Newbie Libertarian Bob Barr Snatches Presidential Nomination from Libertarian Loyalists

Amidst the remaining seven Libertarian candidates vying for their party's nomination, former Republican Bob Barr captured the honor after the sixth round of voting on Sunday night at the Libertarian Convention held in Denver, CO.

Mary Ruwart, who holds a Ph.D. in Physics and is a long term Libertarian, fought it out to the end. However, she failed to persuade her party's members that her long-term devotion to the ideals of the party were enough to capture the potential 5 per cent national vote which would gain the party matching funds and ballot access for 2012. The Vice-Presidential nomination went to Wayne Root, who had followed her in third place. Roots is a media producer and very comfortable on Fox News. By the look of his platform, he does not suffer any compassionate tendencies for which Ruwart had been dismissed.

The news of Barr's win will shift some of the election angst Democrats feel regarding Ralph Nader's reappearance on the scene. Nader's struggles to gain ballot access have also dampened the possibility of him agitating the election outcome, though that will not hinder Nader from making his anti-corporate populist message heard.

It is ironic, though, that both the Libertarians and the Greens have sought out and, at least in the case of the Libertarians, have selected someone who is new to their party. Whether this is a fascination with a kind of celebrity status or a true respect for the years already passed in office is a deeper question which has yet to be vetted. Cynthia McKinney has been pursued for years by the Greens, and while her hold on the nomination is fairly secure, she has expressed doubts about being able to sustain a respectable campaign, given the party's lack of funds and organization. What is certain, the activists from all parties will be rooting for some third party to crack the system in this election.