As a Republican, he voted for the Patriot Act, was an uncompromising proponent of the war on drugs, and was a chief sponsor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which blocked any federal recognition of same-sex couples married by the states.
To appease Libertarian critics, Barr openly admitted that he regretted voting for the Patriot Act. Since 2002 he has worked as a lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project, a cannabis policy reform group, and in 2004 he testified before Congress against an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
Many of Barr's views would not appeal to Republicans, political experts say.
"To the extent that there is broader dissatisfaction with McCain, that people are hungering for a different kind of Republicanism, Barr isn't the man to capture it," said Roy L. Behr, a political consultant and coauthor of "Third Parties in America: Citizen Response to Major Party Failure." "He is absolutely unpredictable to most Republicans."
Last week, Barr presented his pitch at a Rotary Club luncheon in the affluent Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs.
It was a dream audience for Barr: conservative residents of a new city that seceded from an Atlanta county in 2005 in a conflict over government bureaucracy.
The crowd listened attentively as Barr outlined the importance of limiting government power. Some nodded when he critiqued the dismal state of national political debate. Everyone applauded as he stepped off the podium.
But would anyone actually vote for him?
"No," said William K. Snellings, the club's president. "It ain't going to happen. . . . I agree with almost everything he says, but a vote for him is a vote for Obama or Clinton."
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jenny.jarvie@latimes.com
