With all the attention being garnered by Sarah Palin (and her running mate, John McCain), as well as by Barack Obama, it's easy to overlook other presidential candidates with passionate followings -- including Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party's candidate for the White House. This past weekend, I was reminded of this fact while visiting a suburban Target store. Parked near the entrance was a car with a Barr bumpersticker -- and not just any sticker. The words "BOB BARR FOR PRESIDENT" had been reproduced by a vintage dot-matrix printer on plain white paper that had then been affixed to the car's bumper using clear plastic tape. I tried to take a photo of it, but the driver was backing out of her space at the time -- and while I'd do a lot to keep this job, I draw the line at being run over by a Libertarian.
Upon visiting Barr's website, I understood why this likely voter had been forced to such extremes: The online store doesn't sell bumperstickers. There are, however, plenty of nice shirts and caps, plus lawn signs and -- best of all -- a car magnet. Unfortunately, though, this last item costs a pricey $45. Barr supporters without that kind of coin are advised to seek out the nearest dot-matrix printer. -- Michael Roberts
