May 21, 2008
An Alternate Universe
It's a primary fight to the finish -- even, apparently, for the Libertarian Party hopefuls.
LP contenders Wayne Allyn Root, Bob Barr and Mike Gravel, in Washington Tuesday for a forum hosted by reason magazine, made their pleas for their adopted party's nom just days before its Memorial Day weekend convention in Denver.
"I'm the Ronald Reagan of the Libertarian Party," Root, who has a wrestler's build and a mobster's tailor, told reporters before the start of the event. He rattled off his credentials: Vegas odds maker, infomercial pioneer, best-selling author.
"I'm kind of an MTV guy running for president, and so I think I could catch fire with the youth movement in this country," Root added. "What Ron Paul started, I could finish. I'm the frontrunner, I don't think there's any doubt about that."
After Barr arrived late, the 30-minute forum began with the candidates's two-minute opening statements. It had the feel of a speed date.
Gravel railed against the "War On Drugs." Barr, who served four terms in the House, talked about a "rebirth of freedom." And Root won over the crowd with a political bombshell. During a dinner with Karl Rove two years ago, he told Bush's brain: "If you allow the United States Congress to ban [Internet] poker, what you're going to do is destroy the entire Republican revolution. Karl Rove laughed it off, and the Republican revolution ended."
When the show wrapped, Barr, swarmed by reporters, said that Libertarianism had gone mainstream.
"How much more mainstream can you get than serving in the House of Representatives?" said Barr, whose campaign is headed by Russell Verney, Ross Perot's ex-adviser.
Nearby, Gravel explained that he "ran as a Democrat only to get into the debates."
Root, meanwhile, offered this prognostication: "It all comes down to the debate Saturday night on C-Span."
(SEAN J. MILLER)
Posted at 10:26 PM
Comments
If the Independent Party was smart, they'd draft Hillary Clinton. If she doesn't get the DNC nod, she has a lot of supporters who would gladly vote for her as an Independent in November.
She's bringing in new voters by the boatload, and she beat the entire field of Democrats in Michigan (with the Big Boyz campaigning as one cozy group under the pseudonym "Uncommitted").
She beats both McCain and Obama in the swing states. And she would give both of them a run for their money in both Red States (TN, Arkansas, TX, WV) and Blue States (NH, NM). I imagine she could take 34% of the vote in quite a few states.
As a Clinton supporter with zero loyalty to the DNC these days, I say, Bring It On.
Jan | 05.22.08 11:49 AM
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If Clinton runs 3rd party, McCain would have a lock on the election. It is dangerous to split the vote and end up electing a candidate who is even more fanatically pro-war than Bush.
Brad | 05.22.08 01:37 PM
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The Libertarian party should select a woman VP if Hillary does not get the Dem VP. It would be a very good political move. They have a couple of women in the running.
tj | 05.22.08 04:16 PM
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