Many of you may know that in addition to my talk show duties, I’m also the chairman of the Niagara County Libertarian Party. As such, I keep an eye on all things Libertarian. So imagine my delight when TIME magazine ran an article about the Barr/Root ticket and the power of the Libertarian Party in the upcoming election.
“Everybody is Libertarian about something in this country,” Bob Barr told me over breakfast in midtown Manhattan recently. It’s his best pitch, an oft-used explanation of why the Libertarian Party can leverage the country’s many discontents. The strongest part of his message is the delivery. Barr is a level man with a rich, assuring voice. Even in a D.C.-standard-issue dark three-piece suit, there’s something warm and tweedy about him–a perfectly calm spokesman for the often cantankerous ideas of his party.
A lot of right wing pundits and bloggers are concerned that Barr may ruin this race for John McCain, but I believe he’ll draw nearly equally from dis-affected Republicans and Democrats alike. Note: I’m a former Democratic committeeman, and fellow Libertarian Bob Confer is a former Republican.