Reason Magazine: In close elections, Libertarians run the table. Way to go LP!

Maybe Tisei should have run as a Libertarian. (0.00 / 0)

Then there could have been a primary.

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"That it ceased to exist, I'll grant you, but whether or not it failed cannot be definitively said." - Metropolitan (1990)

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by: Patrick @ Wed Nov 14, 2012 at 00:15:36 AM UTC

I like the NY system, (0.00 / 0)

which allows party cross-endorsements.  In NY, Tisei would have been endorsed by the LP and possibly other parties as well.

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by: Couves @ Wed Nov 14, 2012 at 04:41:31 AM UTC

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Awesome (0.00 / 0)

There definitely should be a primary for the LP candidate in some race next time. Has there ever been one?  

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by: John Howard @ Wed Nov 14, 2012 at 06:40:02 AM UTC

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Third Party Primaries (0.00 / 0)

The LP has held primaries when they've held "Major Party Status" in the past.

Fun fact: If a candidate for one party gets enough write-in votes on the ballot of another party (equivalent to the number of signatures needed for ballot access), he or she can choose to run under the label of both parties.

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by: Couves @ Wed Nov 14, 2012 at 22:38:26 PM UTC

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"The Free State Project helps Democrats in NH." (0.00 / 0)

What makes you say that?

Last I heard, there were 12 free staters in the NH House.  Seems like they're more interested in actually getting elected than in spoiling races for others.

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by: Couves @ Wed Nov 14, 2012 at 04:39:27 AM UTC

If my memory serves me correctly, I think the NH GOP lost (0.00 / 0)

the House. It retains the Senate by a slight margin. And of course there's a Democrat replacing Gov. Lynch. I stand by my point: Free State folks help Democrats get elected.

A though experiment would be to see migration stats. How many people are moving from deep Blue States to purple New Hampshire, that is to say moving from Vermont, New York and New Jersey filling high tech and health care sector jobs?

I am willing to bet that the migration from Blue States outstrips that of the Free Staters by a very large margin. The FSP gets all the attention; the Democrats get all the votes.

"Work is the essence of Man."

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by: Karl Marx @ Wed Nov 14, 2012 at 15:52:42 PM UTC

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I still don't understand... (0.00 / 0)

why you think Free Staters help Democrats.

In the Governor's race, the margin of victory was wider than the libertarian's vote.  It doesn't sound like the libertarian candidate was a Free Stater either.

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by: Couves @ Wed Nov 14, 2012 at 22:45:46 PM UTC

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Free Staters and Libertarians (0.00 / 0)

did not have any impact in NH's election with regard to the House, Senate or Governor. The Governor's race was a walk, unexpectedly, but a clear cut victory..

Democrats picked up 115 State reps seats to take a 222-178 majority. If there were even handful of third party candidates running it doesn't allow for that major a flip. And you could argue that a third party candidate saved the republican majority in the State Senate. There's a recount tomorrow in Senate District 16 where incumbent Republlican David Boutin leads the Dem Kathleen Kelly by 396 votes. The third party candidate recieved 900 votes in that race,. The Repubs will hold the Sente 13-11 thanks to that Liberatarian candidate.

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by: Striker57 @ Thu Nov 15, 2012 at 02:50:29 AM UTC

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What about the U.S. House Shea Porter v. Guinta? (0.00 / 0)

Liberals moving to New Hampshire are beating the FSP at its own game...

"Work is the essence of Man."

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by: Karl Marx @ Fri Nov 16, 2012 at 11:17:39 AM UTC

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First Termitis? (0.00 / 0)

CV says a third party candidate should benefit the incumbent. I have certainly seen that point made here in John Tierney's victory. The Shea-Porter - Guinta race has some other dynamics. First it was a re-match where the former 2-term Congreswoman is running for her old seat. She has the advantage of it being a presidential election year with her party winning the state. Second Guinta is a first termer - conventional wisdom saying that is usually when a Rep is most beatable. Third, IMO, Guinta misread the voters and went hard right for two years. That helped get him caught up in the backlash against Republican House Speaker Bill O'Brien that some dramaticly flipped the House numbers.

Third party candidate in this race can be agrued either way and both sides have equal footing.

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by: Striker57 @ Fri Nov 16, 2012 at 12:50:32 PM UTC

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Daily KOS: "Libertarians provided the margin for Democrats in at least nine elections!" (0.00 / 0)

The sorry rap sheet can be found here."

Takeaway for the busy:

"It's too facile to say that without the Lib, every Democrat would have lost. But some very likely would have, so it's reasonable to conclude that the Libertarian Party gifted quite a few seats to Team Blue this year. Thanks, friends!"

Ugh!!!
 

"Work is the essence of Man."

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by: Karl Marx @ Fri Nov 16, 2012 at 11:20:23 AM UTC

Kos also (0.00 / 0)

makes the point that some conserative voters, unable to support this version of the Republican Party and unwilling to vote for a Democrat are making a deliberate choice to vote Lib or third party.

For those with time to read the entire analysis:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

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by: Striker57 @ Fri Nov 16, 2012 at 13:01:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]