Why the change of heart from Bob Barr?

[Sematary]

From everything I'm reading, Bob Barr was everything I hate in a politician. He was strongly in favor of the unconstitutional "drug war". He voted for the war in Iraq, proposed that religious freedom be eliminated in the military (just for Wiccan's naturally) and even MORE egregious - he voted for the Patriot Act. In other words, this man was no man of freedom. So, the question has to be asked. How, in just the past few years, could his life long belief system change so dramatically? Or - has it? Is it all a show?

 

[Sematary]

I sent this to his campaign through the contact form on his website:

I am a follower and supporter of Ron Paul and, like many others, am trying to decide what to do this November at the ballot box. So I have some questions, because, let's face it, Mr. Barr's political history isn't exactly what you would call Libertarian. In fact, if it were four years ago, he wouldn't even be on my radar because I would consider him to be amongst the worst of the worst with his record in the "drug war", his votes on Iraq and the Patriot Act, amongst other things. So what I'm wondering is - what happened? He flipped a switch politically and I need to know what happened before I can consider voting for him or supporting him.

 

[[email protected]]

Is it all a show?

Bingo. The RP & DP aren't the only parties that are controlled by the Elite. By creating and controlling, or hijacking and then controlling, their own opposition they can herd it into being ineffective. The LP is now merely a gatekeeper organization, regardless of whether or not it was started with good intentions.

 

[Truth Warrior]

Familiarity just tends to breed contempt.

 

[Sematary]

Bingo. The RP & DP aren't the only parties that are controlled by the Elite. By creating and controlling, or hijacking and then controlling, their own opposition they can herd it into being ineffective. The LP is now merely a gatekeeper organization, regardless of whether or not it was started with good intentions.

Well, I'd like to see his response to my questions. Perhaps he had some life changing event that made that political switch change direction. The fact that he has fought so hard to defeat even his own egregious legislation and has bucked George Bush and the rest of the neocons on the Iraq war recently gives me hope. I want to know if this is someone who can be trusted or if he's just full of shit.

 

[UtahApocalypse]

Bingo. The RP & DP aren't the only parties that are controlled by the Elite. By creating and controlling, or hijacking and then controlling, their own opposition they can herd it into being ineffective. The LP is now merely a gatekeeper organization, regardless of whether or not it was started with good intentions.

I agree. Seems that the PTB know that many people are ready to switch parties. they had to get someone in place and stack the deck.

This is the #1 reason I will not vote for Barr... talk is cheap. Actions speak much louder then words. Ron Paul had my interest not just because what I heard him say, he had a record to back it up. Sorry to all you that think we have to vote LP or CP. Its not about the party, never has been. its about principle, honesty, and integrity. Until you can earn my trust you can't earn my vote.

 

[Sematary]

I agree. Seems that the PTB know that many people are ready to switch parties. they had to get someone in place and stack the deck.

This is the #1 reason I will not vote for Barr... talk is cheap. Actions speak much louder then words. Ron Paul had my interest not just because what I heard him say, he had a record to back it up. Sorry to all you that think we have to vote LP or CP. Its not about the party, never has been. its about principle, honesty, and integrity. Until you can earn my trust you can't earn my vote.

Well, he hasn't earned mine as of now. If I get a satisfactory answer to my questions then he might. For now (and the past couple of years he HAS been walking the walk) I want to see what he says.

Well, gotta run - literally. 7 miles before work.

 

[Kludge]

Bingo. The RP & DP aren't the only parties that are controlled by the Elite. By creating and controlling, or hijacking and then controlling, their own opposition they can herd it into being ineffective. The LP is now merely a gatekeeper organization, regardless of whether or not it was started with good intentions.

lmfao, did you seriously just say that?


As an LP member, I can say without missing a beat that the LP is incredibly ineffective (almost as much as gov't itself). Not only are they totally incompetent at making a dent on the national level, but they create news stories and have celebrations whenever a state candidate takes double-digits in a state election - and the local candidates end up with very little attention, because so many LP members fail to understand gradualism, creating an almost apathetic atmosphere and consistently weak fundraising.


The claim that "TPTB" seek to hijack an ineffective third party and give them credibility, increased funding, and increased political relevency is absurd.

Besides, I thought Diebold (Premier) is being manipulated by "TPTB" so that no one not liked by them cannot win an election...


Y'all are going into that 10% Beck was talking about, IMO.

 

[LibertyEagle]

Y'all are going into that 10% Beck was talking about, IMO.

Heh.

 

[Vaio]

Well, Ron Paul changed a LOT of minds out there. Why should we accept votes from people who supported our foreign policy?? Better yet, since the Republicans and Democrats are controlled by the "elites", should we only let those who were lifelong Independents vote or run for a liberty platform??

I have always been a registered Independent, and I could almost guarantee you that most of the people in these forums are registered Libertarians or Republicans with a handful of Democrats. In that case, why should we accept their support?? See how ridiculous you sound?? You're setting the precedent that flip-flopping is always a bad thing. Face it: Bob Barr has addressed these questions over and OVER, he's saying the right stuff, why should be crucify him??? So no chance for redemption??? Nice.

 

[MRoCkEd]

In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger,
"Someone has made a mistake. I mean, someone has, for 20 or 30 years, been in the wrong place with his idea and with his ideology and says, 'You know something? I changed my mind. I am now for this.' As long as he's honest or she's honest, I think that is a wonderful thing. You can change your mind," Schwarzenegger said. "I have changed my mind on things and there is nothing wrong with it."

 

[Brian Defferding]

We should never hold contempt of recovering Republicans and Democrats. It's better we embrace those who have finally seen the error of their ways and have made a turnaround as long as they have proven it through actions, and Barr has done that. He has made efforts on his own to show his turnaround. And even during his years as a drug warrior he was still staunchly for protecting privacy.

Barr still isn't perfect; his camp's effort to sue to get on Warren's televised Presidential forum is pretty embarrassing (using litigation to get into a private forum? Isn't that exactly opposite what the Libertarian Party stands for?). Still, I feel he's worth voting for and I believe he will back up his words with action. If you're in a state that doesn't count write-in votes that aren't officially registered as a write-in candidate, maybe change your vote to Bob Barr. Just my $.02.

 

[tonesforjonesbones]

I am an example of how someone can do a complete turn around with new information. A little over a year ago I was a cheerleader for the neo con agenda. I did not know what I know now. Bob Barr was working in the system, he could see what was going on and he didn't like it. Congress supported the Patriot Act based on lies...the administration told them one thing to get their support, and when they voted for it, it became something else. He has said this over and over and over. Bob Barr 's district got re drawn..in other words...the "powers" gerrymandered him out of his district and he lost the election. They did the same thing to Cynthia McKinney because she stood up to Donald Rumsfeld on the 9-11 issue. Delay and Bush tried to gerrymander Ron Paul out of his district in Texas but they failed. Any time one of those congress people stand up to "power" in Washington, they try to gerrymander them out and get rid of them. I'm sure Bob Barr is sincere about changing his worldview. I know I am sincere...and people can evolve! TONES

 

[ARealConservative]

Bingo. The RP & DP aren't the only parties that are controlled by the Elite. By creating and controlling, or hijacking and then controlling, their own opposition they can herd it into being ineffective. The LP is now merely a gatekeeper organization, regardless of whether or not it was started with good intentions.

Some conspiracy theories are more idiotic then others.

In this case, you are trying to advance an extremely idiotic one. Bob Barr represents a level of respectability that has not been seen in the Libertarian Party since 1998. They actually nominated a guy that has national exposure and has served as a federal politician.

Now before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, I’m a big Harry Browne fan – I would even argue that he presents the case for liberty better then Ron Paul himself, but he did not have the same level of national respect that Paul or Barr has and was unable to break into the media like Paul and now Barr have. To think that TPTB would actually thrust Barr into this position of media attention when they could of sat idly by and allowed Badnarick_v2 (Ruwarte) to flop around without anybody paying attention is just silly. TPTB do not do things that help our cause, and Barr is helping our cause by showing to the rest of America that the Libertarian Party wants to be a player in politics and not some puritan ideological machine designed to educate people.

 

[mediahasyou]

The reason Bob Barr's record is not perfect is because he is a convert from a neocon. He is now libertarian and should be welcomed.

Not everyone can be born into libertarian families and brought up in libertarian communities. Be thankful that he did convert to libertarianism.

 

[qh4dotcom]

Don't doubt Barr's intentions...instead listen to what your man Ron Paul had to say about him...there's a reason why RP is not doubting Barr's intentions like you do

"I think so. It doesn't mean that you can look at his voting record like you look at mine and say there was never any infraction. That doesn't mean that he can't represent these values. He's saying the things he should be saying. He's joined the Libertarian Party and he presents these views and he talks our language. So I do really believe that he can have a very positive effect in this campaign and let the people know that limited government is a very, very important message and that people will have a chance [to hear it]. That gives everybody a choice in the matter."

"I think he's running a very important race, and I'm encouraging him. I haven't endorsed him, but he's saying the kind of things I'd like to be heard and said, and I hope he does real well. But we also have Chuck Baldwin who runs on the Constitution Party [ticket]; his views are very close to mine, and he worked very hard on my campaign, so for me to pick one or the other is not easy. I hope they both get a lot of votes."

http://www.nolanchart.com/article4172.html

 

[votefreedomfirst]

Yes, Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate who thinks that Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac are "too big to fail", refuses to support a timeline for troop withdrawal from Iraq, praises Al Gore for his global warming hysteria saying that "we have to do something", and wrote that we all should “give thanks to God” for the life of segregationist Jesse Helms.

Of course Barr looks great compared to his neoconservative, Joe Lieberman contributing, Ron Paul hating VP pick Wayne Allyn Root.

 

[dannno]

From everything I'm reading, Bob Barr was everything I hate in a politician. He was strongly in favor of the unconstitutional "drug war". He voted for the war in Iraq, proposed that religious freedom be eliminated in the military (just for Wiccan's naturally) and even MORE egregious - he voted for the Patriot Act. In other words, this man was no man of freedom. So, the question has to be asked. How, in just the past few years, could his life long belief system change so dramatically? Or - has it? Is it all a show?

Why hasn't anybody correctly answered his question yet?


Has Bob Barr had a change of heart? I tend to believe that he has, but I can't say for sure.


Assuming he has, what was the reason? This has been explained over and over and over again.


The REASON why Bob Barr changed his mind was after 9/11 and the Patriot Act, he finally saw how he was really part of a destructive machine that was manipulating public perception and stomping on the constitution and individual liberty. This was a wake-up call for him, and he decided to join the liberty movement.

I don't know how he was convinced about the drug war, except that it has to do with liberty and he likely opened his mind to more liberty oriented ideas once he realized that he'd been duped.

 

[ARealConservative]

Don't doubt Barr's intentions...instead listen to what your man Ron Paul had to say about him...there's a reason why RP is not doubting Barr's intentions like you do

"I think so. It doesn't mean that you can look at his voting record like you look at mine and say there was never any infraction. That doesn't mean that he can't represent these values. He's saying the things he should be saying. He's joined the Libertarian Party and he presents these views and he talks our language. So I do really believe that he can have a very positive effect in this campaign and let the people know that limited government is a very, very important message and that people will have a chance [to hear it]. That gives everybody a choice in the matter."

"I think he's running a very important race, and I'm encouraging him. I haven't endorsed him, but he's saying the kind of things I'd like to be heard and said, and I hope he does real well. But we also have Chuck Baldwin who runs on the Constitution Party [ticket]; his views are very close to mine, and he worked very hard on my campaign, so for me to pick one or the other is not easy. I hope they both get a lot of votes."

http://www.nolanchart.com/article4172.html

yes but don't you know that Ron Paul is a fool and message board posters know Barr far better?

 

[Andrew-Austin]

Why hasn't anybody correctly answered his question yet?

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=151207

yes but don't you know that Ron Paul is a fool and message board posters know Barr far better?