The Libertarian Party national ticket needs to concentrate on bluish-purple states, not red states.
When Bob Barr, Libertarian Party candidate for President, announced his candidacy in Georgia within this last week he stated, "We can't be everywhere that we want to be right off the bat, so we are going to be hitting those states where we have the greatest likelihood of having as much preliminary impact as possible."
Although it is understandable that any third party candidate might think this way and hope to run up his percentage in political polls, a counter-intuitive approach might be much better for the long term success of libertarian ideas.
In order to understand the counter-intuitive approach, it is necessary to recognize that, like it or not, the grass roots Republican Party (don't think George Bush) is much more an ally to libertarianism than the Democratic Party. Let's put it this way: the Nolan Chart is flawed. It does not differentiate between the dedicated and determined socialistic slavery the Democratic Party would foist on Americans as opposed to the misguided slavery the Republican Party would allow.
Dedicated and determined is far more dangerous than misguided. Dedicated and determined is closed-minded to reality, not even willing to accept proof right in front of open eyes when such proof contradicts preconceived ideas. Misguided is quite a few degrees more open-minded, willing to finally admit mistakes if the proof is obvious.
Said another way: many Republican politicians are fools, but almost all Democrat politicians have sold their souls to Karl Marx. There is a world of difference in underlying motivation.
Yet Bob Barr knows he can get more votes in historically Republican areas, so that's where he plans to campaign.
Political observers challenged Barr: "Your candidacy could put Georgia and other typically Republican states in play for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and help cost U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the election." Does anyone remember Bill Clinton in the White House for two terms because Ross Perot ran twice?
Rather than stopping to deeply consider the implications of such a possibility, Bob Barr cavalierly brushed it off: "Anybody that is already predicating a reason for John McCain to be losing and looking for an excuse probably does not have a real good feel for the election," he said. "Or maybe they do; maybe they already anticipate losing. But it's just way too early to be drawing conclusions like that."
Hm.... Sounds like McCain talk, or maybe Obama talk. What ever happened to being honest about what you are doing?
Libertarians derive enormous ego-gratification from considering themselves "spoilers." Every common sense American recognizes the immature teenager-like reaction: "If I can't get what I want, I'll ruin it for someone else ... even if in the process I ruin it for EVERYONE." Taken to it's extreme, this attitude is a death wish ... hardly new for the Libertarian Party.
Let's face it, if Bob Barr makes a good showing in a couple Republican states, it proves nothing and accomplishes nothing. The media would yawn and say, "that's what anyone would have expected." The liberal elite would yawn. The country would yawn. No story. No publicity. No progress.
On the other hand, what would happen if Bob Barr decided to campaign heavily not in historically Republican states but in bluish-purple swing states where Obama has narrow leads in polls?
Causing McCain discomfort is unbecoming petty vindictiveness. Causing Obama to lose his cool and drop his facade in public ... is dynamite!
Is there a state or two where 1% of the vote for Bob Barr could save America from being pushed off the cliff into a deep chasm of socialism, stagflation, and misery under Obama? Is there a state in which Barr could show not only Republicans, but Democrats, the mainstream media, and all other elements of the intellectual elite that libertarians have ideas which are actually power to be reckoned with?
Is there a state where Bob Barr could cause enough grief to liberals to warrant infinitely more coverage by the liberal media than he could ever get in Republican areas? Could Bob Barr pulling construction worker votes in closely contested Ohio, for example, result in the Libertarian Party finally be taken truly seriously?
Think about it. Open your mind to counter-intuitive possibilities ... and allow mental pictures to form which you might have been previously blocking. Maybe you'll get lucky and see the Libertarian Party being lifted higher than ever.
Speaking of "lifting higher", for the last election year we studied (1998) some of the highest percentage of votes for Libertarian Party candidates were for candidates who had been studying free of charge the lessons of: Course in Political Miracles
If you are a freedom lover interested in winning politics be sure to see: Course in Political Miracles
For a great discussion on Christianity vs. State Socialism see: Christianity vs. State Socialism
“I did not understand what made me free, nor what my freedom is, nor where to look to find it. Father, I have searched in vain until I heard Your Voice directing me. Now I would guide myself no more. For I have neither made nor understood the way to find my freedom. But I trust in You. You Who endowed me with my freedom as Your holy Son will not be lost to me. Your Voice directs me." (Prayer from A Course in Miracles)
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