03 November 2008

Penn Jillette on Bob Barr

Jillette's appeared in a video endorsing Libertarian candidate Bob Barr, and he sat down to talk with Reason's David Weigel. Read the interview it in its entirety here, but here's a snippet:
Jillette: Bob Barr is good guy. His conversion, I believe, is sincere. I believe all of that. But once in a while you want that Obama factor, of a guy who grabs your heart, like a rock star. Barr doesn’t do that for me like [Harry] Browne did. Still, you know, there’s no trait we should celebrate more than changing one’s mind.

I do wish Barr had been more in agreement with me on sex and drugs. That always bothered me a bit. I’m for gay rights, boring monogamous rights, but I’m also for two guys fucking on the floor of my office. I don’t think Barr is. Although I don’t do drugs I’m ok with shooting heroin, and I don’t think he is. Someone smarter than me—I want to say it was P.J. O’Rourke—said if you’re going to go with a Republican or a Democrat, the person isn’t important. If you go with a Libertarian, you go with a nut, because if we do win somehow the first 16 years of Libertarian rule will be spent at the barricades, just rolling back stuff. (Jillette qtd. in Weigel).
You don't expect Mr. Jillette to be less than perfectly blunt, do you? After all, his Showtime series is titled (and targets) Bullshit. The show is well worth your time--unless you're highly invested in sacred cows (and easily offended).

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