Is Bob Barr a non-issue?

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

It amazes me that anyone considers Barr could ever be a factor.

He's not Perot and he won't get even get a small fraction of the votes Perot did.

If you ask 100 people on the street who Bob Barr is, 99 won't know and 1 won't care.

[DownWithTheLeft]

He could be a factor in some states, making them close for McCain instead of blowouts (see Alaska, Montana, etc.)

He also might just get enough of the PV so Obama wins it, while McCain romps in the EV

[MODU]

He could be an issue if McCain doesn't pick a more center-right and/or Libertarian-style VP candidate (and especially if he picks Joe-mentum).  He's a bit more well known that Badnarik was.

[Sam Spade]

To early to say, but probably not unless he gets serious funding.

[minionofmidas]

In between those two options. If forced to pick, I'll take the first one, simply because Obama'll *probably* outpoll McCain and Barr combined.

[Sam Spade]

In between those two options. If forced to pick, I'll take the first one, simply because Obama'll *probably* outpoll McCain and Barr combined.

Well, obviously if that happens, it makes no difference. 

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Yes, he's an issue.  Not a big one, but still an issue.

[Jacobtm]

After '80, all LP candidates for President have gotten from .25% to .50% of the popular vote, so even assuming that Barr's candidacy is nothing special, he could end up being important in several key states. Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Virginia all gave Badnarik around .33% in '04. With the possibility that some of these states will be very close, even someone taking such a small amount of the vote could be important. And while Barr may not surpass 1% in any of these states, even if he just got up to around .50% it could be important in a very close state.

Of course, this only matters in a race where many states are very close, but there've been enough cases in recent years where states when for one candidate by less than 1% to assume that he could matter.

[YRABNNRM]

Yes. His impact will be less than minimal at most.

[Frodo]

No -I think Bob Barr will be the Ralph Nader of 2008.  Though, I doubt that he will have to endure the opprobrium heaped onto him that Nader has since 2000. 

[Ronnie]

People who are voting Bob Barr weren't going to vote for McCain anyway.

[CARLHAYDEN]

It amazes me that anyone considers Barr could ever be a factor.

He's not Perot and he won't get even get a small fraction of the votes Perot did.

If you ask 100 people on the street who Bob Barr is, 99 won't know and 1 won't care.

GM, 

The votes the Libertarian candidate will receive this year will largely be from conservatives who cannot stand the dishonest slimebag McCain!  So, basically, people don't have to "know" him, other than to know he's not McCain, and represents generally accepted conservative values (McCain doesn't).

[Jake]

represents generally accepted conservative values

This being the problem if he has very little name recognition.

[Ronnie]

It amazes me that anyone considers Barr could ever be a factor.

He's not Perot and he won't get even get a small fraction of the votes Perot did.

If you ask 100 people on the street who Bob Barr is, 99 won't know and 1 won't care.

GM, 

The votes the Libertarian candidate will receive this year will largely be from conservatives who cannot stand the dishonest slimebag McCain!  So, basically, people don't have to "know" him, other than to know he's not McCain, and represents generally accepted conservative values (McCain doesn't).

I'll tell you right now that libertarians are not conservatives.  Conservatives know that a vote for Barr is a vote for Obama, and aren't going to consider it; and in the end they will hold their nose and vote for McCain.  Sure, Barr might get some libertarian leaning Ron Paul type supporters (that probably didn't vote for Bush anyway), but I don't buy that he will bite into the conservative base.

[CARLHAYDEN]

represents generally accepted conservative values

This being the problem if he has very little name recognition.

Let me try to be more clear.

In this particular case, id is not important.

He's NOT McCain.

Further, his id is higher among those persons most likely to vote for him.

[Alcon]

Further, his id is higher among those persons most likely to vote for him.

Insightful.

[Stranger in a strange land]

It largely depends on how much money he can raise and how much he can get his name out there.

[SPC]

Anyone who puts Georgia's 15 EVs into play should be taken seriously.

[Governor PiT]

I think combined Barr and Baldwin could poll about 3-5%. the majority of ron paul supporters I know would never vote for a globalist slime bag like McCain. though they Barr and Baldwin could still poll some votes away from him in swing states with libertarian leanings like Colorado.

[NOVA Green]

I wouldn't mind seeing Barr, Nader, and Mckinney in the debates however

[YRABNNRM]

Anyone who puts Georgia's 15 EVs into play should be taken seriously.

Well it's a good thing that we don't have to take Barr seriously then.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Bob Barr is the biggest overhyped candidate since Fred Thompson. There's no way he's getting 3-5% in any state except maybe Alaska. He'll be lucky to get 5% in his old district. As far as I know, he has limited funds, so what on earth is he going to do? Disgruntled Conservatives aren't going to flock to the polls to vote for Bob Barr, and Ron Paul voters only love Ron Paul, not the libertarian party.

[Erc]

Unless he starts consistently polling above 3% in polls outside GA, he deserves no more thought or consideration than any of the jokes who ran in '04.

[Ronnie]

Unless he starts consistently polling above 3% in polls outside GA, he deserves no more thought or consideration than any of the jokes who ran in '04.

IMO, any independent candidacy (other than Perot) is a joke.

I really wonder if Bob Barr thinks he has a chance at winning.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Unless he starts consistently polling above 3% in polls outside GA, he deserves no more thought or consideration than any of the jokes who ran in '04.

IIRC, Nader polled 3-5% in nationwide polls when he was included in 2004 polls. It's really hard to gage how Barr will do in this election, but if it's anything like 2004, he won't get anywhere near what he is polling. State polls that show him with 6-8% are trash.