The reasons why we should advocate on Barr’s behalf are obvious and compelling:
• Disguised as Democrats, Republicans trolled with a vengeance on Hillary’s behalf (led by goon’s such as Rush Limbaugh)
• Posing as pro-Hillary dead-enders, they’re still causing mischief on the internets via blogs and comment threads
• Bob Barr’s success is directly related to Obama’s
• The magic of seeing Obama’s head, on CNN’s election night coverage, juxtaposed with the state of Georgia and a big blue checkmark
• Ralph Nadar
Bob Barr made the cover of today's Times. He's officially adopted the Ralph Nader position on electoral mayhem: He doesn't care what his candidacy might do as long as he scorches some earth in the process.
He's also got only $300K in the bank and a completely dysfunctional Libertarian Party organization who can't lift a finger to help.
I'm gonna drop $100 today on a candidate. Who should it be? Obama's got millions and his organization is solid. Barr's got no money, less name recognition, and can easily break 5% in Alaska, Georgia, Montana with ads aimed at pissed-off conservatives. I want to win fair, but I also want to win. If Bush did it with Nader, so we can do it with Barr.
Bob Barr has a record littered with his support of issues that could carry immense appeal with the disillusioned conservative values base of the Republican Party. Barr supported gun rights at every turn and was opposed to lax drug laws. So, Barr has a lot of magnets to attract the Republican voter away from John McCain in November.
The great thing about having so many states in play is that even in the ones Obama loses Mccain is going to have to spend some of his precious money to defend them.
And in addition to Obama's 50 state strategy helping down ticket dems--Obama will be helped by downticket races, and/or Mccain is going to be hurt by unpopular republicans down ticket.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe outlined several alternatives to reaching the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House that runs counter to the conventional wisdom of recent elections.Plouffe and his aides are weighing where to contest, and where chances are too slim to marshal a large effort. A win in Virginia (13 electoral votes) or Georgia (15 votes) could give Obama a shot if he, like Kerry, loses Ohio or Florida.
Bob Barr could be responsible for handing Obama one or two Southern states this election. He has been as high as 8 points in Alabama. It's early but everyone knows that those die-hard southern conservatives don't like McCain. How about when everyone donates the max to Obama you also donate to Bob Barr.
I try to keep up on things, but to stay informed you have to really try hard. Real info isnt delivered thru the national media, it is all largely a project in perception and opinion management that we get fed on a daily basis, which is why we are here, from all walks of life, banging away furiously at our collective keyboards and rooting around for truth.
Well, here is a story that got by me when it was going on...
The Raytheon 9
Yea...turns out that in Ireland it is legal for the citizens to inhibit activity that has been proven to lead to war crimes. In this case, Raytheon missile manufacture.
This flyer (first link shown below the fold) is apparently being distributed by the local Libertarian Party in Valdosta Georgia accusing McCain of being "TOO LIBERAL" and Obama "A MARXIST". I've seen these posted everywhere and especially on campus in Valdosta, GA.
Is this sort of stuff effective? Will Bob Barr presidential nominee of the Libertarian party really "catch on" in Georgia? Are Libertarians organized and strong enough to make it happen?
I went to the Libertarian web site shown below and it rejected my address to sign up for updates (presumably if I donated I could get on their mailing list).
Why? Because Bob Barr, or even dead-enders for Ron Paul, can swing Nevada for Obama, big time.
Let me tell you a story.
In January, I traveled to Nevada for three days to Get Out The Caucus for the Obama Campaign. At that time, I was fully engaged in intra-party warfare, so the Republican contest was little more than an amusing sideshow (and what a sideshow it was, am I right?).
While it was supremely gratifying that in the early contests Ron Paul bested Rudy Giuliani, I never thought that his "revolution" would ever pull more than 5%.
Then, as I was coming over the SIerra Nevadas into Reno, I saw a giant mountainside billboard reading "Ron Paul", and I realized that Nevada Republicans are, well, a little different.
How different? Follow me over the jump and I'll show you what I mean.
So I have to tell you about the conversation I just had. Joe is a Sales Rep for a vendor of ours. He's about as Conservative Republican as you get. Despite the Republican love, we've always talked politics. I have spent the last eight years arguing with him about W. He loves him! Thinks he can do no wrong, still. When McCain picked up the nomination, he was on the band wagon. Always told me that McCain is going to win the White House, blah, blah, blah.
It's true, based on the current landscape, McCain cannot win outright. Using this electoral map and recent polls McCain has < 1% chance to win with a 3% chance for a tie. Those recent polls give Obama NJ, PA, MI, IA, WI, and CO, and gives McCain FL. However, when I add Nevada to Obama's column McCain's chances drop to 0 and the chance of a tie drops to <1%.</p>
This just in from Ben Smith at Politico: Ron Paul is taking his base and "going home":
The distraction that will be Ron Paul at the GOP convention has been made official:
Maverick GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul has booked an arena in Minneapolis for a "mini-convention" that could steal some of John McCain's thunder just days before he accepts the Republican nomination.
A Paul campaign aide said the Texas congressman hopes to pack about 11,000 supporters into the Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 2, which coincides with the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center in neighboring St. Paul.
Paul, 72, will announce details for the rally Thursday at the start of the Texas Republican Convention in Houston.
The campaign hopes the daylong event will "send a message to the Republican Party," Paul campaign spokesman Jesse Benton tells the Tribune-Review.
CNN Poll published on Friday shows how Nader and Barr affect the votes. I haven't seen it diaried, but if I missed it, let me know and I'll delete this.
The poll shows that Obama (49) narrowly beats McCain (46), leaving 5% "other". That is, Obama +3. And since the poll has a 3% margin of error, that's statistically a tie.
But with Nader and Barr added, the results are Obama (47), McCain (43), Nader (6) and Barr (2), leaving 2% "other". That is, Obama +4. Interestingly (to me, anyway) the 8% that went to Nader and Barr came from 2% from Obama, 3% from McCain, and 3% from "other", so it looks like there are a fair number of people that don't like either Obama or McCain. Perhaps Ron Paul supporters?
Based on those numbers, even if Nader runs and Barr doesn't, assuming that Nader's votes all come from Obama, the result might be a very narrow Obama (47) lead over McCain (46), with Nader (6) and 1% "other". Obama +1. Ouch.
More fun, the results if Barr runs could be Obama (49), McCain (43), Barr (2), with 6% "other". That's Obama +6.
Libertarian Candidate for President Bob Barr is quickly becoming a huge pain in John McCain's ass.
For example, this...
Barr Calls for Debates with McCain, Obama: Include Libertarian Party, Nominee Demands
Our nation faces critical challenges in the years ahead. We can no longer accept "the tyranny of the status quo," says Barr. The American people deserve to know that they have a real choice come November. "Let the debates begin!"
Third Party Watch
Political observers are seeing trouble for McCain.
Does Obama insist on Barr’s participation — as Bill Clinton insisted on making Ross Perot part of the ’92 debates with George W. Bush?
I talked with one strategist earlier today, before this topic came up. He said the Democratic campaign is quickly coming to realize that Bob Barr is Barack Obama’s best friend.
I was reading this article in the Washington Times (I can't fucking believe that I'm citing the Washington fucking Times), noting that Bob Barr is currently polling very strong as a Libertarian candidate 8% in Georgia and 6% in North Carolina, making those states far more competitive.
I'm wondering if I should make campaign donations to the former impeachment prosecutor.....I can't fucking believe that I just fucking said that....
Someone tell John McCain that his wet dream of framing Barack Obama as the candidate of Hamas is over. As most of you remember, Senator McCain chastised Obama in April, after a top Hamas advisor said in a radio interview that he liked Barack Obama, and hoped that he would win the Presidential election. The subsequent straw man that McCain tried to build on the subject caught fire and burned today. after Obama's speech before the AIPAC.
