Michael Badnarik wins Libertarian presidential nomination

[wyldwolf]

ATLANTA -- In a stunning come-from-behind victory, Texas constitutional scholar Michael Badnarik has won the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination.

Badnarik, 49, of Austin, Texas, won 423 votes -- or 54 percent -- from delegates at the Libertarian Party's national convention in Atlanta on Sunday. Coming in second was movie producer Aaron Russo, followed by longtime radio talk host Gary Nolan.

According to many political analysts, the Libertarian nominee could cost President George Bush the November election by attracting votes from frustrated Republicans in key swing states such as Wisconsin, Oregon and Nevada.

According to a May 21 article by David Paul Kuhn, chief political writer for CBSNews.com, many conservatives are so angry over Bush's spending increases that they may abandon the GOP in November.

If that happens, the Libertarian nominee "may do for Democrats in 2004 what Nader did for Republicans in 2000" and cost Bush the election, Kuhn says.

http://www.lp.org/press/archive.php?function=view&record=661

[leftyandproud]

1. The LP is a wash for both parties

They pull from both sides equally...people who want less government on economic issues (taxes/regulation/spending, etc--right) and people who want less government interference on social issues AND foreign policy (ending the drug war, abortion rights, gay marriage, reducing military budget, anti-intervention, anti-war, etc--left wing) The LP takes fire from both sides...They are loved (and HATED) equally by partisans on the two "sides" of the political debate...quite a predicament.

[durutti]

7. Until recently...

They were pretty much a GOP front group.

[wyldwolf]

2. why don't the anti-Kerry crowd on DU vote libertarian?

The Kerry detrators' main issue is the Iraq war - and the libertarian party was and remains against it.

[eridani]

3. Because the Libertarians don't want universal health care n/t

[Columbia]

5. Neither do the Republicans or Democrats

[leftyandproud]

6. good point

[eridani]

4. Met him at Seattle 2003 Hempfest

I was tabling for Kucinich at the time--only Dem to come out strongly against the War on Some Drugs. All the other political office seekers there were Libertarians.