Via Marc Ambinder, here's the first strategy memo put out by Bob Barr's campaign manager:
FROM: Russ Verney Campaign Manager, Bob Barr '08
TO: Friends and Associates
RE: Political Assessment
DATE: May 19, 2008These days, politics seems to revolve around polling and predictions. I'm not convinced it's the best use of anyone's time — especially for someone like me who's spent his whole life in full-time campaign activities — but consider this outline :
early October: 7% in national surveys
Mid October: wins televised Presidential debate
late October: 12% in national surveys
election day: captures 19% of national voteThat's what happened in a previous election I was involved with: Ross Perot in 1992. That could have been the case with Ron Paul if he had opted to run on a third party ticket.
I believe former Congressman Bob Barr has the same potential. Maybe better. Don't be mislead, however: I am no cheerleader by nature. But I do agree with our Senior Policy Advisor, Doug Bandow, in an e-mail I received from him yesterday: [# More #]
"I've just read the early polling data and your election game plan — phenomenal. Congressman Barr is poised to have a huge impact on the public policy debates and political history. His will be no ordinary presidential campaign."
That's not going to happen without your involvement, but at this point I'm asking you to just to think about participating and to mull over the following ... November 4th is light years away. In terms of laying the foundation for a dynamic and influencial campaign, the pieces for Barr 2008 are already in place. Consider ...
America is swamped in Libertarian information:
Congressman Ron Paul's new book is the number one best-seller in the nation according to the New York Times
Neal Boortz has 4,000,000 radio listeners daily
On TV, John Stossel broadcasts such opinions as: "I am a libertarian in that I believe in limited government and as much individual freedom as possible."Finally, you may not have heard this from many media pundits, but nearly 130,000 people — 16% of the Republican primaary turnout in Pennsylvania — got out of their easy chairs and voted for Ron Paul and against John McCain ... that was after John McCain had won the nomination.
Politically and ideologically, Bob Barr is plowing fertile ground.
It will take an articulate candidate and a powerful message to build the meaning of the Libertarian messages voters are receiving. We have both in the Barr 2008 campaign.
That's why we need your participation: your investment of time, talent, and financial resources is vital as the campaign builds, from the ground floor, the alternative to politics-as-usual.