Bob Barr 2008 presidential campaign

Barr publicly announced his candidacy on May 12, 2008. He commented that his run would give the American people a "meaningful choice"[18] to vote for in November, preventing them from having to "hold their nose and pull a lever... for the lesser of two evils."[18] During his speech, Barr cited out of control government growth as the primary reason for his run.[18] In response to the announcement, Republican consultant Christopher Barron countered the claim of George Will on the campaign's potential "spoiler effect." Baron stated that Barr's run "is unlikely to hurt Sen. McCain in any significant way"[19] but would aide the Republican Party "by siphoning off some of the enthusiasm among college voters and antiwar advocates for Obama."[19]

Bob Barr announces his candidacy for president

During an interview with Newsweek following his entrance into the race, Barr was asked why he had announced his candidacy only two weeks before the Libertarian Party convention. He remarked that he had not "seriously consider[ed] [running] until about five or six weeks"[20] prior to his official announcement. When asked about the "spoiler effect",[20] he stated that "the votes [Barr would receive] are not going to come from people that are committed to voting for McCain."[20] Also during the interview, Barr articulated that his campaign would make use of the internet with methods similar to those employed by Ron Paul and Barack Obama to mobilize young voters.[20] Barr attempted to tap into Ron Paul's resources and supporters to raise funds, and used the same company that Paul used, Terra Eclipse, to design his campaign website.[21] Stephen P. Gordon, who worked for Paul, was hired as the e-Campaign manager,[22] and Doug Bandow, who previously worked as an advisor for both Ron Paul and Ronald Reagan,[23] was hired as the Senior Policy Advisor.[24]

Bob Barr campaign manager Russ Verney

Barr's campaign manager Russ Verney sent a fundraising memorandum on May 19 that included his projections for the campaign, and compared Barr favorably to Ross Perot. His predictions included participation in the nationally televised debates in October 2008 and a popular vote total of 19%. The manager commented that this was "no ordinary presidential campaign"[24] and that Barr would do well because "America is swamped in Libertarian information."[24] May 18, 2008 Rasmussen polling reports showed Barr at 6% nationally in a four-way race with Barack Obama, John McCain, Ralph Nader. He led Nader by 2%. A breakdown of Barr's support showed that 7% of Republicans, 5% of Democrats and 5% of unaffiliated voters supported his campaign. The report concluded that most Americans did not have enough information about Barr to form an opinion.[25] May 20 polls from the Insider Advantage-Majority Opinion Survey of 652 individuals showed that in his home state of Georgia, Barr would receive 8% of the popular vote, placing him in third place, and 27% behind Barack Obama for second.[26]

Barr participated in the Libertarian Party presidential debate, an event sponsored by Reason Magazine, on May 20, 2008, at Dupont Circle. Fellow contenders Mike Gravel and Wayne Allyn Root each appeared at the event. During the discussion, Barr remarked that "inside the heart of every American beats the heart of a libertarian",[27] and said that the nation was on the verge of entering a "Libertarian era."[27] He also stated that as president he would eliminate the Department of Education, a mainstay of the party platform.[27] Later in the debate, Barr's opponent, Root, criticized the Washington media for its portrayal of Barr as the "only candidate",[28] an action he described as "absurd".[28]

Bob Barr wins the Libertarian Party nomination with running mate Wayne Allyn Root

As the 2008 Libertarian National Convention in Denver approached, members of the Libertarian Party's Radical Caucus criticized Barr by distributing fliers that declared: the "Libertarian Party [is] not for sale."[29] The criticism was in response to allegations that Barr's campaign was an attempt by conservatives to take over the party. Libertarian delegates disagreed with the media's portrayal of the race and said that Barr was "not a shoo-in" for the nomination.[29] At the convention, Barr was attacked by fellow candidates Steve Kubby and Mary Ruwart for his PATRIOT Act vote in 2001. Barr responded, by saying that he regretted the vote and had spent the previous five years "working [to]...drive a stake through [the PATRIOT ACT's] heart, burn it, shoot it, [and] burn it again..."[30] Barr was named the Libertarian Party's nominee after six rounds of balloting on May 25, 2008.[31] Las Vegas businessman, and fellow Libertarian primary opponent Wayne Allyn Root, was named as his running mate.

Barr received some media exposure a few days after his nomination by visiting New York City to appear on both the Colbert Report and on Glenn Beck's Headline News program for an hour-long interview. The former appearance was part of the campaign's strategy to inform young voters and former Ron Paul supporters about the campaign. During the interview with Colbert, Barr was asked why he "voted for the PATRIOT Act"[36] if he was such a "big advocate of personal privacy."[36] He responded by saying that the Bush Administration "went back on everything they told us [in Congress] they would do with the PATRIOT Act."[36] In early June, the campaign dealt with the issue of racism when a white supremacist group posted a Barr endorsement on Stormfront, urging whites to vote for the "best man" rather than the "liberal" John McCain.[37] The Barr campaign repudiated this endorsement. Campaign manager Russ Verney stated, "We do not want and will not accept the support of haters. Tell the haters I said don't let the door hit you in the backside on the way out." He emphasized that "anyone with love in their heart for our country and for every resident of our country regardless of race, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation is welcome with open arms."[38]

Barr at a Libertarian Meetup in June 2008

Although the campaign garnered $300,000 in donations by June 28, Barr had yet to hold a campaign fundraiser or film television advertisements.[39]

On June 30, Barr appeared on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. He described his qualms with the presumptive Republican nominee, and said "John McCain is symptomatic of what's wrong with the Republican Party in these first years of the 21st century. They talk one thing but do something different."[40] When asked if he agreed that McCain would be a better choice than Barack Obama, he responded that it was "a mixed bag"[40] and that "Senator Obama clearly is much better [on] civil liberties and privacy issues"[40] but that he "would favor a more expansive federal spending policy."[40] Barr opined that "neither of these candidates is talking about the deep cuts in government spending and returning power to the people."[40] He identified the Republican Party's position on FISA legislation as his biggest aversion to the party. When confronted with opinion polls that showed the candidate with 3% in the presidential race, Barr explained that the numbers would increase in the following weeks, announcing that his campaign would be launched "full-time" on July 4.[40]

Barr launched his "full-time" campaign at Atlanta's Fourth of July parade, where the city celebrated the opening of the Millennium Gate arch. Democratic Congressman John Lewis spoke alongside Barr at the dedication.[41]

The next week, Barr appeared on Fox News, where he criticized the United States Treasury Department's plan to help Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. His opposition was based on the government's use of taxpayer money to credit the enterprises, explaining that "the taxpayers of this country are being put at further risk."[42] But Barr did state that "doing nothing would not be advisable"[42] and that the government "has to do something."[42] He explained that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must be restructered.[42] Barr was criticized by some Libertarians for these remarks.

Bob Barr discussing Iran

During a visit to Austin for a fundraiser, Barr made a surprise appearance at the July 19 Netroots Nation convention. The candidate remarked at the meeting of progressive bloggers that "there are a lot of libertarians here, [and] a lot of [Barr] supporters."[43] His presence was acknowledged by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who observed that "Bob Barr – even Bob Barr – opposed" the domestic spying bill that she was discussing.[43] On July 23, CNN polling placed Barr at 3% in a four-way race, while Zogby placed Barr at 6%.[35] He polled at 8% in Georgia, Colorado, Iowa, and Minnesota, and at 9% in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Nevada. Surveys in New Hampshire put Barr at 10%.[44]

In August, Barr spoke at the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps' protest during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Approximately a dozen individuals were in attendance at the event. Former Republican candidates Tom Tancredo and Alan Keyes also attended the event, which organizers called a success.[45] Barr presented a "common sense"[46] approach to the issue by promising to put an end to birthright citizenship and public education for illegal immigrants, while supporting an increase in green cards. Claremont McKenna College professor John Pitney argued that the candidate was sending mixed messages since "the Libertarian Party essentially supports open borders," and was unlikely to gain the support of anti-immigration activists.[46] A Zogby poll released on August 15, 2008 indicated that most Republicans and Democrats wanted Barr included in the presidential debates. The poll also indicated that nearly 70% of independent voters would have liked to see him included.[47]

As September began, commentator Greg Pierce of The Washington Times noted that the "grass-roots enthusiasm for [Barr's] candidacy seems to have faded a bit in the wake of individualist Governor Sarah Palin joining the Republican ticket."[48]

Bob Barr speaks in October 2008.

It was announced at a press conference on September 10, 2008 that former Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul would give his open endorsement to Constitution Party nominee Chuck Baldwin, Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney, independent Ralph Nader, and Barr, in opposition to the Republican and Democratic Parties' nominees.[55] Barr chose not to attend the event, and his name was not included in the final statement released by the other candidates.[56] Paul had previously made favorable comments about Barr's campaign, leaving the candidate to feel that he alone should have received the endorsement. Later that day, it was revealed that Barr had earlier offered the Libertarian vice-presidential nomination to Paul, via a letter. The letter stated that Barr's current running mate, Wayne Allyn Root, would willingly step down should Paul accept the offer. A spokesman for the Paul campaign called Barr's offer "terribly interesting",[57] but added that Paul had no intentions of running on a third party ticket.[57] Ron Paul dropped his endorsement of Barr on September 22, citing the candidate's criticism of his earlier endorsements. Paul opted to instead support Chuck Baldwin's candidacy.[58] Barr received $252,383 of donations in September,[59] which was slightly more than the $224,350 the campaign raised in August.[60]

On the dawn of the final month of campaigning, Barr appeared on National Public Radio, and discussed his political positions, including those on health care, a topic that had rarely been discussed by Barr over the course of his campaign. Barr gave his shortest response to the issue, saying that "everybody ought to be able to get health care, but that's up to them..."[61] and went on to say that "the government could be...reducing and removing the onerous regulations that actually prevent people from being able to afford health care."[61] Close to the end of the campaign, Barr's polling numbers remained stagnant. An Associated Press-GfK poll from late October placed the candidate at 1% nationally, the same figure he had stood at three weeks previously.[62]