Raising The Conservative Barr

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 | 9:54 PM

By Sarah Scully
The Left may be split right now but the Right could end up fractured down the road if Georgia's former Republican Rep. Bob Barr turns his exploratory committee into a full-blown Libertarian candidacy. With the Democratic bare-knuckle fight in its ninth round, it's been easy to forget about the disgruntled Republicans who were tearing John McCain apart even as he was claiming the nomination. Well before divided Dems threatened to vote for McCain, Republican stalwarts raged against their own frontrunner, citing a dearth of conservative bona fides. Once the dust settled however, in true elephant form, the GOP establishment seemed to line up behind their candidate in pragmatic lock step.
Enter the Libertarian Party, formerly the provenance of Ron Paul and currently a depository for the dissatisfied of any ilk- Mike Gravel has transferred his Democratic candidacy over to the LP. Traditionally in American politics, a third party vote is one that isn't expected to put someone in the White House but can cripple another candidate's chances, serving to protest their failure to adhere to a certain set of values. These values vary widely within the LP, intersecting at such issues as opposition to the war in Iraq. Barr may very well be popular enough with disapproving Republicans and right wing Libertarians to act as a Nader to McCain's Gore.