In the latest print edition of The Economist, U.S. political affairs columnist “Lexington” considers the ramifications of a “dysfunctional minor party” running “a grumpy ex-Republican” for president, saying Bob Barr’s campaign may turn out to be more than “just another quirk in the quirky history of the Libertarian Party.”
The piece is generally critical of both Barr and the LP, saying Barr is “most famous for his poor judgment and sour temper,” and that the LP “is one of the perennial jokes of American politics.” Lexington also takes a dig at Wayne Allyn Root, “the author of a self-help book entitled ‘The Joy of Failure!'” Still, Lexington says Barr “could do particularly well in his native Georgia and the libertarian-leaning West,” which could hurt John McCain “badly in states like Colorado and Nevada, which he needs to hold on to.”
In other Barr-related news, Gay City News says Barr, who “authored one of the most insidious obstacles to gay rights progress in America,” has “now abandoned his earlier war on gay marriage,” a change that columnist Don McKee of Georgia’s Marietta Daily Journal is skeptical about. Also, the Newburyport News of Massachusetts talks with New Hampshire LP Chairman Brendan Kelly about the Denver convention.