Crackpot Professor Wins Primary

It might have been “the first ever third-party primary for a congressional race.” Sauk County’s Ben Olson III running against Kevin Barrett, the one-time UW lecturer (now of La Crosse) most famous for his 9/11 conspiracy theories – to wit, he thinks the gummint done it.

So. Who won?

Kevin Barrett beat Ben Olson III in the primary vote Tuesday to become the Libertarian candidate in Wisconsin’s 3rd District Congressional race.

With all 624 precincts reporting, Barrett had 332 votes, or 60 percent, and Olson, of Wisconsin Dells, had 226 votes, or 40 percent.

That’s a little less than one vote per precinct.

Barrett, of Lone Rock, believes the U.S. government, not al-Qaida, orchestrated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Libertarian nominee will take on 45-year-old Democratic incumbent Ron Kind of La Crosse, who is seeking a seventh term, and Republican Paul Stark, who owns a home building company in Eau Claire, in November.

Just for old times' sake, here's Barrett's appearance on Hannity and Colmes:



Small-l libertarianism is a respectable political viewpoint, shared (or at least sympathized with) to one extent or another by a whole lot of people.

Big-L Libertarians are never going to take that viewpoint and turn it into a viable third party if they can’t prevent a wingnut – or, at least, someone who is widely perceived on both sides of the political chasm as a wingnut – from becoming a Libertarian standard-bearer.

UPDATE - here's our own Jenna Pryor's appearance on Bill O'Reilly:



Jenna's currently increasing the state of Texas' average I.Q. O'Reilly spent too much time talking with the other woman, if you ask me.