Comment by Brock

Entered on: 9/10/2008 3:42:19 PM

I'd like to see Phil Gramm's phone records from yesterday. One call we know went to Paul, asking for a McCain endorsement today. I really wonder if any other interesting calls went out yesterday.

I just can't make any sense of the Barr campaign's schizophrenia today, unless...

This is always a tough game with imperfect information (read, pure speculation), but jump forward 4 or 5 months, and imagine a McCain administration nominating a new DHS Secretary. Facing a, at that point, HEAVILY democrat congress, who does he nominate? It sure would be nice to have a GOP insider supposedly born-again as a civil libertarian that you could put forward.

Now, come back to yesterday and imagine what would have to happen today to secure that nomination.

Comment by Ernest Hancock

Entered on: 9/10/2008 2:09:18 PM

I see this entire election cycle as one of the most educational in my lifetime. Bob Barr's candidacy (along with Wayne Allen Root) has forever answered the question about what an insider could do for the Libertarian Party.

I'm sure to go into great deal on just how uninformed Barr's actions were at another time. But to think that he can determine the makeup of the LP ticket from a podium belies his,... ???? (something bad :)

The convention, and even more importantly the states, determine what names are placed on state ballots (Arizona demonstrated that in 2000).

What Ron was trying to do with the opening up of the process for everyone was the most productive thing that could be done for the future of the libertarian philosophy/Party.

What Bob did and how he did it was generated by the ideology he and his campaign share. I am certain that they thought they were doing themselves good in some way, making some "statement".

I think that Bob could have made his point very well from the podium after Ron's statement while acknowledging the point that Ron Paul was making.

I thought it distasteful that Bob Barr would camp out in front of Ron Paul's Rally to Restore the Republic with staff/volunteers holding Barr'08 signs above their heads but wouldn't have expected anyone to care that much (and few did care either way).

When I was told by Ron that the Campaign for Liberty intended on using the r3VOLution logo I had no opinion on the matter and simply stated that the artwork was for the planet and that he should expect many others to try to make it stick to their efforts. Individuals have had the logo tattooed on their bodies so I don't think a legal challenge would be productive :)

But politicians like Bob Barr can't understand that the Ron Paul Revolution was an _endorsement_ by many many many individuals, not an entity with a handle or a board of directors (this was intentional :) So when Bob Barr thought that the r3VOLution would transfer their support over to the Libertarian Party (as many did) it was obvious that he didn't understand what was going on.

The understanding that eluded Bob Barr was that the individual in America should expect their government to simply leave them alone and that the only justification for the existence of any government is the defense of individual rights (right to be left alone) was at the core of this 'people's endorsement'.

When pressed on the most fundamental issue of owning your own body (Drug War in particular) he folded like a wet napkin and could not be 'endorsed by the people'.

I and Barry Hess did our very best over a witnessed long conversation with Bob to make this point very clear but it was obvious that his understanding of the world and his role in it would not allow him to grasp what has been happening in the country and what the future holds.

I don't think that Ron Paul has a full understanding of what can be expected,... but he is definitely smart and principled enough to know not to get in the way or advocate the use of government force to "control peaceful choices".

In my mind, Bob Barr is a stage/phase that had to be passed through for many 'libertarians' and the Libertarian Party in particular. Now that we have had such a good education/example of where this path leads us, I hope the LPUS finds its way back to principle.