July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Will he play the spoiler? (05/15/08)
Editorial
Is Bob Barr the Republicans' Ralph Nader?
That question has to be rolling through the minds of political strategists for both the GOP and the Democrats.
Eight years ago, the dead heat presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore was essentially decided by Nader's third party candidacy. And in many circles, Nader and his supporters are still pariahs.
The Nader candidacy was based upon a conviction that Al Gore wasn't liberal enough to lead the Democratic Party, a notion that was questionable then and seems laughable today.
The Barr candidacy is based upon a conviction that John McCain isn't conservative enough to lead the Republican Party, and in some quarters that position resonates.
Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia, has impeccable conservative credentials. He played an attack dog role in the Clinton impeachment and is a darling of the evangelical right. He's also philosophically consistent, having hammered Republican leaders for the growth of government under the Bush administration and for the encroaching on civil liberties in the wake of 9/11.
His candidacy on the Libertarian Party ticket is one that Republicans dismiss at their peril. He's hired Ross Perot's former campaign manager and is likely to win the nomination at the Libertarian convention later this month.
Third party candidates run not because they believe they can actually be elected, but because they believe the two dominant parties have lost their way.
And they measure success not in election victories but by holding true to their principles.
Come November, the real story may not be about John McCain or Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton but about a conservative from Georgia who cares less about winning than about making a point. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
That question has to be rolling through the minds of political strategists for both the GOP and the Democrats.
Eight years ago, the dead heat presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore was essentially decided by Nader's third party candidacy. And in many circles, Nader and his supporters are still pariahs.
The Nader candidacy was based upon a conviction that Al Gore wasn't liberal enough to lead the Democratic Party, a notion that was questionable then and seems laughable today.
The Barr candidacy is based upon a conviction that John McCain isn't conservative enough to lead the Republican Party, and in some quarters that position resonates.
Barr, a former Republican congressman from Georgia, has impeccable conservative credentials. He played an attack dog role in the Clinton impeachment and is a darling of the evangelical right. He's also philosophically consistent, having hammered Republican leaders for the growth of government under the Bush administration and for the encroaching on civil liberties in the wake of 9/11.
His candidacy on the Libertarian Party ticket is one that Republicans dismiss at their peril. He's hired Ross Perot's former campaign manager and is likely to win the nomination at the Libertarian convention later this month.
Third party candidates run not because they believe they can actually be elected, but because they believe the two dominant parties have lost their way.
And they measure success not in election victories but by holding true to their principles.
Come November, the real story may not be about John McCain or Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton but about a conservative from Georgia who cares less about winning than about making a point. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
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