Libertarian Party founder and Tucson, AZ. resident David Nolan has written a very interesting and penetrating commentary about the state of Bob Barr's Presidential campaign.

 

As I suspected, Barr's campaign has been and is an absolute disaster.

 

As Nolan amply points out, Barr has obviously surrounded himself with some people that are not credible and have no campaign experience. He has barely raised $1 million after clinching the L.P. nomination and is not taking the opportunity to reach out to Americans by doing the kind of campaigning one would expect from a candidate.

 

As an officer of the Arizona L.P. I can say, so far, Barr's campaign has made no effort to ask the Arizona party for assistance and, so far, the only appearance Barr is scheduled to give in Arizona is a speech at a gun rights conference in Phoenix sometime next month.

 

Otherwise, neither I, nor any Arizona Libertarian Party officers have heard word one from the Barr campaign.

 

Bob Barr's campaigning has encompassed making appearances at events, like The Freedom Fest held in Las Vegas, making media and public appearances like the one described above and thats it.

 

No T.V. and radio commericals or print ads.

 

If this guy is supposed to be a veteran fund raiser for Republican candidates via the PAC he is in charge of, there really shouldn't be any reason why Barr is short on campaign funds. With his access to donors Barr should be able to raise a decently sized warchest that can enable him to run a professional campaign.

 

I guess what should be and the what the reality is are two different things.

 

I was extremely disappointed that Barr didn't show up at a news conference Ron Paul held recently which might have helped him among Ron Paul supporters and (possibly) radical libertarians.

 

As a result of Barr's snub of Ron Paul, a movement is now a foot to actually have Barr removed as the Libertarian Party's Presidential nominee.

 

I realize that Bob Barr maybe having a hard time raising money, but I suspect it was because he expected donations to roll in after he was nominated by the L.P.

 

What has been his downfall is that he doesn't give radical libertarians much to be enthusiastic about.

 

I must admit I have been unimpressed with Barr and his campaign and have witheld giving any money to him. Unless things change prior to Election Day, I may not vote in the category of President altogether.

 

It will be the first time I have not done so since I started voting in 1988. I have consistently voted for someone for President since that time.

 

Since Barr is heeding the advice of his campaign manager to avoid the Libertarian Party label that is not sitting well, not only with the party-rank-and-file, but will upset voters since they might not vote for him upon realizing what party Barr belongs to once they go to the polls.

 

I think removing Barr as the L.P. nominee for President is a good idea.

 

He should be replaced with the runner up, Mary Ruwart.

 

However, I would not be surprised if the Libertarian National Committee does not go along with it. It seems that a good portion (not all) of the L.N.C. members are a pragmatic bunch who wanted to have a professional political campaign.

 

There are those in the Libertarian Party that believe that the party should field candidates and take a pragmatic route by sacrificing or compromising some or all aspects of libertarianism and what the LP stands for in the name of political expediency.

 

Many pragmatists I have had contact with believe that the only way to restore freedom in America is by electing Libertarians to office. Even ones who are not consistent in their beliefs.

 

Interestingly enough, the fortune I ended up with when I opened a fortune cookie after eating at a local Chinese restaurant recently stated the expedient thing and the right thing are seldom the same thing.

 

Well, here is the result of professionalization and doing the expedient thing.

 

A boring, uninspiring and inept Presidential candidate and campaign.