I guess this will count as an official endorsement. That is what is intended to be. I have to say that I’ve been excited about the prospects for the Libertarian Party this year for some time. The support that Ron Paul was (and is) able to galvanize within the liberty movement is one element in that excitement. Another is the fact that neither of the major party candidates (ala Reagan 1980) even pays lip service towards the libertarian movement. Finally, there is no big-name 3rd party candidate out there to draw protest votes. Oh, sure, Ralph Nader is running again as are Chuck Baldwin and Cynthia McKinney and a few random socialists and even the libertarian Boston Tea Party who will actually land on a few state ballots. But there is no John Anderson or Ross Perot out there to become the focus of the national media at the expense of a serious 3rd party movement. So everything is in place for this to be a big year for liberty and the LP. Of course building this party beyond the fringe will require a candidate who can appeal beyond the 400,000 voters who’ve traditionally voted for us. Fortunately, we have that candidate. Whatever his flaws, Bob Barr is the right man for the job ahead and I believe this campaign will be a true breakthrough for our party. I expect (at worst) millions of votes and more media attention (it has already happened) than we’ve ever seen. Those votes will serve as a reminder to the “powers that be” that they’ve finally gone too far and that, if they continue to dismantle the Constitution, there will be hell to pay. And maybe, just maybe, this campaign can be more. The early poll numbers are extremely promising and, if we can build on that success, earn a spot in the debates and raise the kind of money that it will take to compete nationally, we may just give the Demopublicans the scare of their lives.
Bob Barr is right on all the big issues. He wants to cut taxes, cut the size of government, end the American empire and bring our troops home. He wants to end the Federal War on Drugs and repeal the Patriot Act. He believes the the Constitution means something and needs to be obeyed. He may not go as far as some of us would like but he is on the right side of these issues and no one else out there comes close. As libertarians, it is time to join other like-minded Americans and build a coalition that has a real chance to change the direction of this country. That coalition is growing every day and it is time to get excited about it and be a part of it. I, for one, will not sit this election out. The opportunity is too great. The risks of inaction are simply too high.
Therefore, I enthusiastically endorse the candidacy of Bob Barr and Wayne Root for President and Vice President. I urge you to support them in whatever way you can. Please volunteer and donate whatever you can. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Have a great day.
JR
