Imagine my surprise!

Imagine my surprise when I read that Wayne Root, the loudmouth conservative hypester from Vegas, who made a deal with Bob Barr to inflict both of them on the Libertarian Party as candidates, has written a book. The real surprise is that it is supposed to be about libertarianism.
That's a double surprise.

First, I didn't know he'd ever read a book. Secondly, since when did he know anything about libertarianism? He thinks his blather about state's rights is libertarian. Wrong! He's flipped and flopped as he thought necessary in order to secure the V.P. nomination for the clearly desperate Libertarian Party.

Root continues to tell the media that he's "Ron Paul on steroids" -- a claim that doesn't carry much weight here and carries none with Ron Paul. I don't think Ron Paul on steroids would be a good thing as Ron seems intent on emphasizing his most unlibertarian positions. Witness his endorsement of the theocratic, anti-social freedom Constitution Party. So in this libertarian's view, Ron Paul himself on steroids, wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.

But I can tell Mr. Root: I know Ron Paul and you're no Ron Paul.

Speaking of Paul I had something of a shock yesterday. I was speaking to an old friend of mine who mentioned something that has me taking memory pills. We were discussing the current dire situation for libertarianism and he made reference to the time that he, his now exwife, myself and my partner went out to have dinner with Ron and Carol Paul. My jaw dropped as I simply don't remember the occasion. But he remembered well even telling me the part of town where we had dinner.

Back in the 80s I spent several occasions with Paul and I found him and Carol both to be decent individuals. He was marginal as a libertarian then, with very strong conservative tendencies, but since then the tendencies have strengthened and the social conservatism started to dominate.

I still don't remember that dinner. Then to make things worse for my sense of memory I went to tell a business associate, who I have known for decades as well, about my total lapse of memory. As I started to tell him about completely forgetting about going out for dinner with Ron he says: "Oh, I didn't know about that, I just remember the lunch you had with him at...."

Poor me, I'll have to take some memory pills. I had forgotten about the lunch as well. It must have been around the same time. As my friend Leon Louw, from South Africa says, "I have a good forgetter." I'm going to have to call my ex and find out what else I've forgotten.

Enough of the diversion, so back to Wayne Bozo Root. Root's a hoot. He alone is spreading the claim that he's Ron Paul on steroid. But he keeps telling people "The media calls me Ron Paul on steroids." I can't find any reference to the media calling him that at all. I do find the media quoting Root saying that about himself, however. It's Root's current con job, to wrap himself in the mantle of Ron Paul. Apparently Ron isn't so keen on Root and has refused to endorse him. Having watched Root in action I can say that he comes across more like a used car salesman on steroids. And no, I wouldn't buy a car from him. He's the sort of fellow who, if I'd shake hands with him, I'd go off and count my fingers.

I was wondering precisely how he'd use the LP nomination mistake to make some money. I knew he'd use it to promote himself -- that is his one full time occupation -- to tell the world how wonderful he is. But I figured he'd try to make a buck off it as well. I just never imagined he'd hawk a book purporting to explain libertarianism to the world. That would be like me written an introduction to brain surgery. I can only hope that he had it ghost-written. If not, I can only hope no one reads it -- much the way no one read self-promotional book Millionaire Republican.