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INDIES

Libertarians Helped Democrats In At Least Nine Races

Vote totals were higher than differences between Democratic and Republican candidates

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by David Mark

Editor-in-Chief t

Indiana Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Andy Horning is center. Democratic nominee Joe Donnelly is left, Republican Richard Mourdock on the right. Image: AP.

Libertarians had a pretty good 2012 election cycle. Presidential nominee Gary Johnson got the highest vote total ever by a Libertarian White House candidate. Now Libertarians can plausibly claim to be the deciding factors in races won by major party candidates.

Daily Kos Elections reports that Libertarians may have provided the winning margin for Democrats in at least nine congressional and gubernatorial elections. Take Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly's upset for Indiana Senate over Republican Richard Mourdock. Libertarian candidate Andy Horning garnered 146,453 votes, while Donnelly beat his GOP rival by 141,575 votes.

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Why are Libertarian candidates gaining more support?

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  • View all 12 replies >
  • u
    Jasonopolis
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    They did not help Democrats unless they gave their votes away. Libertarians pull as many Democratic voters as they do Republican. They also did not hurt Republicans.
    What they did was help themselves gain a little more ground in the two party system. And good for them...
  • jessejaymes
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    @woodtick57 I left the GOP and became a Libertarian. I disagree with much of what they claim as a platform just I do with both major parties. No party can please everyone. But the Libertarian party has never held national power. They can't possibly be as corrupt as the Dems and GOP. Not enough money at their fingertips. And a party platform can evolve. The Libertarians say legalize all drugs. I agree. Let the idiots kill themselves and let the pot smokers be. Libertarians are wrong in thinking that corporations will police themselves. That's pure lunatic thinking. But the party is in it's infancy and we need more than two parties to force compromise and coalitions. I agree with very little with the Green Party but I wish them well. We have to break this stranglehold of corruption in the two major parties.
  • jessejaymes
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    @woodtick57 The more viable parties there are the less the corrupt have to spend on any one party. The soup gets thinner. The parties have to then at least do something for the public in order to hold onto that smaller piece of the pie. Let's be real here. All government, regardless of country or ideology is corrupt. Only when there are a lot of choices can we negate the big money to any degree at all.
  • o
    woodtick57
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    @jessejaymes What you seem to not realize is that all the money in the world won't make a difference in elections if the US electorate quits voting on whho puts out the most TV commercials.

    it's not that the elections are bought, or the politicians are bought. it is that the US public sells the election via their TV remote.

    Having a third party will not change that at all. an educated, involved electorate will make campaigggn contrbutions moot.
  • View all 15 replies >
  • expat915
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    Libertarians believe in liberty. Republicans overwhelmingly support the NDAA. Under the provisions of the NDAA no American has any rights. Any American can be “disappeared,” can be sent to secret overseas torture prisons, can be denied any legal access, and can even be killed without due process. Unfortunately both the Democrats and Republican support the NDAA.
  • expat915
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    @martydotcom, preppers were mocked and vilified, but look at the recent storm aftermath on the east coast. Those who were prepared fared much better than those who depended on the government.
  • expat915
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    @martydotcom Every erosion of rights is incremental. At first I expect that the NDAA will be used only against actual terrorists. The definition of “terrorist” will soon be expanded to include “preppers” and anyone who may have a politically incorrect thought.
  • View all 11 replies >
  • PNWest
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    Conservatives that don't go along with the Bible Thumpers, bigots and racists are flocking to the Libertarian party. The crazier the GOP gets the more the Libertarian Party will grow.
  • martydotcom
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    Full circle. Origins of Tea Party were Libertarian > Bible Thumpers racist's bigots take over reins of Tea Party > tea Party takes control of GOP > Libertarians bail out from GOP
  • Len_in_NY2
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    Also, we must take into consideration of liberal leaning folks who are tired of the attack on our freedoms by both of the major parties.
  • u
    Ryunkin
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    The simple reason is, fewer Americans have any faith in the government's competency. Of course, for every simple reason, there are a thousand more complicated, Freudian reasons, but I believe that this is the one most of Libertarians share.
  • jessejaymes
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    I left the GOP for the Libertarian party for a number of reasons. 1.) Hypocrisy in the GOP claiming to be the "moral party" while you are obviously not. 2.) The accusations that the Dems were the party of spending while our last 3 GOP presidents sat all time deficit spending records while in office. 3.) The Constitution clearly states that there is to be separation of church and state. The GOP has become the party of fundamentalist Christians. Other than beheading and public beating of women I see very little difference in the Fundamentalist Christian and the Fundamentalist Muslim. 4.) Freedom to me means that I have the right to live my life any way I like as long as I'm not hurting someone else. This philosophy forces me to reject both the Dem and GOP extremists. You people really need to tend to your own business and stop regulating mine. You're exactly the same people. You want government out of your lives with what you want to do and want government in your lives with what you don't want others doing. That's hypocrisy to the nth degree.
  • truthsayer
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    @jessejaymes That's a great way to break it down. "your exactly the same people" That is the truth if I ever heard it. And I know with out a doubt that truth hurts.
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
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    Liberals still blame Ralph Nader for Al Gore losing. It wasn't Ralph Nader, it was the American people siding with freedom over oppression. Thank God we had a strong president during those years. I could only imagine what America would look like today if Al Gore won.
  • Denizen_Kate
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix - It was neither Ralph Nader nor the American people, it was the hanging chads in Florida followed by an inexplicable decision by the Supreme Court.
  • Keyjo
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    @Neanderthal_NtheMatrix
    As I recall Neanderthal, Gore DID win! He certainly won the popular vote. And he was ripped off by bro Jeb's Florida.
  • John_Matrix
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    I voted for Johnson because he has a clear and realistic vision of what this government needs, major downsizing. I didn't vote for Obama because I hate socialism, pandering to freeloaders, big government with a "daddy knows best" attitude, etc. I didn't vote for Romney because I hate religious zealots that are too stupid to make it through a preschool science class and big government.
  • Lpguy
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    Libertarians do not always take votes away from Republicans?! Libertarians are made up of both sides, I have never voted for a Republican (except Scott Brown because i HATED Elizabeth Warren), but i have voted for Democrats (albeit i was very ignorant/naive and had not put any real thought into politics yet - 2002 election *cringe*). I hate these articles that seem to dissuade folks from going with a third party as if our principles do not matter, as if following the popular sentiment is the only correct and intelligent path, as if logic did not exist.
  • FollowTheMoney
    !
    I vote libertarian because I'm a libertarian. Dems and Reps offer no solutions to the problems they have manufactured. It's not in their interest to do so, they need the problems as a means to continue their careers. I didn't vote to help a Democrat or a Republican, on the contrary, I voted to help my country. I voted my conscience, not the lesser of two evils. The pundits and professional politicians, have spun, and will continue to spin every issue that comes up to mean what ever pays the most political capital.
  • o
    Big-R
    !
    All sounds great for the Libertarian party! Eventually all the partisans on both sides will wake up and vote Libertarian. If you want truly less government intrusion, vote Libertarian. If you want truly less civil intrusion, vote Libertarian. I hope from this point on both Dems, and Repubs lose votes to the Libertarian candidate. It is well beyond time for a "Change". The only true change will come when everyone stops voting Democrat , or Republican. It is a viscous cycle, The Democrat wins, then screws everything up for 8 years. Which makes everyone mad, so the country votes Republican. Then the Republican wins and screws everything up for 8 years. Which again makes everyone mad, so they then vote Democrat. It's time for a real drastic change. Wake up America, there is not much time, or money left to save!!
  • Fishbone345
    !
    Things do look bright for the party. Our largest setback was Ron Paul's decision. But, he woke some people up. He preached and they listened. His words will continue to motivate and inspire long after he no longer walks the halls in DC.
  • o
    Big-R
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    @Fishbone345 Very true. I am a recovering republican. I am sick and tired of watching the country go to hell. I have voted in the past for several Democrats, but have until recently been voting Republican. After many years of voting for the lesser of two evils, I am now voting for the best candidate. Even if that candidate won't win. The Libertarian party best fits what American was formed on. The more I listen to Dr. Paul, the more I truly understand. He is very misunderstood by both major parties. And they try to label him as a nut job, so they don't have to admit their own faults.
  • truthsayer
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    @Big-R It's a total different world when the blinders come off my friend. It's like knowing the earths round and everybody else thinks your crazy because it's got to be flat.
  • o
    Big-R
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    @truthsayer I battled with it for a very long time. I was always more independent. I gew up in a Reagan household. The first president I voted for was Clinton. Then Bush. I woke up on 9-11. And ever since the person I want in never got close. So after the 2008 debacle, I have voted conscience. All I can do is help spread the truth, and hope more do the same. It's only going to "Change" when neither a Republican, or Democrat is in office.