“A vote for Bob Barr — you might as well vote for Barack Obama,” says House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio. “If you want to throw your vote away, that’s fine. But that’s what it would be.”
Boehner’s remarks — which eerily echo the Democrat smears against Henry Wallace in 1948 and Ralph Nader in 2000 — came in response to a question about Barr posed by Reason associate editor, Dave Weigel.
does the House GOP Leader have any polling data to back up his assertion?
I’ve seen polls that said Barr pulled evenly (within the margin of error) from McCain and Obama.
I’ve also seen polls where Obama is polling 15% better than McCain among (small “l”) libertarians.
And Obama has a better shot at anti-war, anti-incumbant, and 9/11 Truth voters.
It should also be pointed out that McCain has made no attempt to “reach out” to Barr voters or Ron Paul voters.
Message to the Barr Campaign and Stephen Gordon >>> Please get on this thing, this is the major attack being used against Barr and Libertarians at this time, the Polls are again being used as a weapon against us!
“And Obama has a better shot at … 9/11 Truth voters.”
Don’t tell that to sunshinebatman, who thinks CIA man Barr is a closeted truther.
I have been somewhat surprised that I have not heard any news of Republican lawyers working to keep Barr off ballots the like Democrats did Nader in ’04? And I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere abt lawyers all being Democrats.
But Boehner’s point was that conservatives who choose Barr over McCain are “wasting their votes” or “might as well vote for Obama,” not that Barr could hurt McCain. Boehner doesn’t need any polling data to make the statement he made — he just needs to be an a-hole.
I think Bob Barr is a pretty good candidate for conservatives, and I hope they vote for him instead of McCain.
“Don’t tell that to sunshinebatman, who thinks CIA man Barr is a closeted truther.”
Barr is weak on 9/11 Truth, but I will still vote for him because the Libertarian Party is the best party out there on the Drug War, income taxes, war, and 9/11 Truth.
There are tons of libertarian 9/11 Truthers out there. Obama will pull more of them than McCain:
74.1% of Libertarians are LIHOP (page 6)
http://www.zogby.com/za0911.pdf
FYI
LIHOP = Let It Happen On Purpose
I really find it disgusting that a Congressional leader can use the term “throw your vote away”. I’ve heard friends use that every chance they get, now I know who feeds it.
Fuck it.
My answer to the wasted vote question – posted last week.
http://kclibertarian.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-answer-to-wasted-vote-question.html
Nice one, Rob.
The Republican Party has never tried to keep any minor party or independent presidential candidate off the ballot, in any state, in its whole history. It has tried to keep off certain candidates for office other than president, but never a presidential candidate. Only Democrats do that.
I find that surprising.
Maybe arrogance on their part? Maybe they’d just rather discredit someone rather than take them down.
But they have tried to keep people off the ballot for races under president, right? i.e. competitors.
“A vote for Bob Barr — you might as well vote for Barack Obama”
Even accepting the two-party “wasted vote” argument (a pretty big concession) this isn’t true. Voting for Barr adds to neither Obama’s or McCain’s vote total, thus not helping either of them win. Voting for Obama most obviously does add to his vote total.
Let’s say every vote in the nation but yours is counted, and it comes to: Obama – 50,000,000, McCain – 50,000,000, Barr – 1,000,000. If you vote for Obama, he wins the popular vote. If you vote for Barr, Obama and McCain are still tied. Clearly, these two actions are not equivalent.
Voting for Barr isn’t more damaging to McCain’s vote totals than simply staying home.
Another inane comment from another inane republican.
A vote for a democrat or a republican is a vote in opposition to free elections, in favor of stupid wars, in favor of spending our grandchildrens futures like drunken Kennedy’s and a vote in favor of homo-erotic torture.
At least when I vote, I don’t feel like I need a shower afterward.
PEACE
Steve
“At least when I vote, I don’t feel like I need a shower afterward.”
Who can I vote for to not feel that way?
John Boehner is a fucking idiot, and that’s all I have to say about that ( not that I care for Barr too much either).
I can think of a lot of GOOD things that make me need a shower afterward.
“Only Democrats do that.”
Thank you, Richard. I suspected as much.
I think it’s more accurate to say “only Democrats have done that.” The way Richard says it implies that Republicans are, as a race, somehow above the practice. That’s laughable.
Indeed.
I live in Ohio. Former Secretary of State Blackwell (a republican) was no friend of LP ballot access.
PEACE
Steve
Though I won’t be voting for Barr/W.A.R., I will say that these comments by Boehner are typical of what we hear from the D’s and R’s every election cycle.
The fundamental problem with statements like these is that the premise is that the major parties only, deserve your vote . . . as if they “own” your vote. Heck, every person’s vote is their own, to use or not use as each sees fit.
See, libertarians understand this like they understand private property . . . Mises was famous for his statements tha private property means that the owner uses, and disposes of the property as he or she sees fit.
One more piece of evidence that D’s and R’s just don’t get it.
What sort of answer was Dave Weigel expecting? Something open-minded, direct, maybe even fair? Puh-leaze……
What a pathetic way to try to get votes for McCain by Boehner. Sorry, it won’t work with me.
I am voting for Barr. Obama has not earned my vote and my vote won’t raise his election numbers. As long as my vote is counted, it is not thrown away.
Rep. Boehner is just doing what every good party hack does. That does not make it right or truthful but what the hell, that’s what they do. He hasn’t swayed me. I still will not be voting for McCain (or Obama).
In WA a Republican has created one of the most draconian ballot access laws in history. I speak of Sam Reed, of course.
It doesn’t apply to the Presidential race, but all other elections are now subject to “top-two” voting that effectively bans third parties from the ballot. Anyone is allowed to run in the primary, but only the top two finishers are allowed to appear in the general election.
Even the Republicans and Democrats vehemently opposed this measure, as it stripped them of their power to nominate their own candidates. It also allows two Republicans or two Democrats to be the only options in the general election.
See here.