Wisconsin columnist considers Barr’s impact

In his column in Wisconsin’s Madison Capital Times, John Nichols asks, “Is Bob Barr Libertarian Enough?” Beneath that headline, he writes in part:

“In Wisconsin and most other states, the Libertarian Party has struggled in recent years to connect politically — not because its ideas are wrong but because so many of them are so right that they are ‘borrowed’ by Democrats and Republicans. … So the Libertarians are stuck seeking ‘big-name’ candidates who can present a reasonable sampling of their views to voters. It worked in Wisconsin in 2002, when Tomah Mayor Ed Thompson, brother of former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, ran as a reasonably consistent small ‘l’ libertarian and an exceptionally consistent good guy. Thompson won 185,000 votes for more than 11 percent of the total. Four years later, without Thompson, the party wasn’t a factor.

“This year, Libertarians think they have a national version of Thompson in former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr. … The threat Barr poses will depend on the sort of campaign he mounts. At this point, even Libertarians remain unsure of what to expect from their new nominee — and relatively new party member. … If Barr presents himself as a conservative Republican with Libertarian highlights, he won’t matter. Movement conservatives will, ultimately, rally to McCain — as they rallied behind Bush the Elder in 1988. Conversely, if Barr enters the fall competition with a campaign message that extends from Ron Paul’s renegade run for this year’s Republican nod — which attracted so much Internet energy, money and support from young idealists — he might yet be the menace that Newt Gingrich fears.”