Barr ’08

Many thanks to those of you who came out to Murphy’s Taproom last night. Here is a story from the Concord Monitor on Bob’s visit to New Hampshire:

Squeezing his thumb and forefinger together in the back of a Manchester bar last night, Libertarian presidential nominee Bob Barr told a crowd of 80 that when it counts, there’s that much difference between the Republicans and Democrats.

Americans, he argued, are looking for something new.

“The definition of throwing your vote away is to go into that voting booth and vote for one of two parties that will not change the direction this country’s going in,” Barr told a crowd of about 80 at Murphy’s Taproom. “And that’s the Republicans or Democrats.”
[…]
Republicans and Democrats have spent too much time fretting about the difference between a $3.1 trillion budget and a $3.12 trillion budget, he said. On Jan. 20, 2009, he said, a President Barr would skip the niceties of inaugural balls and call Congress in to tell them that he’ll cap spending at the size of the prior year’s budget and form a commission to look at the constitutionality and worth of various federal departments.
One target for Barr: the Department of Education, which he said is unconstitutional and wasteful. “My goal would be to get away from public schools in the first place,” he told one questioner.

If you’d like to help petition for Bob in New Hampshire, please contact the campaign and we will get you in touch with our coordinators.

On Thursday afternoon, Bob Barr 2008 held its first bloggers conference call. Ed Morrissey from Hot Air and Jazz Shaw from The Moderate Voice both have a recap of the call at their respective blogs.

Here is an excerpt from Hot Air:

I asked him what he hoped to accomplish in his run. Barr replied that he felt that politics had become overwhelmingly sour; 86% now say the country is on the wrong track. People recognize that the current system does not serve them well, and that provides “fertile ground” for a new party. That’s just an opportunity, of course, but the Libertarian Party has matured, and with himself as a credible candidate, they have a chance of winning in a three-way race.

Another reason: he wants to free America from the artificial restraints of the two-party system. Also, he wants to recast the current issues in a manner more consistent with the Constitution. FISA reform is one area that Barr wants discussed in real, substantive terms, and not just slogans. Eliminating earmarks will not dismantle Leviathan, and we need to grasp the realities of a $3.1 trillion budget.
[...]
Barr says that he would follow the path of the Grace Commission in reducing the costs of government and eliminating abuse. He would clearly identify the cost-benefit and Constitutional standing of every department in the federal government, and anything that didn’t pass muster would get axed. DoE would probably be at the top of the list for closure. Department of Commerce would be next, followed by most of the Department of Energy.

If you are a blogger and are interested in participating in future calls, drop me an e-mail at jason@ bobbarr2008.com. Please include your name and a link to your blog.

Here is the latest video put together by Martin Avila, our eCampaign Manager. The video is called “A Real Choice.” We have already heard much rhetoric from the major party candidates, but not much substance. What Bob Barr, Wayne Root and the Libertarian Party bring to the debate is real choice and real solutions for our country.

In this video over at Bloggingheads, Bob talks about the campaign, FISA and privacy issues and the Tenth Amendment with Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake.

Bob Barr was in Texas over the weekend speaking to the state convention of the Libertarian Party of Texas. Bob hit on spending and civil liberties, but he asked the question, “Have you had enough?” He said that continuing to support Democrats and Republicans with the hopes that they will be different is, as Albert Einstein said, the definition of insanity, “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

You can listen to Bob’s speech here. The introduction was given by 2004 Libertarian Party presidential nominee Michael Badnarik.

Here is quick media roundup of his visit.

The Dallas Morning News:

Two years ago, former Georgia congressman Bob Barr might have shown up at a Republican Party convention like the one this weekend in Houston.

Not anymore.

Instead, he was in Fort Worth addressing the Texas Libertarian convention as the party’s presidential nominee.

Mr. Barr’s dissatisfaction with his former party mirrored the sentiments of the 200 attendees – many disaffected Republicans themselves – who came to hear him speak about limiting government spending and regulation, protecting civil liberties and pulling U.S. troops out of foreign countries.

“Americans see the constant growth in government programs and no solutions,” Mr. Barr said in his speech. “They see the tired two-party system. The question is, ‘Have you had enough?’ “

Texas may help gauge that answer. Russ Verney, Mr. Barr’s campaign manager and former campaign coordinator for Ross Perot, said that Texas was ripe for a Barr presidency.

The Houston Chronicle:

Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia, said at the Libertarian Party of Texas convention that he is asking citizens: “Have you had enough? … I think this year, in this cycle, in this election, the answer will be yes.”
[...]
“They are desperate for change, desperate for something that will rekindle their hope. That’s an opportunity that we have not had before,” Barr told The Associated Press before the luncheon. “There’s a yearning for a new way, a new choice, a real choice this year, and we intend to take advantage of that by pointing out they don’t have to settle for the same old choice of big government and really big government.”

Barr said Americans are cynical because they have seen government programs and spending grow and civil liberties decrease but haven’t seen solutions — regardless of which party is in office.

The dissatisfaction, he said, “goes deeper than simply George W. Bush. … Whether it’s Republicans or Democrats in power, people see this widening gulf between what they say they’re going to do and what they stand for, and what they actually do.”

Barr told the crowd that the two major parties have an unholy alliance that he called a political cartel, and that they “fight like the dickens” over the reins of power.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

“I have a rude awakening for the McCain team,” Verney said. “They don’t own the voters in Texas. They’re going to have to come to Texas and earn votes.”

Among the special guests was Nadine Adams, 51, of Haltom City, a department manager in a Southlake grocery.

She’s Barr’s sister.

“I used to be a Republican, but I feel disenfranchised,” she said. “It’s not my party anymore. Seven of 10 people I talk with say they would vote for Bob.”

In his speech, Barr said that he thinks Americans are tired of Democrats and Republicans arguing about party politics instead of solutions.

“There is no other party that’s going to get the job done,” he said. “The only party that’s going to get it done is the Libertarian Party.”

Would you like to promote the campaign in your community? You can spread the message of liberty by starting a meetup group for Bob Barr. Despite the campaign being only a couple weeks old, we have twice as many supporters as John McCain in twice as many cities.

Grassroots promotion at the local level is what will make this campaign a success and we need your help do it.

Our amazing supporters continue to answer the call as we approach the Denver Convention. This money will be used to make a major showing and propel Bob to the nomination. Our team has been getting hundreds of requests for interviews from news channels, websites and blogs.

Below, some of our supporters are having a little fun balancing our fund raising numbers.

The Bob Barr 2008 Exploratory has received hundreds of messages of support from people all over the country. Here are just a few! Check out the Supporter Comments feature on the front page for more!

Long Time Supporter

As a long time Atlanta resident I am very familiar with the work of Bob Barr. He is a reasonable man that will work to restore the qualities and policies that made this country great.

Since the GOP is not running a conservative candidate this time around, I think it’s time to take another look at the Libertarian party.

~Michael Holbert

Thank You Bob!

Bob Barr is what I have been waiting for. I am tired of the Dems and Reps. All the back stabbing and not getting anything done. Bob is what I am all about. Closing the borders, the fair tax, etc. It ’s about time we had a candidate who is for the people and not big business and government. Thanks Bob!

~Pamela Keller

 The Time is Ripe!

 Libertarians, our time has come, the two party system is hopelessly weakened with constant bickering and the Republicans have nominated a candidate whose positions are fragile at best. It is our time, let’s take back America, Bob Barr 08!

~Pete Campie

Ron Paul Supporter 

As a Ron Paul supporter, I was a bit dismayed that he would not run as a third-party candidate. Thankfully, you have picked up the mantle of the REVOLUTION going forward, and now we have a candidate who we believe can bring real CHANGE and real STRAIGHT TALK to Washington. You have my full support in your campaign.

~Richard Rickard

Professor & Freedom Fighter 

I am a 61 year old retired college professor and your ideas about personal freedom and the nanny state are the same as mine. It might interest you to know that I was a professor of sociology and government from the time I was 24 years old, but I have been and remain a voice for individual freedom- which is what I think America is based on. Please advise me as to how I might assist you.

~ O. Wayne Byram Ph.D

 Acknowledge the LP!

Good luck. I think you are the Libertarian Party’s best hope this election cycle to get the message out. You can certainly force McCain and the Democratic nominee to acknowledge the Libertarian Party’s existence by putting several Southern states into “play” in the Electoral College race.

~Robert Bates

Weary of the other Candidates

I completely agree with your assessment of candidates Clinton, McCain, and Obama. I cannot believe we do not have a better choice. If you run, you will have my support. Thank you for considering making the sacrifices necessary to run for president. May God richly bless you and give you His wisdom as you make your decision.

~Neal Wilson

Dear Congressman Barr:

As a concerned American citizen, and registered Libertarian, I would strongly urge you to enter the 2008 presidential race on the Libertarian ticket.

The current socio-cultural climate and abhorrent political game-playing in America are consistently and pervasively eroding our country from within. Indeed, we seem to be moving closer and closer to totalitarianism in the guise of a nanny state masked by the banalities, platitudes, and empty rhetoric of the Democratic and Republican parties. The only salvation for individualism, liberty, and the true foundations of social and political justice as envisioned by our founding fathers lies in modern day the Libertarian Party. For this reason, I have been a Libertarian my whole life, and was truly elated to learn you were considering a run on the Libertarian ticket. I was a great admirer of your work as a Congressman, and have always found you to be an upstanding, honest, and truly decent public servant, a staunch defender of the core principles and values of this country, and an honorable ideal of what we as Americans should look for in our President.

I cannot relay in words how vitally important it is that America has a strong third-party choice in this election, and based on the ascendancy of Senator McCain to the Republican nomination, I believe that this is the first election wherein the Libertarians can capture the limelight as long as we have a visible and identifiable candidate. The Libertarian Party had never had such a recognized and experienced individual as yourself to take the Democrats and Republicans to task and hold them accountable for what they have put this great country through for the past 60 years. Therefore, I would urge you, sir, to pursue this candidacy wholeheartedly. If we work together as a united party, we can restore this nation to the pinnacle of freedom and a model of liberty for the entire world.

I look forward to your candidacy.

Yours Faithfully and Sincerely,
William J. Banks, Esq.

This message was received through the “Get Involved” page from one of our supporters. From time to time we will feature letters & commentary we have received from our supporters. To send a message to Bob, simply “opt in” by clicking the checkbox on the “Get Involved” page after filling out the comment form.