All Blogcritics, regardless of political affiliation, should be proud of the job Al Barger is doing running a near-vertically uphill campaign for the U.S. Senate as the Libertarian candidate from Indiana. You don't have to agree with a single one of his policy positions to see that he is doing it right, fighting the good fight - in fact, living out a key element of the American Dream: taking your considered view of how government can best serve its citizens out to those citizens and asking for their support in the cause. It is the very essence of democracy, the epitome of citizenship, and requires courage and determination.
Now Al is taking over the airwaves - to the extent his modest budget allows - with two new TV ads for his campaign, this one on social security (expanded consideration of the topic here) , and this one on the corporate welfare that is current copyright law. Though I am not a Libertarian and philosophically see a larger legitimate role for governement than he does, I'm with him 100% on this copyright mess.
Like I said, Al is honoring the process, giving it his all, and he deserves our respect and admiration as he campaigns for the votes of the citizens of Indiana.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mac Diva
Ugh! The photo is torture.
2 - jack e. jett
very cool mr. al.
i am going to start the texas homos for al barger truth.
i think what you are doing is great. i am sending right on vibes to you.
jack e. jett
3 - Eric Olsen
right on with your right on, Jack E!
4 - RJ
Real classy, Diva...
5 - Mike Kole
At least Al has a pair sufficient to use his real name and his picture. True grit.
6 - Claire Robinson
I'm proud of the job he is doing. I fall in between that Libertarian/Repubican grid so I'm all for him...I hope he takes Indiana by storm!
Claire
7 - RJ
MD won't even use her real name. No surprise she doesn't dare show her pic in public.
My theory is that she's Sister Soulja.
8 - Al Barger
Eric, thanks so much for your kind words, and Claire and Jack E (kiss, kiss[I mean that in a manly, Texan sort of way]). I do what I can with what I've got to work with.
I've been away from both television and internet for about 60 hours out on a campaign swing. Tuesday I was on WFIE, the NBC tv affiliate in Evansville, something like 250 miles from home. For one thing, it gave me a good chance to stay a couple of days with the godson who lives that direction. I'll note that the reporter cited Blogcritics.org as my main website, rather than morethings. Full write-up soon.
Then there's Diva. Stop me if you've heard this before, but sometimes I feel like we're in a really cheesy version of Do the Right Thing. I'm cast as Da Mayor, and Mac Diva as the Mother Sister.
You know, one of these days, she's going to be nice to me.
9 - Bob A. Booey
This is what I'm talking about (and what Mike Kole talks about) with issues that voters don't care about and issues that increasingly marginalize the Libertarian Party: copyright law?
That is all.
10 - bob2112
I just want to say thank you, to all responsible, for this site where opposing views are expressed without too much personal attack. One thing I have been finding is there is a few topics that just die after I write my take on the subject. (Which is always subject to change if an opposing view can reasonably counter my fleeting feelings)? Why wont any of the 'Blogcritic Superstars' challenge me to see things another way? Claire rocks! Even though we don't see eye to eye, she at least treats me like a real person. Yes, what Diva said about Al was pretty lame, but at least for a while there she stuck her neck out for what she believes in. (Some of which does not stray too far from my own views)
I grew up in Washington state, but was born in Youngstown, OH & lived in Evanston Il, Indianapolis, & Norfolk, VA before I was 10 years old. Until you get out of the Midwest, east coast & south of the US, you have not witnessed the real complexities of politics in America. All of those regions have representation in Washington State. I'm beginning to believe our state was named after the capital of the US, because it best facilitates how far we have come & need to go as an example to the rest of the country. All of the issues the eclectic bloggers on this site have relevance here. We are a swing state because we are a swing country.
I mean no disrespect to anyone but neo-cons. Please don't cut me off for not fitting into a certain belief structure. Preaching to the choir is like running in circles. You can't get any dancing done that way!
11 - Al Barger
Bob2112: Howdy! Thanks for your input at Blogcritics.
When you get the last word, that could be a lack of interest or something. However, when no one answers one of my arguments, I generally take that as an implicit concession.
Perhaps you could help me out with something here. You have beef with "neo-cons." What exactly is a neo-con? This seems to be a general term of criticism with no clear specific meaning. Could you complete this sentence stem for me?
A neo-con is someone who believes...
12 - bob2112
On an episode of Frontline, I learned about Neo-Reganites: Left over Regan Administration Staff, determined to re-apply their interpretation of 'his' policies to our society.
Neo-con is short for Neo-conservative: Retro-believers in the philosophies of William F. Buckley, Ronald Regan, & Barry Goldwater. Advocates of 'state's rights'; Trickle down economics; excessive defense spending; Strengthening faith-based social programs; Leanings towards privatization of Social Security, etc.
Neo-cons believe in turning the clock back to the 'good old days' when life wasn't about being fair. Minorities knew their place. You know, "Separate but Equal." All this 'tolerance' business is bad for business. Civil Rights are the right to use your own God-given discretion when discrimination is concerned.
Neo-cons want recreate the world in their image by force. They want their self-righteous agenda unquestioned, unopposed, & justified in the eyes of the American people. Through isolated fear-laced propaganda, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Donald Ashcroft, Donald Rumsfeld, & Paul Wolfowitz successfully perform 'Jedi mind tricks' on their 'Hawk' base Americans to the point that they can do no wrong enough to be fired. If these neo-cons can't be held accountable for their mistakes, what chance does peace have?
P.S. There is a big difference between the words tolerance & acceptance. Even more difference between acceptance & embracing.
13 - Mark Saleski
i'll take "Baiting The New Guy" for $500.
14 - bob2112
That's more like it, Mark. Bring it on!
15 - Al Barger
So then what is the difference between a "neo-con" and a plain old "conservative"? It sounds here like "neo-con" would just mean an ACTUAL conservative, as opposed to a welfare state "compassionate conservative."
If the definition of a "neo-con" is someone who likes Barry Goldwater, then I might be one of them dreaded neo-cons.
However, you're certainly loading a whole bunch of extraneous stuff on it that definitely does NOT describe me (nor Goldwater). For example, what would describe a social liberal, economic conservative who believes in a strong national defense- but also likes to encourage public discussion and debate of their positions?
I don't see where there's been any sign, in fact, of ANY of those people listed by name trying to suppress debate.
Nor would I consider Colin Powell a Goldwater conservative.
Can you break this down for me a little more?
16 - Bob A. Booey
Your mock ignorance is made more annoying but your actual ignorance.
Colin Powell is the farthest thing from a Goldwater conservative -- he believes in abortion rights, affirmative action, free speech, moderate fiscal policy, responsible internationalist foreign policy, etc. That's also why he's marginalized within this administration.
Goldwater conservatives, by definition, cannot be libertarians, and you have basically admitted you yourself are not a libertarian. First, they believe in the role of religion and state influence in determining cultural values and acceptable behavior and speech. ANY libertarian with any pride in their beliefs and in the Constitution would fight tooth and nail to keep the church and state separate and protect things like voting rights and equal access to property rights that Goldwater and the hard right of his era stood against. States' rights is a clever little euphemism these days for sanctioning prejudice -- libertarians would presumably NOT be supporters of states' rights in occasions where they created discrimination or interfered with the choices of individuals due to gender, race, sexuality. These are the "socially liberal" things you claim to believe in yet steadfastly refuse to speak in favor of and often speak against. Yet another reason your ideology is incompatible with your party affiliation.
Have some courage and speak out about the Patriot Act and other erosions of free speech and political debate in the country -- other LIBERTARIANS have done so.
Finally, for the last time, it is FUNDAMENTALLY impossible for an aggressive, bellicose military-industrial nation-state to be libertarian in any rational sense of the term. There is no such thing as a "strong national defense" libertarian, which is why no one takes your candidacy seriously. You have no credibility or strength on those issues, or in general, for that matter.
Go back to mocking the new guy and sitting in silence because your ridiculous statements have been demolished once again.
That is all.
17 - Mac Diva
I will incorporate Bob's remarks above into my brief, in their entirety.
As for the picture, Eric Olsen could have been considerate of other people and substituted a photo of Brian Flemming. Would have even gotten Al Barger some votes.
18 - Bob A. Booey
This "Bob" name thing is confusing me.
I guess since my name isn't actually Bob and I'm assuming that guy's name IS Bob, you guys can refer to me as BAB or whatever. If it's me you're quoting, feel free not to use my goofy name and refer to me as "one commenter."
That is all.
19 - RJ
Eric,
Is the policy on comments still in effect? And if it is, does it include personal attacks on a fellow BC's appearance? And if it does, then why haven't I seen MD's comments edited?
20 - Al Barger
RJ- I appreciate you standing up for me, and by rights she's probably well outside of policy.
Nonetheless, I have specifically asked Justene and Eric to give the maximum latitude to people talking against me specifically. For starters, I'm offering myself not just as a writer but as absolutely a candidate for high office. I should be held, therefore, to a higher standard, and expect harsher criticism.
On the other hand, I can't help but notice that ever lovin' Mac Diva has spent an inordinate amount of effort over time arguing how unattractive I supposedly am, and speculating about my body parts. It's almost like she was jealously trying to run other women off.
I just hope she doesn't go all Glen Close on me. I don't have rabbits anyway.
21 - RJ
No problem, Al.
The hypocrisy is what stuns me. You are out there every day, putting your money (literally) where your mouth is, placing yourself (and your rep) in the public eye in an effort to change minds, in a democratic fashion.
MD, OTOH, is cowering behind a pseudonym while personally attacking someone else in a childish manner.
I guess it's fine for Eric and co. to ignore this, if that's what you requested. But it is still deplorable behavior from someone who claims to have been a professional writer, lawyer, teacher, etc.
Anyway, I suspect you'll garner at least 5% of the vote. I'll be looking for your name to appear on-screen on FOXNews as they announce the results from the Indiana Senate balloting on Election Day...
22 - Eric Olsen
taking Al's request into account, we just leave the nonsense as long as it remains mild
23 - bhw
Cool! Open season on Barger!
24 - Eric Olsen
Hasn't it always been? We actually had people quit, and several other threaten to quit, when I dared to announce - announce, mind you, never endorse - his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, which I thought was a rather noteworthy development regardless of which Blogcritic would have run for national office on whatever ticket.
25 - bhw
Eric, I hear you and I agree with you about the noteworthiness of Al's senate run. But he kind of enjoys the attention, including the negative attention, don't you Al?