Why Bob Barr in Ohio could matter

Tom Jackson says on his blog in the Sandusky Register: A federal judge has ordered Ohio to put the Libertarian Party’s candidates on the ballot this fall, and to list them as Libertarians. Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner decided to accept the ruling rather than appeal it. It will be the first time in Ohio since 2000 that any party other than Democrats or Republicans are listed on the presidential ballot. With the race between Obama and McCain so tight in Ohio—sometimes the polls put McCain on top by a couple of points, sometimes Obama—the Libertarian vote could make a difference in who gets Ohio’s electoral votes. Says Jackson: Conventional wisdom holds that a successful Barr campaign would draw most of its votes away from McCain. Libertarians, of course, say they are running on their own merits. This entry was posted by... [read full story]