My friend Grover Norquist tipped me to this report from Daily Kos on the impact of the Libertarian Party vote on the recent Congressional elections, including here in California, where the Libertarian Party candidate almost figured in a defeat for Republican Congressman John Doolittle:
The Libertarian spoilers
by kos
Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 07:59:56 AM PST
One of the under-reported factors for the Democratic victories in 2006 was the spoiler effect that the Libertarian Party played. Here are races in which the Libertarian vote was larger than the Democratic margin of victory:
Missouri Senate
McCaskill (D) 1,047,049 50
Talent (R) 1,001,238 47
Gilmour (L) 47,504 2
Montana Senate
Tester (D) 198,302 49
Burns (R) 195,455 48
Jones (L) 10,324 3
That’s control of the Senate right there. And in the House there was at least one race in which Libertarians helped deliver a seat to Democrats:
IN-09
Hill (D) 110,185 50
Sodrel (R) 100,503 46
Schansberg (L) 9,920 4
In several other contests, the Libertarians helped give us tight, tight, tight races:
CA-04
Doolittle (R) 104,746 49
Brown (D) 97,217 46
Warren (L) 10,668 5
CT-04
Shays (R) 106,558 51
Farrell (D) 99,913 48
Maymin (L) 2,998 1
NJ-07
Ferguson (R) 95,830 49
Stender (D) 92,591 48
Abrams (I) 3,064 2
Young (L) 1,989 1
NV-03
Porter (R) 102,176 48
Hafen (D) 98,210 47
Hansen (I) 5,326 3
Silvestri (L) 5,155 2
WY-AL
Cubin (R) 93,336 48
Trauner (D) 92,324 48
Rankin (L) 7,481 4
The theocon and neocon takeover of the Republican Party has left many of its more Libertarian members adrift with few alternatives. I clearly hope the Democratic Party becomes more Libertarian friendly over the coming years, but that’s a long-term project. In the meantime, the Libertarian ballot line (when available) can be an apt protest vote.
It can be argued that 58,000 Libertarian voters handed control of the Senate to Democrats, just as 97, 421 Greens in Florida in 2000 handed control of the White House to George Bush.
While Republicans try to fund Green candidates in races around the country, it looks like they have their own serious third party problem.
January 31st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Perhaps the better title for this post would be, “Big spending Republicans lose their seats as fiscally conservative Libertarian candidates receive critical votes.”
January 31st, 2007 at 12:00 am
I like “Libertarians Help Cost Republicans Congress in 2006.”
January 31st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Better Yet:
“Republicans Cost Republicans Congress in 2006.”
January 31st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Best is the latter but former is true enough.
Where do we give the Green money?
January 31st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Kind of the flipside to Ralph Nader costing Democrats the Presidency.
January 31st, 2007 at 12:00 am
LOL Barry.
I think you have it right.