The Barr Effect

On last Sunday the Libertarian Party held their convention in Denver and former Republican Congressman Bob Barr captured the Libertarian nomination for President of the United States.Former Congressman Barr is from Georgia and is conservative in every sense of the word (he lead the effort to have former President Clinton impeached).He eventually would start to vocally criticize President Bush for the conduction of the war and for the controversial Patriot Act (he voted for it before he voted against it).He lost his congressional seat in 2003 and after his congressional district was gerrymandered(1) to death.He joined the Libertarian Party in 2006. He left the Republican Party due to out of control spending,and the conduct of the war.He grew further disenchanted with the GOP(2) after revelations of the CIA Wiretaps were made public.

Former Congressman Barr is rumored to be on the ballot in perhaps 48 states.He is not expected to actually win (we have a two party system and both Senators McCain and Obama appear very strong).He [Barr] could be very pivotal in his home state of Georgia.The Obama campaign has made claims that Senator Obama can change the electoral map if he is the Democratic nominee.Some people buy it and others think its wishful thinking.Some have suggested that the Obama campaign can perhaps be more competitive in the South.In the Democratic Primaries Senator Obama has won Alabama,Georgia,Mississippi,North Carolina and South Carolina.There is no metric to indicate that Senator Obama can actually win these states in a general election.However,any political observer can make the case that Senator Obama could give Senator McCain and the GOP real worries about the South.The South has a very high concentration of African Americans.The Obama campaign has been very aggressive in their Get Out the Vote Campaign.Registering new voters has become a hallmark of the Obama campaign.Obama's base of support thus far has been African Americans,young voters,people that have 4 year degrees, and those that make over $50,000 a year.

If the Obama campaign can increase voter turnout in young people and register more African Americans than he could have a legitimate shot at the South.Especially in the State of Georgia, the home state of former Congressman Bob Barr.The Libertarian Party syphons off votes from the GOP (the Libertarian Party is a poor mans Green Party). Congressman Barr could be what Ralph Nader is to the Democrats.The GOP is demoralized right now and voter turnout in the Republican Primaries have been much lower than the Democratic Primaries.The Barr Effect could prove very crucial in a close general election.

(1)Gerrymandered-Gerrymandering is a form of redistricting in which electoral district or constituency boundaries are manipulated for electoral advantage.

(2)GOP-The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. It is often referred to as the Grand Old Party or the GOP.