Libertarian seeks presidency

Wayne Allyn Root doesn't think he'll be elected president of the United States in 2008, although he hopes to be on ballots across the country. He has bigger plans than that.

"I'm going to start a movement that's going to catch fire," Root said. It'll be like Barry Goldwater in 1964, he explained. Goldwater lost in a landslide, "but what came out of the ashes was Ronald Reagan and the conservative movement."

Root, a local sports handicapper, plans to announce his candidacy today for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination. Insiders say he's one of the top contenders for the nod, which will be decided at a convention next year.

The self-promoting Root talks a mile a minute, frequently to the point of getting red in the face. Until recently his political vehemence was in the service of the Republican Party, and he wrote a book, "Millionaire Republican," about why everyone should join the GOP.

But Root, 45, feels the Republican Party no longer represents his ideals of social and economic freedom. He is pro-gay marriage, anti-warrantless wiretapping, anti-tax and anti-regulation. He's also strongly pro-gambling, including Internet gambling.

"Do you know what they're trying to do in Massachusetts today?" he excitedly asked a visitor to his Henderson mansion, whose walls are lined with framed photos of Root with politicians, framed covers of his books and mounted layouts of his appearances in the media. "They're trying to pass a law that a dog in a car has to wear a seat belt! Government is out of control!"

Scott Lieberman, a member of the Libertarian Party's national committee, said Root wowed an audience of about 80 party faithful at a candidates' forum at a state party convention in California last month.

"Wayne is a salesman. He can sell these ideas. He's the person to beat as far as I'm concerned," Lieberman said.

Although Root has been active in Libertarian Party politics since early this year, he is still a registered Republican, according to the Clark County Election Department.

Root's competitors for the Libertarian nomination include a physics professor, a medical-marijuana advocate, a radio show host and a few others. In 2004, the party's nominee was an obscure Texas computer programmer named Michael Badnarik. He was on presidential ballots in 48 states, including Nevada, and got 397,000 votes. Among minor parties, that was second only to Ralph Nader's 464,000 votes.

Root is talking to 2004 World Series of Poker champion Greg Raymer about joining the ticket as his running mate. He also is filming a reality-show pilot about his campaign that he hopes to shop to television networks.