Poll finds Libertarian candidate may cost Bush support

[WI_DEM]

Democratic strategists have long fretted that Ralph Nader could draw votes from their presidential candidate. But a new survey suggests that President Bush faces a potential threat of his own from a more obscure spoiler: Michael Badnarik.

In the survey, conducted in three Midwest battleground states, some votesr who said they would choose Bush over Kerry in a two candidate race also said they would pick Badnarik, the Libertarian Party nominee for president, if her were added to the ballot. The survey was conducted in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. The numbers were small: He drew 1% to 1.5% of the vote in a four way race with Bush, Kerry and Nadar. But analysts said the results suggested that the small-government Libertarians could attact enough conservatives disaffected with Bush's leadership to swing a tight race, just as Nader attracted discontented liberals in 2000...

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-poll21jul21,1,2054923.story?

[nickinSTL]

1. Woo Libertarians

Mwaahaahaahaa:evilgrin:

[WI_DEM]

2. perhaps democrats should help him get on ballot

[calico1]

3. Is the Libretarian party

on all 50 State ballots?

[MattNC]

4. i think so

if they aren't on it in all of them, they're certainly on it in most states.

[Tweed]

5. As far as I know, yes they have been for the past 4 or 5 elections

They are a well established party. I remember people making comments about how pathetic it was that Nader got more votes then the Libertarian candidate in 1996 even when Nader did next to no campaigning and was on the ballot in only 21 states where as the Libertarian candidate was on the ballot in all 50. I don't see how they could have dropped off, especially when they are polling at record highs for themselves.

[livinginphotographs]

6. They're definitely here in Virginia.

In fact, when I saw Hans Blix speak at VCU, they were outside gathering signatures to get them on the ballot.

Of course I signed it. :evilgrin:

In all seriousness, I think this could happen. My father voted for Reagan twice, but voted Libertarian ever since. He considered himself a Republican, but was pro-choice and didn't like Bush, Dole, or King George. Despite all the political arguments we ever had, at least I know he never supported the neocons....

[mzmolly]

7. I think he would probably draw equally from both candidates?

But, I'll entertain data to the contrary.

[livinginphotographs]

8. I don't know any personally...

but there are probably quite a few Libertarians who don't like Bush. I know they opposed the Iraq War (most of them), the FMA, etc. and they tend to be very socially liberal (unlike Bush). They just have a real bad habit of putting weirdos on the ballot (Alan Keyes comes to mind).

I agree with the Libertarians almost 100% on social issues, but where economics come in is where the problem is. I could definitely see even some libertarian-leaning Republicans voting for their candidate.