The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on its website Thursday afternoon that Libertarian Bob Barr “is now officially a presidential candidate in Georgia.” While the LP “gets automatic ballot access here, just like the Democrats and Republicans, the law requires an official statement of candidacy to be filed. Barr completed that task surrounded by about two dozen supporters in Secretary Karen Handel’s office. Barr did not have to do it in person, but given that it’s his home state, and a state where he could have the greatest impact, it makes sense.”

Georgia’s Athens Banner-Herald says Barr said Georgia “is one of 49 states where he plans to have his name on the ballot, giving himself only an ‘outside shot at Oklahoma.’ But Barr also said he would focus on a few states at first.” Barr said, “We can’t be everywhere that we want to be right off the bat, so we are going to be hitting those states where we have the greatest likelihood of having as much preliminary impact as possible.”

InsiderAdvantage Georgia says Barr rejected “the notion that he could be this year’s Ralph Nader or Ross Perot,” saying it is “way too early for anyone to assume he’ll pull more votes away from Republican John McCain than from Democrat Barack Obama.” Barr said, “These preliminary polls are very preliminary. The only thing I think it tells us of any significance is that there are already — even before we really formally have gotten to the heart of the campaign — there already is a not-insignificant base of support out there. To me, that’s the positive and the only real significant news out of it.”