that he still seems to avoid the issue, talking about it only when asked. When you think about it, if he really has changed his opinion and now knows that medical marijuana patients weren’t part of some hoax, he might even consider an apology. People died in needless comfort in DC because of his congressional interference. It will be nice to hear him say “My bad” someday to those are still alive to hear it. THEN it will be easy to be convinced of his evolution. Or maybe I’m wrong and he has already done that. That would be nice. I’ll look to your blog to find out if your research can educate me. I hope so. I can’t tell you how much I would love to be wrong about this.
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Rob, respectfully I must disagree with you. At first, I too was all for the “Operation Iraqi Freedom” mission as it was dubbed by the President and the media. But we have to look at the big picture. We do not have the right, either morally or by the Constitution, to “spread democracy” around the globe. The Founders envisioned a non-interventionist foreign policy in which we were friends with all nations but had alliances with none (to paraphrase Jefferson). We do not need “freedom” to spread in the Middle East in order to create an environment favorable to our way of life, because we do not live there, and it is not our business what those countries do. We ought to realize that it isn’t because we’re “rich and free” that many in the Muslim world hate us. It has a lot more to do, I think, with the fact that our government attempts to control their governments, and so we put puppet leaders in place that are not favorable to the Muslims.
I must be honest in saying that I do not understand their culture, by and large. But neither do I think that those in our own government do either. I think it is best if we just let them live their lives and stay out of their business. What reason would they have for attacking us if we quit propping up unpopular dicatators and threatening them, all the while pledging undying support of Israel? It is easy enough to see why they are angered. Does that justify the murder of Americans? No, but it is a pretty powerful motive.
Not to mention that the cost of our Iraq involvement is staggering. Remember when it was promised that the oil revenues would pay for the war? Last time I filled up my gas tank, it cost me $46. 5 years ago, I could have easily filled up for less than half that. And I know that there are many who are paying $70 and up to fill their tanks. In a time when many Americans are struggling to deal with rising costs of fuel, food, and energy, it seems, at the very least, counterproductive to be funneling billions of dollars that taxpayers will ultimately be responsible for, into a country that we had no business invading. When you add the outrageous monetary obligations to Iraq, and to the injured servicemen and women who are in harm’s way, with the huge amounts of lives of our soldiers and civilians along with the innocent Iraqis, I don’t see how it can possibly be seen as worthwhile.
Just my thoughts.