Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate for President, made a stop in Denver Friday to talk candidly about liberty, the future of his party, and his strategy for winning votes in Colorado.
BarrFTS Staff Photo
Much like a Barack Obama or John McCain rally, the major focus was on tearing down the competition. Barr, a former Republican congressman, criticized GOP Vice Presidential contender Sarah Palin for her lack of experience and refusal to directly answer questions from the media. The tone of the gathering, however, was much more low key than even a McCain town hall meeting. The setting was intimate as Barr comfortably paced the stage before a crowd the crowd of about 50 gathered in a University of Denver lecture hall.
Decreasing reliance on foreign oil, opposing the $700 billion financial sector bailout, and a strong defense were among the topics Barr discussed, while also taking time to explain the Libertarian platform. He dispelled myths that Libertarians are anarchists and affirmed the need for laws. “We have a right to invest money that will be spent lawfully and without fraud,” he said, adding that there is a place for SEC regulations and government.
But he went on to condemn the expansion of presidential power over the last century. “The job of the president is to expand liberty - to protect liberty - not take it away from us.”
Barr was not shy about admitting that his campaign is targeting disgruntled Republicans, independent voters who are predisposed to voting Republican, Reagan Democrats and young voters. He wouldn’t say whether his campaign would hurt McCain’s bid for president.
Javier Womeldorff, an unaffiliated voter and DU graduate student, was intrigued by aspects of the Libertarian platform and drawn by the novelty of hearing a presidential candidate speak. But he wasn’t sold on voting for Barr - or any third party - after seeing him. “There are other third parties that I tend to agree with more, but I worry that supporting them would hinder a candidate more favorable to me.”
Barr disagrees that supporting a third party is a wasted vote. “Voting for the Republicans or Democrats is really throwing your vote away because nothing will change under them,” he said, as he urged people to demand more from the candidates.
Barr will appear on the ticket in 47 states and recently refused to debate other third party candidates, whom he deems less effective than the Libertarians when it comes to shaping policy.