Will Bob Barr have any impact at all?

[oberliner]

Can't we encourage the folks who aren't crazy about McCain but "aren't comfortable" voting for Obama to consider Barr instead?

It seems that his getting out there as a viable alternative could work wonders for Obama by cutting in a little bit to potential McCain voters.

[President_Obama]

1. yes, especially if he wins Texas

[Lisa0825]

3. If Barr and Ron Paul team up, they could make a good dent in Texas.

There was some kind of notice about them having an announcement, but I don't know what it is.

edited to add link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=6973741

and :hi: Welcome to Du!

[President_Obama]

14. well, as of right now, Barr is the only candidate on the Texas ballot

[TheKentuckian]

2. Minimal, It was my hope he'd sypon off some of the theocrats

but they have been enraptured now.

Now, if Gov. Palin can be made someone they can't swallow then he may have an impact but still less than before.

I don't have almost any data involving Barr, so it's all just a snapshot gut read for me.

[ClarkUSA]

4. Last I heard, he was polling at 11% in Georgia, which is a reason why Obama thinks he can win there

I don't know what the post-convention numbers look like, but even drawing as little as 2% could swing a close election
in libertarian-leaning Colorado or Nevada, for example.

[Meshuga]

5. According to Zogby, Barr is having a big impact in the states polls

For example, Barr has a 8% chunk in Ohio! In other words, the national polls are meaningless when we have Barr taking nice chunks everywhere and helping Obama.

http://www.zogby.com/50state/

[stolivodka]

6. He could put Texas into play.

There were more Ron Paul signs in this state than Obama, Hillary and McCain signs, combined. With Paul's endorsement and some good ground work, Barr could easily throw Texas to Obama. In fact, I think campaigning for Barr would be the one of the best thing Texas Democrats could do to help Obama to the White House.

[oberliner]

7. Wow - that would be something

If Barr could coordinate with Ron Paul and swing Texas that would really be a knockout blow, wouldn't it?

[ps1074]

20. TX

I believe the afrcian american (15%) and latino vote (25%) in texas will make a 40% of the total.

IF Obama takes 65% of the latino vote and IF he takes 90% of the african american vote, then he'll only need 30% or so of the white vote to make it a nail biter... Barr taking 2-3% would certainly help...

[McCamy Taylor]

8. If he could get some money and some publicity----like some cool YouTube videos

and some campaign contributions from Republicans who are fed up with faux maverick McSame or Ron Paul supporters who pissed that their guy isn't running as a third party candidate.

I don't know if the Bob Barr people are the best at making effective YouTube video's to highlight their candidate's strengths with disaffected Republicans.

[oberliner]

10. There was (and is) a very large YouTube presence for Ron Paul

The two camps really ought to team up.

That is if Bob Barr has a camp. I've never seen any campaign signs for him and I still see lots for Ron Paul.

[AZ Criminal JD]

9. Barr has no money and will get no money.

He will not be a factor as it gets close to election day. Also I was listening to a radio interview from Chicago with a Republican operative and he said there is a sex video involving Barr which can be used against him if necessary.

[oberliner]

11. Where did Nader get his money from?

Didn't he run a shoe-string campaign as well?

[AZ Criminal JD]

15. Nader gets his money from several sources.

People who believe in his work from the 60s and 70s contribute some. Republicans attempting to split away liberal votes contribute some. Some people who are dissatisfied with the work of the Democrats and want a third party contribute some. Barr is the candidate of the Libertarians and true to their ideology they never fund their candidates so they never get anywhere.

[McCamy Taylor]

12. For those who do not know Barr, here are his strengths with Republicans and conservatives.

His number one strength with Republicans and conservatives....

He was a staunch advocate for the full investigation into the cause of death of all the civilians (including children) at Waco . Forget for a moment what you believe about Waco. The events at the Koresh Compound struck a tremendous nerve with a lot of libertarian style Republicans, who found themselves at odds with the Newt/Burton Republicans who essentially covered up for the FBI even as they were conducting a panty-sniffing operation into the sex life of Bill Clinton. They saw the Bob Barr lead impeachment of Clinton over Monica as justice for Waco, not as anything to do with a blow job, and the failure to impeach was a failure to make federal law enforcement accountable for its police state excesses.

Under Bush-Cheney the police state has only gotten worse. These are the kinds of people who are praying that John McCain is the old maverick and not the guy who signed on for torture. They would prefer Barr, who stands for a return to the Constitution.

Waco is the cause of most hard core populist anti-Clinton sentiment (the press is mad at the Clintons over their firing of their corrupt buddy in the Travel Office, Big Business is mad because they booted Bush Sr.)

The more that Clinton campaigns for Obama, the more angry the anti-Waco crowd will become. If they remember who and what Bob Barr is and what he did, some of them will vote for him rather than for Bush's hand picked successor, because these are idealists who feel quite comfortable making a protest vote for the purpose of changing the future direction of the Republican Party.

[vanderBeth]

13. I certainly hope so. It seems to be like that here in Texas.

It's funny, some places on the internet it's sorta like a inside joke to say you support Ron Paul/Bob Barr.

I do think he has potential to make a dent.

[madrchsod]

16. 3-5% won`t vote for johnnie and sarah

they go with barr/ron paul. there are more ron paul and obama signs than johnnie boy in my republican hell hole of a town

[AZ Criminal JD]

17. Ron Paul is not running

He is running for his congressional seat but that is it. Bob Barr is no Ron Paul.

[ps1074]

18. Ron Paul will be on the ballot in Montana

eom

[MaineDem]

19. Only if he is on the ballot.

He won't be here in Maine. Didn't get enough signatures. There is, however, a suit against the Secretary of State but I doubt that will hold up.