Ron Paul vs. Bob Barr
Bob Barr decided to take Ron Paul down a peg and started an incredible ruckus in the smallest pond imaginable — the vacuum of third party politics. The tragic thing is that third parties are marginalized because the two main parties joined forces and passed laws that shut out all other parties, leaving those of us who actually study the political process (and don’t derive our identity from who we follow) with the choice of shit and shittier.
The silencing of alternative voices allows special interests to concentrate their contributions among a few candidates, effectively allowing the powerful to control the process — and those who object are labeled with an ostensibly pejorative “not mainstream” (in my view a badge of honor, if not an immediate qualification.)
Ron Paul attempted to address this state of affairs recently with a National Press Club conference, and managed to get representatives from each of the third parties.
Video: Ron Paul at the National Press Club
Barr promised to show, stood Paul up and had his people pass out info about his own, competing conference. It was rude, and caused a picayune dust up that has divided libertarians and led to some pretty horrible nastygrams being hurled about on the various libertarian websites.
Amazingly, Barr later pinguidly claimed that his action was proof of leadership and of his ability to unify the party. What has been the most disheartening hasn’t been Barr’s actions — what did we expect from this Piltdown Man anyway — but rather the posts made by his supporters. Make no mistake, Paul’s supporters have left their share of less than kindly suggestions, but Barr’s supporters left the impression of downright meanness on par with the most amenable of Gulianni’s blackshirts. It got so horrible even the Washington Post mentioned the affair.
The result? A group of concerned voters who actually care more about the fate of this nation than about being on the winning team are furiously bickering about who is the most righteous minnow in a fast evaporating puddle.
One is tempted to weep, but I decided to cling to my bitter cynicism instead, and in a fit of pique posted the following on Barr’s website:
This is wonderful! The Washington Post actually noticed we exist! Paul and Barr are total geniuses, you can’t buy publicity like this. Everyone is so energized to defend their chosen hero, these two sure know how to whip the troops into a frenzy (and just when their herd of cats seemed about to drift off into the unregimented individuality they claim to cherish, too.) I’m proud of all of you. Watching all you freedom loving individualists beat the hell out of each other for refusing to conform to each others party line . . . all that passion makes the heart swell with pride and hope for our cause. Unity is for suckers — divide yourselves behind a hero today!
Didn’t do any good of course, and I’m not sure what will. There has to be some way for freedom lovers to come together in common cause, its not like we have anything to lose.