Writes Texas CPA and libertarian political analyst Mike Holmes: “Here is my brief take on Ron Paul and the third party option. First, as we both know, third parties suck. Their leadership is poor generally and even the best of the lot, the LP, will have to spend millions to get on all 50 state ballots. Ron has a decent chance of cobbling together a run on the LP or the LP and others, including independent candidacy, but a lot of resources go down the ballot access rat hole and other legal obstacles.
“Second, third party candidates get no respect. Even Perot and John Anderson, while given more attention then they deserved, ultimately were given freak show treatment. With a possible Bloomberg independent effort, some fourth candidate would be left in Siberia.“Third, Ron and his ideas get far more mainstream attention and respect as a GOP primary candidate. In the big picture, long view of things, libertarians have to leave the ghetto and step up to the Big Leagues. While the GOP is hardly more than a collection of addled gangsters, it is nonetheless a major step forward for us to hear Ron Paul in GOP debates and campaign venues advance these ideas as a Republican. The exposure is better and the perceived impact is far greater.
“Fourth and finally, the Romney flake-out signals a new correlation of forces. Ron’s percentages will only go up and while the Official Punditry will want to coronate McCain, as long as Huck and Ron hang tough the battle continues. Ron can concentrate this attack on foreign policy and the 100 Year War as well as the financial meltdown and government bankruptcy. He will only garner more attention and sharpen the contrast. Ron has a lot to say about the economy as well as the war (and other ideas) and the truth here will stand in shining contrast to McCain’s foolish blather.
“Let the LP run Bob Barr. Let Ron battle on until the convention. I think between now and then there may be a lot of loose delegates, previously committed to vanished candidates, who may gravitate towards Ron. This is a Long March, no time to jump ship into the third party lifeboat.
“Plus, McCain could self destruct either by foolish commentary or behavior or medical issues. This guy is one bad day away from being gone.
“Keep the pressure on. Our goal is to recapture the Republican Party, and in the long run that can only be done by playing in their sandbox and vexing the bad guys as long as possible.
“Those of us who’ve been there don’t ever want to return to the LP et al.”
2:39 pm on February 7, 2008 Email Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
