The American Spectator

Campaign Crawlers

Candidate Barr Puts McCain in His Crosshairs

By Philip Klein on 5.13.08 @ 12:08AM

(Page 2 of 2)

REPORTERS PRESSED BARR on why he was running, and if he were concerned with costing Republicans the general election. He said that if McCain doesn't win, it's because his message isn't resonating with the American people, and nobody else should be blamed.

He joked, dryly, "At the end of the day, if I do not succeed on November 4, then it's not my intent to blame Senator McCain or Senator Obama."

He also delivered another jab at McCain: "Those people who would be inclined, of which I hope there are many, to vote for Bob Barr as president, would not likely fall into the category of people who would be enthused by voting for John McCain, if such exits."

Barr said he was not taking the Libertarian nomination for granted, but remains "very confident" that he will prevail because the LP is a "political party" that wants to win and not a "debating society." Many would disagree.

In response to a question by AmSpec contributor and Investors' Business Daily correspondent Sean Higgins, Barr said the campaign did have a plan to target very specific states, although he would not share that plan publicly. If Barr, who was a board member of the National Rifle Association, could garner a few percent of conservative anti-McCain votes in swing states, he could help damage the Republican nominee.

He was evasive on the question of fundraising, saying the campaign was just starting today. But there have already been reports of difficulty during the exploratory phase of his candidacy. He has brought on Russ Verney, who served as Ross Perot's adviser in 1992 and campaign manager in 1996.

The questions regarding Barr's candidacy are whether the more temperate tone he is striking will hinder his ability to tap into the enthusiasm generated by Ron Paul's presidential run. Also, whether, if he is able to catch fire and win some media attention, his more moderate approach to foreign policy could make him a bigger threat to McCain.

This is all very debatable, but this is something worth keeping your eyes on.

Philip Klein is a reporter for The American Spectator.

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topics:
Foreign Policy, Education, John McCain, Barack Obama, Business, Earmarks, Military, Iraq, Iran, NATO, Nuclear Weapons, Energy