Thursday, May 15, 2008

Bob Barr and the Libertarians.

What's kind of amusing is how many people who aren't going to vote for Col. Tighe because he's "not a real conservative" and they're sick of "choosing the lesser of two evils" are going to pull the lever for Bob "Daddy State" Barr because he's supposedly had some kind of Road-To-Damascus experience and weaseled his way into the Libertarian party.

Of course, what makes this doubly ironic is that, as anyone who's read Reason magazine for more than eight years knows, big-L libertarianism has been overrun by folks who don't know anything more about libertarian politics other than that they hate Chimpy McHitlerburton and the Iraq War and they don't want to be Democrats because that's what Mom and Dad are, and besides, the Clintons are such squares. Now these former Rage Against The Machine-listening WTO protesters are going to be voting for anti-porn, anti-gay, anti-drug Bob Barr. It's almost too delicious for words.

I'm starting my own fricking political party. And to keep idiot suckweasels out, I'm closing the enrollment right after I sign up, so everyone else can piss off.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you ought to leave it open to everyone you approve of on the sole understanding that membership is solely at your discretion, is revocable for no particular reason other than "I said so", etc...

We could call it the "Empress Party"

Tam for Empress!
We bow before your dread power!

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking "monarchy"

Anonymous said...

If you swear on a stack of 1911's that you'll implement your presidential platform from earlier, I'd vote for you even if I wasn't an Empress Party Member.

T said...

Barr still has to win the LP nomination. There's a lot of discussion amongst the real LP members (i.e. people who've been members for more than two years, unlike Barr) whether he'll help the party or hurt it. Just because he's the only guy anybody outside the LP has ever heard of doesn't mean he'll get the nod.

Tam said...

True, it's not a given yet, but it would hardly be the first time that the nat'l LP presidential spot was hijacked in order to give it to someone that could swell the party's coffers through donations from name recognition.

Anonymous said...

Looks like I'll be writing in Ron Paul's name come November.

Chuck Pergiel said...

I'm gonna start my own party too! I jes hate them idiot suckweasels!

Anonymous said...

Went that way some years ago. I'm the charter and only member of the "Leave Me The Hell Alone" party. The platform's rather self-explanatory. Yosemite Sam mudflaps, if you will.

One of the problems with libertarianism is, as you noted, that it's become trendy. Not only are the types you mentioned "libertarians", but disenchanted neo-cons are also claiming to be libertarians as well. Hell, I damn near choked on my Red Bull when I read the 'Mad Ogre' say he was about the biggest libertarian there is (that statement was of course followed by a predictable "but").

At this point I'm hoping Yellowstone pops of. Ash zombies wanting tasty brains can't be as bad as this morass. Plus all the lard-assed internet commandos with bad knees and rifles that magically shoot .002 MOA groups at six hundred yards will keep the zombies fed for a while.

And "Empress Party"? Damn dude, they still have mail-order brides. What's the reasoning there? "I'll kiss her ass! Chicks dig a lap dog!"

Johnny said...

Ordinarily I don't vote because it appears to simply encourage politicians however I could probably go for this...
Guns and Dope Party.
Still, the way things are going over here it may soon be time to start burning down important public buildings.

Anonymous said...

Incidentally, I clearly can't spell "off". Also, if people actually want to send a message, Vote for only the state stuff and leave the federal part blank. Then go buy a box of ammunition.

Ken said...

A schism of one is the mark of the Sub-Genius....

Savyono (formerly known as Ranheru VanZant) said...

Hi Tam, new reader here. Just wondering...

It was my impression, under my very hazy grasp of libertanianism, that the only "anti-" anything a libertarian should be is "anti-intrusive-government".

Was I totally mistaken there, or does this guy just not know what the party stands for?

theirritablearchitect said...

Barr strikes me as the kind of guy who has (and given his actual history, this isn't far off) caught the wave of whatever current populism says is A-OK, and run with it.

This goes way back to his days as a Donk-in-training in the late 60's, into the War-on-Drugs in the 80's, to the "Republican Revolution" in '94.

He's an incompetant lout, who'll say or do whatever it takes to get a vote. In that regard, he's no better than that other lout, from the Ozark Long March, circa 1993-'01. Just another politician in my book.

Anonymous said...

Oldsmoblogger said...
A schism of one is the mark of the Sub-Genius....
1:30 PM, May 15, 2008


Domesticated meat ain't known for its brilliance.

Anonymous said...

"Empress Party?" Is that really the best we can come up with?

Me, I say we call it the Tamarind party. I mean, just look at the uses section.

Polish brass? I'd say that's a fair bet. Implement of corporal punishment? We've all laughed when she smacks an idjit talking about his M2 bore shotgun, or what have you. Ornamental use? I submit her People of the Gun picture. Medicinal value? Laughter is the best medicine. Lemur attractant? Well, they're a type of primate, and here's all of us happily reading this daily.

Anonymous said...

Man, you don't want lemurs. Worse than coons. Once they get in the corn crib you'd do best to just up and move, unless you've got access to a ferret wrangler and the means to pay the little meat socks in Cap'n Crunch.

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

If the people Ron Paul associated with ever became a political issue the same way Barack Hubba-Hubba Obama's unsavory associates have become a political issue, his un-crazy supporters would flee, screaming, for the emergency exits, so I can't vote for that ignernt whack-job goldbug. Pity. I want a non insane politician with libertarian political instincts to get the nod someday.

And Barr? Please. He want the Ron Paul adoring fanbase without the leg work Ron put in.

Anonymous said...

The second you attempt to run for office, a bunch of us will register as members of your party and take it over.

Then we exclude you from the party, and run some stalinist loser on the Tam ticket, while acting like clueless loons with no social skills, printing endless pamphlets, and posting pointless screeds on the internet.

OKfinethanxbye!

Anonymous said...

OA said...

Man, you don't want lemurs


I thought lemurs were Lawful Evil?

Anonymous said...

Ah! At last! A club that says up front it won't have me. I'm in!

M

Assrot said...

I've been a member of the Libertarian Party for a number of years now. I can tell you they are just as bad as the other two parties when it comes to in-fighting, grandstanding and putting idiots on the ballot.

If Bob Barr gets the nod, I'm probably going to ask if I can join the "Empress Party" before you close the membership.

I love guns. I love the USA. I love tough, smart, articulate women that aren't afraid to speak their mind. I work for what I own and always have. I have never asked for charity nor supported it. I believe in teaching a person how to make a living, not making it so they aren't required to earn their own. I mind my business and don't try to push my beliefs on anyone even though I may bluster about them from time to time. What other requirements could there be.

Tam, I think I'm falling in love with you. (That's brotherly / sisterly or maybe fatherly / daughterly love not old pervert loves young girls love.) Had to make sure we had that straight.

Later Sweetie,

Joe

:-)

Anonymous said...

Well, McGehee has been making noises about a "Get Offa My Lawn" party, at least there was a bunch of noise back in January. Maybe you could merge.

'Course Tam's prettier than he is.

Turing word: pfsuc
"Political Fools S..." Yeah.

Anonymous said...

Mad Mike for Dictator!

http://www.madmikein08.com/

This is a campaign we can all get behind.

;-)

Drang said...

Not that I ever joined, 'cause I'm just not into joining things, but I gave up on the Libertarian party when they threw guns under the bus to concentrate on being the Party to Legalize Any Drugs You Want.
It's not that I have this great desire to ban drugs, it's that it attracts an element that guarantees that any vote there is wasted, so to speak...

staghounds said...

Splitter!

Engineer-Poet said...

That is exactly what I expect of Mad Mike when he's had too much Reactor Coolant... or not enough.

I've already started the The World Can F*** Off And Die party, and no you can't join.  But I will endorse candidates of other parties if they hew to my principles.

I endorse Tam for POTUS.

SordidPanda said...

bwahahaha "Road-To-Damascus" moment indeed.

Sorry, but I've got to explain the laughter. John Ringo, a rather good pulpy sci fi author, wrote a book "The Road To Damascus" about a self aware armored fighting vehicle called a "Bolo".

I think perhaps Bob Barr is going to Bolo. "Bolo" being Army slang for "fail to qualify at the rifle range".

So I do believe that Bob Barr may not have had his "Road to Damascus" (apostle Paul reference) moment, but he will bolo (fail).