Bob Barr Rejects Racist Donations
The 2008 Libertarian Nominee Does what Ron Paul Would Not
Jun 2, 2008
As a result of the Ron Paul campaign, some libertarians have had to battle the charge of racism. Bob Barr, 2008 Libertarian Party nominee, is looking to settle that issue once and for all. Barr has rejected the donations of known racist organizations, something that Republican, libertarian-leaning candidate Ron Paul would not do.
Libertarian political philosophy is not inherently racist, but over the past decades, racists have been drawn to it. Consider the controversy surrounding Ron Paul's campaign, which was steaming along at breakneck speed until old Ron Paul newsletters were released in which a ghostwriter had contributed racist remarks. Similarly, Ron Paul's campaign, already plenty wealthy from the "money bomb" days (he still has over $4 million of that left over!) refused to return a donation from Stormfront, a "White Nationalist Community."
Ron Paul's Principled Libertarianism
Ron Paul is running (yes, still running) as a Republican who wants to pull the party back toward Barry Goldwater's libertarianism. He is a principled man who sticks to his libertarianism even when it's unpopular. For example, when the vote came before Congress to award Rosa Parks a medal, he was the only one who voted against it. Why? Because Congress isn't authorized to spend taxpayer's money on things like that. Instead, he offered to pull $100 out of his own pocket to pay for the award, which he fully believed Rosa Parks deserved; and he invited his fellow Congressmen and women to do the same. They did not.
Ron Paul and the Racists
Paul's reason for not rejecting Stormfront's donation was based in his libertarian principles: he wasn't going to tell people what to think, and he wasn't going to research every donor to make sure their ideologies were correct. He basically said, "Better the racists' money be in my hands than in their own, because I won't do racist things with it." Nevertheless, this unwillingness to reject known racist donations, even while rejecting their ideology, muddied the waters of an already murky past. The newsletter controversy was bound to break. Libertarianism, because of its emphasis on individualism and freedom, is much like Paul - unwilling, on principle, to force people into certain ideologies. Some corners of libertarianism then become attractive to racists, even though the main players in the libertarian movement are appalled by racism. David Duke demonstrated enthusiastic support for Ron Paul's campaign.
Bob Barr Bars the Racists
Despite Paul's attempt at a principled stance, there should be no refuge for racism, because it undermines freedom. The Libertarian Party's 2008 nominee, Bob Barr, is rejecting any and all racists, along with their money, as reported by David Weigel of Reason Magazine:
"The Barr campaign is not going to be a vehicle for every fringe and hate group to promote itself. We do not want and will not accept the support of haters. Anyone with love in their heart for our country and for every resident of our country regardless of race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation is welcome with open arms.
Tell the haters I said don't let the door hit you on the backside on your way out!"
This is a welcome point of view, and it will accomplish what Paul's campaign did not: a libertarian break from racism in the public eye. Once again: libertarianism is not racist. But if it's perceived as such, it will have difficulty breaking into the mainstream political discourse to become a viable third party choice.
Related Articles
Ron Paul Supporters for Bob Barr
 |
