Liberty MavenThe Ron Paul and Bob Barr Not So Great Divide
September 10th, 2008 10:21 pm | by Marc Gallagher | Published in Activism, Blowback, Bob Barr, Libertarianism, Liberty, Maven Commentary, Philosophy, Politics, Ron Paul, Socialism, campaign for liberty | 11 Comments
As many are aware I’m a strong supporter of both Ron Paul and Bob Barr. Ron Paul was the inspiration for the creation of this web site. When Bob Barr decided to run I had high hopes for his campaign and his ability to spread the liberty message. Today I feel like I have two best friends in a fight and I’m stuck in the middle being asked to side with one or the other.
I believe both Ron Paul and Bob Barr are at fault in this situation. They are both responsible for dividing their freedom and liberty loving supporters. My strong support for Bob Barr has waned as part of this. My steadfast support of Ron Paul and his Campaign For Liberty has also dwindled. In the end I realize even more emphatically than I did before that what I support is not a man, but a message. That message is liberty, of course.
From now on to anyone who asks, “Who are you voting for in the election?” I will say, “I’m voting for liberty.” The actual candidate I cast my ballot for will be Bob Barr. As much as I’m disappointed in his actions today his website’s issues page hasn’t changed. He is the still the liberty candidate on the ballot that has the best chance at getting the message out to the masses. He is on the ballot in 43 states at this time. That being said, his campaign’s behavior today reminds me of my 4 year old daughter whining when she doesn’t get her way. This immature behavior will lose Barr many votes, but it won’t lose mine.
Ron Paul deserves some criticism for this too. Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party reached out to Ron Paul at least two times in an effort to further the liberty message. Barr helped introduce and pass a motion to have Ron Paul run as the Libertarian Party’s candidate should he not win the GOP nomination. Within 24 hours Ron Paul refused and further committed himself to the Republican Party. This move was not surprising. At the time the primaries hadn’t even started and Paul was raising lots of money as part of the now famous money bombs.
Once the primaries ended and John McCain was nominated Barr sent along a request for Paul to agree to run as Barr’s Vice Presidential running mate. I could think of no better team sitting at the top of the executive branch of our republic. There was one problem. Ron Paul still felt it was necessary to cling to his party rather than his message. Some may say he is fighting for his message still and I agree with that to a certain extent, but it is watered down and divided now. If he picked someone to run with, even if it wasn’t Barr but Chuck Baldwin instead, it could have been a huge blow to the two party system. Instead he formally announces something he has been saying all along anyway: Don’t vote for McCain or Obama.
I suppose if he only included candidates he closely agrees with like Baldwin and Barr then the GOP could easily accuse him of trying to hurt John McCain’s chances at winning. Instead he includes Cynthia McKinney and Ralph Nader so he can point out that he is now also taking votes away from Obama as he was happy to do today on CNN. Nader and McKinney are arguably more socialist leaning than Obama and McCain. So that leaves me confused like Bill Anderson over at LewRockwell.com.
Bob Barr should have honored his commitment to Ron Paul by appearing at his press conference and then immediately holding his own press conference following it to explain his position in more detail. His campaign’s delusions of grandeur got the better of them. For not honoring his commitment Bob Barr should issue a public apology to Ron Paul. Given that it is also quite important to note that Barr has signed on to the four principles outlined in Ron Paul’s press conference today.
Ron Paul should have joined Barr on the Libertarian ticket (or Baldwin on the Constitution Party ticket if offered) to help unite and spread the liberty message to the masses. Ron Paul has demonstrated that he cares more about changing the Republican Party from within, slowly over time than truly making a bold statement for liberty. Ron Paul will be long gone before the GOP steers itself in the true liberty direction, if ever.
How nice it is for Paul that Barr gave his supporters a target for their angst after Paul didn’t announce he would be running on someone’s ticket this year and didn’t announce that his new organization will support a nationally televised third party debate. His announcement was far from major. It was Ron Paul status quo. It would have been bold and beautiful if Paul accepted Barr’s invitation and instead announced he was running along side him.
Also, I’m not sure how he thinks explicitly endorsing anyone but his party’s nominee will happen without repercussions. I thought he understood the concept of “blowback” he so much enjoyed talking about during his campaign?
I agree with Ron Paul’s effort at uniting against the status quo candidates, but couldn’t he have given us something more substantial to unite behind?
In the end they are just men with liberty ideas who are free to make their own choices about how to spread those ideas. I respect their decisions, but I don’t have to like them. Today my liberty glass is half empty because of it… But I’m still voting for liberty in November and in every election until the day I die.
September 10th, 2008 at 10:34 pm (#)
I disagree that “Ron Paul should have joined Barr on the Libertarian ticket”. I think that if he left the Republican party YET AGAIN, that would make him seem overly wishy-washy. He’s indicated over and over he doesn’t want to waste his time trying to run on a 3rd party ticket. Instead he’s trying to use methods like today to change the system (or get people to understand the system is busted). If he didn’t want to be the LP’s nominee, why would he want to be the VP?
Bottom line, he DOESN’T WANT to run on a 3rd party ticket. He’s done it before, and sees the folly in it. It’s a waste of time, and he knows it. If the system weren’t FIXED against it, it would make sense. It makes better sense to try to change the system and urge people to make a statement by not voting for the Republicrats.
September 10th, 2008 at 10:44 pm (#)
Ron Paul shouldn’t have accepted the offer while he was running for President, but after he dropped out it was a way for Paul to get on the ticket and make a bold statement. Once on the ticket it would be much more likely that the ticket would get the 15%+ needed to gain debate access and from that point on anything could have happened, including the top of the ticket stepping down and Ron Paul becoming President.
So he deciding to run as VP could have done more to UNFIX the system than him merely saying… “Hey don’t vote for Obama or McCain”.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:06 am (#)
Marc, you are right for the most part, and I appreciate your wisdom and ability to maintain a calm, reasoned head.
But I just can’t anymore. Al Gore, Endless Money Asks (that are annoying) to donors (me) (where is the list segmentation?!), not coming out for any issue to inspire other donors (drug war?), and now this.
I can’t stress enough how much I have been let down by this campaign’s lack of balls. Why are they running a traditional conservative campaign? The Palin pick scuttles that voting/donor block. This doesn’t inspire anyone to contribute! Ron had monetary policy, I can’t think of any issue other than privacy that the Barr campaign has stuck out for.
Ron Pauls press conference today was about opening up the debates so that ANY candidate can stand on his/her own merits. Ron is using his positioning to further opinions that he completely disagrees with… in my opinion… thats even more noble of a cause.
Did you see Rons comment in the video? “I hope Bob will be showing up here…”
He wanted Bob to be there, Bob could have easily been the best out of those 4 to show his credibility.
I’m so sad and disheartened right now.
Make no mistake, Ron’s position of importance in the Republican Party WILL be hurt, just watch the video today where he talks about the man who called from the McCain campaign. The Republican Party hates him now.
Bob Barr showed that he is willing to play the same game that both McCain and Obama use to get elected. This is bullshit. This isn’t change, this isn’t what we want or need. This was the most disappointing thing about today. I was an ardent Barr supporter who volunteered and started a meetup for him. I am a donor. I didn’t succumb to the Palin pick.
Let alone that they offer the VP spot in A PRESS RELEASE!?!?!? YOU DON’T DO THAT. THE MANS WIFE NEARLY DIED, HE DOESN’t NEED PUBLIC PRESSURE TO RUN FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN - his rejection will now ‘hurt his image’ that its all about him… no people… Ron Paul just ran for almost 2 years and it culminated to the biggest gathering for our ideas ever.
Read this: I’m not a Ron Paul junkie. I’m a realist, and I see bullshit for what it is. Ron is wrong too… he should be able to pick a single endorsement… and who’s to say he wouldn’t have (ok maybe he wouldn’t have).
Maybe he just doesn’t like the prodding from the Barr Campaign? Maybe if they came out more strongly for issues and stood by those convictions in the face of possible bad press he would be more interested in them? Maybe he’s not fully convinced?
After a stunt today I wouldn’t blame him… it REEKS of political opportunism.
I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore.
Sorry for the rant Marc. Half a bottle of whiskey will do that to you. No I will not check my spelling or grammar.
I love your blog, keep up the great work.
- The Spaniard
(native born american) (long time reader, first time poster)
p.s. thanks for letting us post epic comments.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:42 am (#)
A lot of people who were hoping for something else today are frustrated. Even people who were excited by Ron Paul’s press conference are discouraged by the perceived rift. But I think libertarians will (and should) continue to support Bob Barr for the reasons you pointed out. I still plan to cast my lot with Barr in November.
Dr. Paul has not only stayed a member of the Republican party to try to affect change from within. You yourself wrote about this. Ron Paul’s position in Congress is so precious that he cannot afford to give it up while there are so few liberty candidates in Congress. What challenges would there be to our monetary policy in Congress if Dr. Paul gave up his seat? He has always stated that he was a somewhat reluctant candidate. In not accepting the proffered positions on the LP ticket, don’t you think he has proven that the movement is about the message, not the man?
Dr. Paul has supporters as enthusiastic as Obama’s supporters, but there is a major difference. We don’t deify Dr. Paul and blindly following his instructions, though we admire his vision and his message. Many rabid Obama supporters don’t even know what his message is other than the ambigous: CHANGE.
As for the press conference today, a lot of people seem confused about why Dr. Paul would encourage us to vote for any third party candidate. I’ve tried to explain this in my open letter to Bob Barr:
http://thisisnoplace.com/node/20
The intended audience of the press conference was not Ron Paul supporters, but all disaffected voters. Our democratic process is broken because of the two party system. The conference was a call to all Americans to wake up and vote their conscience, not for Ron Paul supporters to vote for a McKinney or Nader. It was also about unity for a common cause, fighting the system, and the “We Agree” statement was a great showing of unity for that fight.
As I said above, I’ll still be voting for Barr in November to further the cause of liberty. We will never convince all Americans that our message is the right one. Our right to disagree and debate is fundamental to what makes our country great. I think you’d agree that making sure all Americans have the opportunity to choose the candidate that best represents their ideals is truly an advancement for the cause of liberty.
~Canute
This is no place
September 11th, 2008 at 3:50 am (#)
I think Ron Paul is taking the proper course for himself, except he needs to resolve the tensions between his staff and Barr’s, which seems to be the origin of much of today’s embarrassment. But Bob Barr needs to clarify his campaign if he wants to pick up traction. Taking the four point platform announced by Ron Paul and the other candidates is his best bet and would fulfill the desires those of us who have supported him hoped for at the beginning of his campaign. The issue is not whether Bob Barr is libertarian or conservative, or whether any of those who appeared with Ron Paul are. The issue is how to build a real alternative to the two major parties, whether the end result is the creation of a successful third party, as Barr desires, or a reformation of the two parties, as Paul believes is the more realistic goal. Barr needs to run his campaign on this four point platform in the states where he may be strongest, and leave the others to run in the states where they have the advantage (such as being on the ballot).
September 11th, 2008 at 8:04 am (#)
Just a little factual addition to the above based on my memory of a prior Dr. Paul interview.
Apparently a number of states have what are called “sore loser” laws. These are laws that prevent someone from losing in a Republican or Democratic primary and then running in the general under a different party banner. This would clearly be something Republicans and Democrats would be behind. Obviously every state does not have them (ex: Senator Lieberman), but as I recall Dr. Paul in an interview said this was a reason for him not running under a separate party in the general. You can google the phrase along with “Ron Paul” and find further information. Now whether this was checked out by election law experts as a valid reason to avoid a third party run is another matter.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:39 am (#)
Omen,
I’m with you on the frustration, believe me. Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough, but I believe Barr is “mostly” wrong here. He is the one who seems to be acting childish. Even if he isn’t… but it sure comes off that way.
It would do his campaign a whole lot of good if he would publicly apologize and maybe appear along side Ron Paul somewhere somehow, assuming Paul would agree to it.
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.
-Marc
September 11th, 2008 at 10:09 am (#)
Canute,
Very good open letter to Barr on your site. Can’t disagree with anything you said.
-Marc
September 11th, 2008 at 10:14 am (#)
Vern,
Yes, I recall that same “sore loser” law too. Does it apply to accepting a “lesser” office like VP too? I guess I’ll have to do some research on that. In any case, it would have been good for RP to respond with that as a reason or somehow make it more public so his supporters who keep clamoring for him to run as VP or even Prez will realize there is more to the decision.
-Marc
September 13th, 2008 at 1:21 pm (#)
Dr. No needs to be Dr. Yes on this one.
Our forefathers are rolling over in their graves. Dr. Paul made a huge mistake and needs to apologize and recant.
For Dr. Paul, an elected official, to tell people NOT TO VOTE is akin to telling people not to eat and go on a hunger strike. No Dr.Paul was wrong, wrong, wrong and he needs to reverse what he said. Its one thing for people not to vote, but its a whole other for an elected official to tell people to do such a thing. Its political assisted suicide. I spent everyday from the time Dr. Paul announced his campaign until our State Convention trying to convince people Dr. Paul was worth voting for and make sure you get registered, and now Dr. Paul comes out with this. How does he ever expect us to get people involved in the next election cycle - there will be people who will actually say they even heard its okay to protest and not vote because of Dr. Paul, and that is what they will do.
It one thing for Dr. Paul to not want to put himself on the line and not choose one of the alternative candidates over McCain and Obama, but he should have never told or encouraged people not to vote. Barr was correct to stay away from that line of thinking if thats what he saw in the official press release beforehand.
September 13th, 2008 at 1:39 pm (#)
bedr1,
To be fair, after Ron Paul applauds the non-voters, he goes on to say, specifically, “For me, though, my advice—for what it’s worth—is to vote!”…seemingly to cover himself.