Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr wove his way up and down over the grassy seats of the Reitz Union Amphitheater before his speech Tuesday evening, shaking hands and chatting with audience members.
Paul Draper, a UF freshman, sat with sweaty hands and clicked the final reds, yellows and greens into place on his Rubik's Cube as Barr looked on.
"I've done it before," said Draper, finishing the cube in less than two minutes. "But this time, it was a little different."
More than 450 people crammed the amphitheater to hear Barr speak about his run to become the next U.S. president.
The event was co-sponsored by Accent Speakers Bureau and UF College Libertarians and was free and open to the public. Andrew Guglielmo, Accent chairman, said running candidates are not allowed to accept a payment for giving a speech, but Accent did pay for Barr's security from Gainesville Police.
During his speech, Barr said the Libertarian Party "unconditionally obeys" the Constitution and fights for personal privacy and self-government.
"As the times change, it requires flexibility," Barr said. "Washington is what Albert Einstein said was the definition of insanity, in that they present the same solution over and over again, hoping to get a different result each time."
Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He practices law and runs a consulting firm, Liberty Strategies LLC.
In an hourlong speech, he criticized the Bush administration for its recent financial bailout plan.
"It may be the bailout from hell, but it won't be the last one," he said.
Guglielmo said Accent is a nonpartisan organization and doesn't endorse any candidates but tries to bring controversial speakers that have something significant to say to students.
"I hope people will show their support for the American system," Guglielmo said.
Neal Conner, president of the UF College Libertarians, said the purpose of the event was to convey that liberty is uniting, not dividing.
"Voting should not be because you think that someone is the lesser of two evils," Conner said. "There is a stark contrast against Bob Barr from what I like to call 'McBama.'
