Root or Barr would destroy the LP
Posted in Back Door Politics by R Lee Wrights on May 21st, 2008 by Jarret B. Wollstein, founder SIL
Since co-founding the Society for Individual Liberty (now the International Society for Individual Liberty — www.isil.org) in 1969, I’ve worked with many people to advance liberty. I’ve also seen other movement organizations come and go, and a few which have endured.
One such enduring organization has been the Libertarian Party. LP founder David Nolan first proposed the formation of a libertarian political party in an article in SIL’s magazine, The Individualist, in 1971. A year later, the LP ran its first presidential slate.
Over the years I’ve watched the Libertarian Party go from meeting in David Nolan’s Denver apartment to boasting affiliates in every state. I’ve watched its presidential slate go from fewer than 4,000 votes to nearly a million, then fall back below half a million where it’s been stuck for nearly 30 years. Like many libertarians, I’ve had my doubts about the LP’s efficacy and value. But this year, I fear for something even more important: The party’s soul.
For several years, the LP seems to have been caught in the black hole that the Republican Party has become. What was once a glorious “neither left nor right” coalition of freedom-lovers has increasingly become a political retirement home for disgruntled and unsuccessful Republicans. Now “Republicanitis” threatens to destroy everything the Libertarian Party stands for.
Two of the “front-runners” for the LP’s 2008 presidential — former Georgia congressman Bob Barr and Las Vegas sports handicapper Wayne Root -are both conservative Republicans. What I find most surprising about this is that they make few bones about it.
Only three years ago, Root authored a book (which he flogs as an Amazon bestseller) titled “Millionaire Republican,” describing himself as such and purporting to teach others how to become one, too. As late as November 2006, Root endorsed a presidential ticket of (get this) … John McCain and Joe Lieberman. Then he decided to run for president himself, and his pictures of himself with Karl Rove at a Bush White House event (the kind you get invited to when you raise money for GOP candidates) slowly faded from prominence.
And Barr … wow. This guy’s congressional record set new records for authoritarianism. And not just inertial, rubber stamp authoritarianism, but the most active, venomous kind. He wrote a law to prevent the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage, even if the states did. He thundered from the House podium that American military personnel must not be allowed to practice religions he disapproved of. He voted for the Patriot Act. He voted for the war on Iraq. He sponsored legislation to prevent the District of Columbia from counting the votes on a referendum to legalize medical marijuana.
If I had produced a stage production of 1984 while Bob Barr was in Congress, I’d have put his photo on the posters of Big Brother.
Both of these men have pronounced themselves “born again libertarian.” But it seems like the newly-converted are trying to ascend directly to the pulpit.
Color me skeptical when they’re seeking not some local office or even a congressional seat, but the party’s prize possession: Its presidential nomination.
Color me skeptical when Wayne Root says “I’m a non-interventionist” out of one side of his mouth (to LP members) and dribbles neoconservative code-speak about “the war on Islamo-fascism” out of the other (to the conservative media).
Color me skeptical when Bob Barr says that he now favors “states rights” over federal hegemony on marriage (as if the states have any more business making our romantic and sexual distinctions for us than Washington, DC does) … but tries to pass off his “Defense [sic] of Marriage Act” as having been all about that way back when.
These people shouldn’t be in the Libertarian Party, much less running as its presidential candidate.
Why would this party, founded as “a libertarian political entity separate and distinct from all other political parties or movements,” self-destruct by choosing a right wing authoritarian as its most prominent representative?
Nearly 40 years ago, David Nolan told the libertarian movement that it needed its own political party. He was correct in 1971. If the LP nominates Bob Barr or Wayne Root, we would have lost a powerful voice for liberty in America.
Steve Trinward said,
May 21, 2008 @ 1:37 am
Jarret - have been around this thing almsot as long as you hAVE. This feels like yet another watershed (cf 75, 77, 78, 81, 83 … 02, 04 …)
if the conservatoids get hold of the LP they might find out what an empty shell it is without its real activists
Richard said,
May 21, 2008 @ 10:41 am
Barr or Root,he is right. The media will beat the LP to a pulp. Dr. Mary Ruwart is our only hope. She is a true Libertarian.
bill wald said,
May 21, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
Agree Dr. Ruwart is the best candidate and she has about the same chances of being elected as Barr - none.
Mike Renzulli said,
May 21, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
It must be serious if David Nolan is involved in an effort to restore the 2004 platform while Bob Barr and Richard Viguere are trying to “buy” the LP.
It too will be supporting Mary Ruwart for President and hope she clinches the nomination.
The Trojan Elephants « Darkblog said,
May 22, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
[...] Liberty for All posts Root or Barr would destroy the LP. Why? Because if one of them were to become the LP candidate, the mainstream media could then (truthfully) say that the LP is running just another Republican. All those people who began getting those funny ideas about limited government would get yet another big disappointment when they saw that the LP candidates are just the same as the mainstream Republican candidate. The LP would cease to be a “third” party. It would simply be a “Republican by another name” party. [...]
Nathan Barton said,
May 23, 2008 @ 12:44 am
Almost all of us were once members of some other political party, usually Democratic or Republican - and virtually none of us became 100%/100% libertarians when we converted - if indeed we are today. But there is a simple test: the no-aggression pledge: if Wayne and Bob are willing to honestly sign and live by it - then they should be considered. Last time I checked, there was no time-in-grade requirement for “promotion” in the LP or for running for office.
When a very strong attack on one candidate is immediately followed by a ringing endorsement for another, I look askance at the accusations. I haven’t decided yet, but WILL decide in Denver in a couple of days. I’ll look at the candidates - their positions, their skills, their campaigns, their past, and their supporters. If it turns out to be “None of the Above” then so be it, but I don’t particularly care for ad hominum attacks on anyone.
Volker Westphal said,
May 24, 2008 @ 5:54 pm
If memory serves me right, it was the LP’s first run presidential ticket in 1972 that made any historical difference. Dr. John Hospers and Toni Nathan received the only electoral college vote the party has ever received. They put the LP on the map. Since then, the party has been divided into factions and splinter groups to rival the major parties — and has thus repeatedly missed chances to make gains nationally.
To castigate a candidate because they belonged to some other party before joining the LP is suspect. We are all immigrants to this political philosophy. I have seen and heard all the candidates vying for the LP nomination in Denver. Only one has consistently spoken out in interview and live television on the imperative issues clearly. I’m convinced Wayne Allyn Root is far and away the best possible candidate, and the future of the LP. Judge for yourself, examine his stands on the issues, and his love of Freedom, Liberty and Reason. http://root4america.com/
Kevin Tuma said,
May 26, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
The problem isn’t Republicans like Richard Viguerie “buying” the Libertarian Party—hearing that reminds me of the constant whining I hear from Lew Rockwell about the CATO Institute. There is nothing wrong with well-heeled “Republitarians” influencing the system. They are a huge improvement over normal Republicans.
The problem is at the grassroots. Principles…somebody should actually have some. The reason Ron Paul is burning up the political map is because he doesn’t budge when it come to constitutional issues. For years, Anarcho-Caps dominated the libertarian movement intellectually, and now in the wake of Ron Paul’s popular conservatism, Republitarians have taken over the Libertarian Party.
The nomination of Bob Barr was a major bellwether that the Libertarian Party has now officially de-evolved into a party of Republicans who are pro-gun Rights and pro-Choice.
With Bob Barr, the issue is simple: What principled libertarian could vote for a signatory to the USA Patriot Act? I wouldn’t vote for a man who signed that act if you held a gun to my head. It was an utter violation of the congressional Oath of Office, and it was not a murky one, either. Ron Paul sounded the warning flags about the Patriot Act a month after 9-11. Republicans like Barr did not listen to him.
From this day forward, I must consider Libertarians political “allies”, but not people I would ever vote for…not unlike Dennis Kucinich or Cindy Sheehan. In truth, I would vote for Sheehan before I would consider voting for Barr.
Personally I prefer Bible thumpers who want to protect my First, Fourth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments rights. I’ll be voting for Chuck Baldwin.
Jacek Sierpiński » Blog Archive » Libertarian Party of USA, R.I.P. said,
May 28, 2008 @ 5:48 am
[...] Partia Wolnościowa USA popełniła samobójstwo. Wybrała na swojego kandydata w najbliższych wyborach prezydenckich byłego republikańskiego kongresmena Boba Barra, znanego z aktywnego popierania “wojny z narkotykami” (m. in. w 1999 r. jako kongresmen domagał się, by na podstawie federalnych przepisów można było oskarżać osoby domagające się liberalizacji antynarkotykowego prawa). I to bynajmniej nie “nawróconego grzesznika” - jak wynika z przeprowadzonego w grudniu 2006 r. wywiadu dla “Reason” Barr (uznany niegdyś przez Partię Wolnościową za największego zwolennika “wojny z narkotykami” w Kongresie) wcale swoich poglądów w tej dziedzinie nie zmienił. Interesujące, że we wspomnianym wywiadzie Barr zarzekał się, że nie zamierza startować w wyborach prezydenckich - jak widać, jest typowym przykładem polityka z establishmentu, który mówi jedno, a robi drugie… Według znanego działacza libertariańskiego Jarreta Wollsteina, Barr ma na sumieniu również inne antywolnościowe działania - będąc w Kongresie, głosował zarówno za “Patriot Act” (wprowadzoną po zamachu na WTC specustawą pozwalającą m. in. na przetrzymywanie w areszcie bez sądu przez czas nieokreślony obcokrajowców uznanych za zagrożenie dla bezpieczeństwa narodowego, jak również na przeszukiwanie przez FBI bez zezwolenia sądowego baz danych osobowych), jak i za wojną w Iraku - choć trzeba przyznać, że w obu tych kwestiach zmienił później swoje stanowisko. Domagał się również ograniczenia wolności praktyk religijnych w amerykańskiej armii (chodziło konkretnie o Wicca - z tego powodu Barra nazwano “łowcą czarownic”…). Oczywiście Barr nie ma żadnej szansy na to, by zostać prezydentem USA. Jakikolwiek inny kandydat Partii Wolnościowej też by jej nie miał. Sensem istnienia tej partii było jednak dotąd pokazywanie, że istnieje wolnościowa alternatywa w polityce, że można opowiadać się za obroną wolności jednostki tak w kwestiach osobistych, jak i gospodarczych. Nominując Barra, Libertarian Party of USA ten sens utraciła. Za to sam Barr zdobędzie pewien rozgłos i może przy kolejnych wyborach dostanie się ponownie do Kongresu z listy Republikanów. A potem może wystąpi z kolejną propozycją zaostrzenia kursu wobec palaczy marihuany czy im podobnych, która to propozycja zostanie ochoczo przegłosowana przez jego kolegów… [...]
Bob Barr attempts to destroy the Libertarian Party « disinter said,
July 23, 2008 @ 12:18 am
[...] July 22, 2008 by disinter Jarret B. Wollstein, ISIL founder, writes: For several years, the LP seems to have been caught in the black hole that the Republican Party has become. What was once a glorious “neither left nor right” coalition of freedom-lovers has increasingly become a political retirement home for disgruntled and unsuccessful Republicans. Now “Republicanitis” threatens to destroy everything the Libertarian Party stands for. [...]