Daniel Williams on election day
I spoke today with Former Libertarian Presidential Candidate Daniel Williams about the election. Thanks to him for always being so accessible.
RHM:
Any predictions?
Daniel:
I believe Obama will win, getting close to 300 electoral votes. A landslide is possible, but not likely. Supreme Court appointees are my main concern, as I don’t believe the economy will allow the next president to accomplish much else. And I’d like a slight shift to the left more than one to the right. I think Hillary cut a deal to become one of Obama’s Supremes, which, in a rock ‘n roll context, is amusing.
RHM:
Which way do you think your home state of Florida will go this time? Will the outcome affect your 2010 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives at all?
Daniel:
Florida will go for Obama, though it may be close. Either way, I Just hope we don’t embarrass ourselves like in 2000. Here in District 14, Connie Mack (R) should get re-elected. If the black vote is strong for Obama, as it is predicted, and Obama wins, they may become more interested in voting local politics – something that, historically, doesn’t happen – and still be riding the change wave. And Connie Mack is not considered a friend. I have a year yet to fully commit, though.
RHM:
Bob Barr – what the hell happened? Am I alone thinking he missed a historic opportunity? Are you still glad you bowed out of the race and endorsed him?
Daniel:
Bob Barr thought he was one of the big dogs, but couldn’t run with them. His campaign was mostly reactionary, rarely proactive. He got a lot of media, but used much of it to belittle Obama and McCain, mostly McCain. Plus, he raised barely over a million dollars. And after the group hissy fit over the press conference, Ron Paul basically said “fuck you” to Barr by endorsing Baldwin of the Constitutional Party (which also left many Paul supporters cold). And Bob certainly lacks warmth, to put it mildly. In the final analysis, however, Bob will garner more votes than any other LP presidential candidate in history, which means a lot. And, yes, I’m still glad I did what I did, notwithstanding a true disappointment in how Bob and Russ ran the campaign (and Wayne ran his). Because any other candidate would have killed the Libertarian Party.
RHM:
What happens to Sarah Palin after the election?
Daniel:
Depends. Bill Kristol and other noecons are still enthralled with Palin, and believe she’ll lead the party in 2012. There’s no denying she excited the base, but that base may not be enough to count on down the road. With a McCain loss, Kristol and his crowd, along with the religious right, will lose influence and credibility – and Palin will become a presidential election footnote (ala Ferraro). She’ll still be on the scene, but will either run for re-election in moose country or land on talk radio. I think she’s peaked, politically. But, hey, our attention spans aren’t getting any longer…
About the Author: Randall H. Miller is an American college educator/blogger. He is also a former U.S. Army officer (82nd Airborne) with a M.A. in Diplomacy (focusing on International Terrorism) and a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Use the form on the right to sign up and receive notifications of new content. The words and ideas expressed here are 100% his own and not those of his employers or affiliated organizations.