...why did Bob Barr get only 525,000 votes, versus the 2 to 3 million he was well on his way to garnering?
Two words:
SARAH PALIN!
Ryan Christiano, top staffer for John McCain for President confirmed to me in an email when directly asked 3 months after the campaign ended, that "yes" Sarah Palin was picked largely to appeal to "libertarian voters," and to ward off Bob Barr.
Recall Barr was polling 5 to 6% in Zogby way up til late August.
So Sarah was very attractive to libertarian leaning voters. And if you believe the numbers she added 4 to 5% to McCain's totals. That is not insignificant.
Look at the numbers for the Presidential race. Obama got just short of 53%. McCain got just shy of 46% of the vote. Now imagine the attitude of The WON if McCain had been down around 41 or 42%. He has been insufferable already. With that kind of difference the Zer∅ would have been impossible.
Sorry, but Dondero knows about as much about libertarianism as Paris Hilton knows about string theory.
I think a better explanation is "Palin appealed to Republican leaning voters who didn't like McCain."
Joe R. · November 3, 2009 12:08 AM
Joe,
Dondero understands more about libertarian theory and practice than you and I put together. And I was Secretary/Treasurer of my local Libertarian Club (Rockford, Illinois) for three years (because the locals thought I was knowledgeable and committed).
I left the Libs for the same reason Dondero left them - insane foreign policy.
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Don?t bang your head!
Sorry, but Dondero knows about as much about libertarianism as Paris Hilton knows about string theory.
I think a better explanation is "Palin appealed to Republican leaning voters who didn't like McCain."