Although major media have given scant attention to the fact that Bob Barr did not attend Ron Paul’s press conference with Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, and Chuck Baldwin, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has covered the story here.
Although major media have given scant attention to the fact that Bob Barr did not attend Ron Paul’s press conference with Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, and Chuck Baldwin, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has covered the story here.
Earlier, someone wondered about the absence of Barr from the Ron Paul news conference. Anyone wondering about the intelligence behind the Barr campaign, or wondering if there is any, should read this: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=316475225&blogID=431855381
Ferguson is referred to elsewhere as Barr’s national field director. If he is, if he is ANYthing in the Barr campaign, he should be fired — immediately.
I read this blog entry, which I wouldn’t have known about otherwise, and I thought it was eminently coherent, detailed, thoughtful….and probably correct. Seems to me that Ron Paul IS in “the Ron Paul business” now.
The only thing with which I took exception was his dismissive phrase “and two other, minor party candidates” (referring anonymously to Cynthia McKinney and Chuck Baldwin), as if Bob Barr were somehow in some rarefied, higher elevation league than the one in which McKinney and Baldwin are competing.
Not smart for Barr people to dis Paul.
NPR mentions Barr’s absence, in print and the radio broadcast: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94481300
it’s really not dissing Ron when Barr used the opportunity to ask Paul to run with him.
That’s just a cop-out, Jonathan. He clearly is pissed that he isn’t getting the Paul endorsement all to himself — because he’s the big man and he’s entitled to it – and he’s gone to pout about.
I would wager its far too late to switch on VP on 99% of ballots anyways.
The Ron Paul event was bizarre. I think Ron Paul’s staff really let him down on this one.
David Gaines:
While the air in third place is not rarefied, Barr is not in the same league as McKinney and Baldwin. Barr will almost certainly win more votes than McKinney and Baldwin combined and I’ll put money on that.
There is no doubt in my mind that Barr came out badly on this episode. He invites Paul to join him, almost certainly knowing Paul will decline, then declines Paul’s attempt to give him some publicity and airtime. Nevermind that Barr had to share the limelight with 3 other candidates. Any publicity is better than no publicity. And appearing to shun Paul, even with good reason, is to alienate his supporters.
Very foolish move, methinks.
My email inbox is flooded with emails from libertarians and Ron Paul supporters of all stripes stating that although they were planning on voting for Barr, after yesterday’s events, they will not. Of course, I am a Wayne Root supporter, and the people emailing me assumed (apparently correctly) that Verney was responsible for the press release and the failure to appear at Paul’s conference.
Russell Verney called me a few minutes ago to let me know that he was going to continue to refuse payment to me (for the signatures and expenses they accepted in WV) unless my lawyer sends him another letter. …Quite the professional!
Even if people are soured on Barr, I urge them not to abandon Wayne Root. If possible, I encourage people who cannot stand to vote for Barr to at least vote for Root (if that’s allowed in their state), or to hold their noses and vote for Barr anyway (in the interest of 2012 LP ballot access).
Barr’s time is limited, and in truth, it is not Barr himself that is completely reprehensible, it is his campaign mismanager, Russell Verney. In Verney’s own words:
“Today our campaign is being criticized by a few people for my decision to not attend a press conference sponsored by Ron Paul’s political action committee. I thought I would take a minute to explain to you why I made that decision.
It became evident to me after meeting with Ron Paul’s staff that this media event was not about promoting the liberty agenda; it was about promoting a man. That’s not what we’re in this for.”
…Funny thing to say about a guy’s staff whose fund raising base you desperately want to tap into!
Yeah, right! He was so “in it” for freedom, that while Paul was voting for freedom in TX-14, Verney was pimping the highest bidder (then), Ross Perot.
Even more bizzare:
“I made the decision that attending that news conference was not consistent with Bob Barr’s principled leadership for the Liberty agenda.
Once I informed Ron Paul’s staff of my decision I was rudely informed that my decision would have permanent ramifications, I was personally threatened and Bob Barr was politically threatened. That’s a far cry from principled leadership.”
Is that how politics are played in Verneyland? If so, Verneyland sounds a lot like “Donderoland”, and will remain off of my list of mental vacation hotspots.
Moreover, I question how screwing up ballot access drives, and not paying your employees squares with “principled leadership”.
That sounds more like “unprincipled insanity” to me.
I think Bob Barr made the right choice in not joining in with the three others at Ron Paul’s press conference. He made the right choice for this year’s campaign, the right choice for maximizing his votes and fundraising, the right choice for building the Libertarian Party, and the right choice in the fight for Liberty.
Having said that, I can also say that had I been the LP nominee, I would have attended Ron Paul’s press conference, and then held my own after.
So why was this the right move?
1st: It’s because, when it comes to Libertarian Principles, the other 3 candidates up there ARE NO WHERE NEAR LIBERTARIAN – none of them. There is not one of the other 3 who would move the country in a libertarian direction.
Sure, they all have some good points. But you can go back through history and probably find at least one point and maybe even four points of agreement with nearly anyone.
2nd: We are building a brand, a Party of Principle that stands for liberty, and we must not dilute or confuse our message by joining a “me too†gang of even lesser 3rd party hangers on.
And it’s really ironic that those who have lamented Bob Barr’s sometimes conservatarian and not quite Libertarian positions on some issues, that when he took this truly PRINCIPLED stand to be a more pure candidate in support of Liberty, a more pure Libertarian, he has been criticized.
3rd: This is doubly ironic, because Ron Paul was often critiqued as being not pure enough and not quite Libertarian on many issues.
And now that Bob Barr continues to evolve gradually, moving closer and closer to being the Pure Libertarian that many, including myself, wish he was, he is attacked for being too Principled.
4th: For those of us who actually want to win and move the country in a Libertarian direction, we have to realize that Ron Paul’s role is ending.
Now, I don’t blame him. He’s old. He’s tired. His wife has been ill. He had plenty of reasons NOT to run for President. And it’s easier and comfortable now for him to stay with the Republicans. He can make a principled show inside congress and point out the follies and failures of the Democrats and, more importantly, the Republicans.
But, this is where his contribution will end. The Republican Party is a fascist-socialist monolith. It is an evil, diabolical monster. It cannot be changed and the fight for LIBERTY can ony be successfully engaged outside that monster. The Republican monster must be killed if we are ever to be free.
People who remain inside the belly of the Republican monster are feeding the enemy.
The other 3rd parties and not moving in the right direction.
If we are to win, we must build a large, well respected, successful, reasonable, rational, PRINCIPLED Party for Liberty.
the Libertarian Party is that party. And in this election we must all support and stick with Bob Barr for President.
He took a courageous, bold, principled stand for US in our fight for freedom. He will help us grow, build our brand, reach out to new people, and shed some of the image of the LP being cultish, small, single minded zealots.
Now, if it were me, I would have attended Ron Paul’s little show – out of loyalty, because he’s my friend.
Then, I would have held my own Press Conference to show that the LP is the only political vehicle on the road to Liberty.