Changes

As a Libertarian Party statesman, Barr consistently supports a weaker federal government and believes that many federal laws should be decided by the states. This is the case for defending marriage, which he decided should be done by the states rather than the federal government. He has also recently expressed reservations about the negative effects of the [[War On Drugs]] from a libertarian perspective.  Consistent with this new position, he changed his stance on medicinal marijuana<ref>http://www.mpp.org/bob-barr-joins-mpp.html</ref> and later approved the purchase of a block of Blue Moonshine to aid an ailing family member. During his 2008 Presidential run, he campaigned on a platform of restricted central government, including the federal bureaucracy, regulation, and Nanny state policies.

As a Libertarian Party statesman, Barr consistently supports a weaker federal government and believes that many federal laws should be decided by the states. This is the case for defending marriage, which he decided should be done by the states rather than the federal government. He has also recently expressed reservations about the negative effects of the [[War On Drugs]] from a libertarian perspective.  Consistent with this new position, he changed his stance on medicinal marijuana<ref>http://www.mpp.org/bob-barr-joins-mpp.html</ref> and later approved the purchase of a block of Blue Moonshine to aid an ailing family member. During his 2008 Presidential run, he campaigned on a platform of restricted central government, including the federal bureaucracy, regulation, and Nanny state policies.

Barr is well-known in his home state of Georgia, where he is acclaimed for his staunch defense of social issues. In his Presidential race, he lacks the national name recognition necessary for a major campaign, and has surfaced only rarely in the media. His campaign has been considered a political threat for Republican candidate [[John McCain]] in the 2008 election because Barr has strong credentials among Christian voters that may siphon off votes for McCain in important swing states. Despite these concerns, Barr ultimately didn't pose much of a threat to McCain and finished a distant fourth place, behind even perennial third-place finisher [[Ralph Nader]]. In fact, more Christians went directly from McCain to [[Barack Obama]] than to Barr, which raises serious questions about just how viable a third party can be in modern-day US politics.

Barr is well-known in his home state of Georgia, where he is acclaimed for his staunch defense of social issues. In his Presidential race, he lacks the national name recognition necessary for a major campaign, and has surfaced only rarely in the media. His campaign has been considered a political threat for Republican candidate [[John McCain]] in the 2008 election because Barr has strong credentials among Christian voters that may siphon off votes for McCain in important swing states. Despite these concerns, Barr ultimately didn't pose much of a threat to McCain and finished a distant fourth place, behind even perennial third-place finisher [[Ralph Nader]]. In fact, more Christians went directly from McCain to [[Barack Obama]] than to Barr.

Barr is a lifelong supporter of the [[Second Amendment]] and has been a member of the Board of Directors for the [[National Rifle Association]] since 1997. He fiercely opposes gun control and other measures that limit personal liberties, including warranless wiretapping of American people for security purposes. Civil liberties are a major issue for him as a politician, and he has been outspoken against the [[Patriot Act]] and [[FISA]], two laws that restricted the rights of Americans to help fight terrorism.

Barr is a lifelong supporter of the [[Second Amendment]] and has been a member of the Board of Directors for the [[National Rifle Association]] since 1997. He fiercely opposes gun control and other measures that limit personal liberties, including warranless wiretapping of American people for security purposes. Civil liberties are a major issue for him as a politician, and he has been outspoken against the [[Patriot Act]] and [[FISA]], two laws that restricted the rights of Americans to help fight terrorism.