To the Editor:
Thank you for prominently covering the Libertarian Party Presidential candidacy of Congressman Bob Barr (“A Candidate Runs to a GOP Chorus of ‘Don’t'” 6/28/08 Page A1).
It is inaccurate however to depict Barr as a spoiler. To make such a claim presupposes that certain votes belong to one of the major party candidates and that a third party candidate would steal them away from him. Votes belong to the voters, not the candidates, and have to be earned.
By opposing the current Administration’s policies of intervention in other countries’ conflicts and unconstitutional intrusions into the privacy of American citizens, Barr offers a true alternative to the almost indistinguishable me-too candidacies of Senators McCain and Obama. Moreover, as a person of good will admitting that he has been wrong in the past, he will appeal to independent and affiliated voters of all political persuasions.
Mark Axinn
Vice-Chair, Libertarian Party of New York
175 East 73rd Street
New York, New York 10021
markaxinn@hotmail.com