2008 Libertarian National Convention Explained

Year:2008
Party:Libertarian
Date:May 22–26, 2008
Venue:Sheraton Hotel
City:Denver, Colorado
Chair:Bill Redpath
Speakers:Dr. Mary Ruwart
Presidential Nominee:Bob Barr of Georgia
Vice Presidential Nominee:Wayne Allyn Root of Nevada
Othercandidates:Mary Ruwart of Texas
Mike Gravel of Alaska
Steve Kubby of California, activist
George Phillies of Massachusetts
Previous Year:2006
Next Year:2010

The 2008 Libertarian National Convention was held from May 22 to May 26, 2008, at the Sheraton Hotel (formerly the Adam's Mark Hotel)[1] in Denver, Colorado. The delegates at the convention, on behalf of the U.S. Libertarian Party, nominated Bob Barr for president and Wayne Allyn Root for vice president in the 2008 presidential election. The convention was televised nationally on C-SPAN.[2]

Libertarians hold a national convention every two years to vote on party bylaws, platform and resolutions and elect national party officers and a judicial committee. Every four years it nominates presidential and vice presidential candidates.[3]

The theme of this convention was A Better Choice for America.[4]

Two non-binding primaries preceded the convention.

Platform

In 2006 the self-styled Libertarian Party "reformers" at the National Convention in Portland, Oregon took out 46 platform planks detailing party positions, leaving just fifteen. In 2008 more "radical" libertarians attempted to restore that platform. They did not succeed, but they narrowly prevented the reformers from softening the language of the non-aggression principle in the party's “Statement of Principles”.[5] The revised platform did replace the plank on secession,[6] deleted in 2006, with a definition of self-determination drawn from the Declaration of Independence: "Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of individual liberty, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to agree to such new governance as to them shall seem most likely to protect their liberty."[7]

Presidential candidates

Libertarian Party presidential candidates, 2008
width:120px; CandidateHome stateProfessionCampaign
data-sort-value="Barr, Bob"Bob BarrGeorgiaMember of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 7th district
(1995–2003)

(Campaign • Positions • Website)
data-sort-value="Gravel, Mike"Mike GravelAlaskaU.S. Senator from Alaska
(1969–1981)
(Campaign • Positions • Website)
data-sort-value="Imperato, Daniel"Daniel ImperatoFloridaBusinessman
data-sort-value="Jingozian, Mike"Mike JingozianOregonSoftware developer
data-sort-value="Kubby, Steven Wynn"Steve KubbyCaliforniaLibertarian activist(Campaign)
data-sort-value="Milnes, Robert"Robert MilnesNew JerseyActivist
data-sort-value="Phillies, George"George PhilliesMassachusettsProfessor of Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
data-sort-value="first, last"Wayne Allyn RootNevadaBusinessman, media personality, author, TV producer(Campaign)
data-sort-value="Ruwart, Mary"Mary RuwartTexasRetired biomedical researcher; Libertarian speaker, writer, and activist(Campaign)
data-sort-value="Smith, Christine"Christine SmithColoradoHumanitarian activist, and writer

Voting for presidential nomination

First ballot

After the first round, six of the eight candidates running moved on to the second round of voting. Mike Jingozian and Christine Smith were both eliminated due to their small percentage of votes. Jingozian endorsed former Senator Mike Gravel, and Smith presented a speech attacking Bob Barr after the results were announced.

2008 Libertarian Party National Convention total vote count: Round 1
CandidateTotal votes castPercent of votes cast
15324.3%
15224.1%
12319.5%
7111.3%
George Phillies 497.8%
416.5%
233.7%
Christine Smith 61.0%
Ron Paul (write-in)61.0%
Penn Jillette (write-in)30.5%
20.3%
Daniel Imperato (write-in)10.2%
Stephen Colbert (write-in)10.2%
Color key:1st place2nd place3rd place4th place5th place6th place7th place

Second ballot

After the second round, five of the six candidates running moved on to the third ballot. Steve Kubby, after receiving only 5% of the total vote, dropped out of the race and endorsed Dr. Mary Ruwart.

2008 Libertarian Party National Convention total vote count: Round 2
CandidateTotal votes castPercent of votes cast
18829.8%
16225.7%
13821.9%
7311.6%
George Phillies 365.7%
325.1%
10.2%
Stephen Colbert (write-in)10.2%
Color key:1st place2nd place3rd place4th place5th place6th place (tied)

Third ballot

After the third round of voting, four of the five remaining candidates moved on to the fourth ballot. Dr. George Phillies was eliminated after receiving approximately 5% of the vote.

2008 Libertarian Party National Convention total vote count: Round 3
CandidateTotal votes castPercent of votes cast
18629.6%
18629.6%
14623.3%
7812.4%
George Phillies 314.9%
Ron Paul (write-in)10.2%
Color key:1st place (tied)2nd place3rd place4th place

Fourth ballot

After the fourth vote, three of the four candidates went on to the fifth round of voting. Fmr. Sen. Mike Gravel was eliminated after not getting a sufficient number of votes, and subsequently announced that his political career was over.

2008 Libertarian Party National Convention total vote count: Round 4
CandidateTotal votes castPercent of votes cast
20232.0%
20232.0%
14923.6%
7612.0%
30.5%
Color key:1st place (tied)2nd place3rd place

Fifth ballot

After the fifth ballot, the final two of three candidates continued on to the sixth ballot. Wayne Allyn Root was therefore eliminated, and after the vote, he made a speech endorsing Barr and stating that he would like to be Barr's candidate for vice-president. Barr and Root then stated that they would run together.

2008 Libertarian Party National Convention total vote count: Round 5
CandidateTotal votes castPercent of votes cast
22936.8%
22335.8%
16526.5%
61.0%
Color key:1st place2nd place3rd place

Sixth ballot

With only Barr and Ruwart remaining on the ballot, Barr received 324 votes to Ruwart's 276 and 26 NOTA. Barr thus won the nomination with 51.8% of the final vote.[8]

Ruwart made a concession speech following the announcement of the results with her campaign staff on the stage.

2008 Libertarian Party National Convention total vote count: Round 6
CandidateTotal votes castPercent of votes cast
Bob Barr 32451.8%
27644.1%
264.2%
Color key:1st place2nd place

Voting for vice presidential nomination

A separate vote was held for the vice presidential nomination. Presidential nominee Barr endorsed Root, while presidential runner-up Ruwart endorsed Kubby.

First ballot

After the first ballot, three of the six active candidates running moved on to the second ballot.

2008 Libertarian Party National Convention total vote count: Round 1
CandidateTotal votes castPercent of votes cast
26947.7%
20937.1%
Daniel Williams 407.1%
Jim Burns 274.8%
Gail Lightfoot 142.5%
20.4%
Mike Ferguson (write-in)10.2%
Mary Ruwart (write-in)10.2%
10.2%
Color key:1st place2nd place3rd place4th place

Second ballot

After the second ballot, Wayne Allyn Root was nominated as the vice presidential candidate, prevailing by a difference of 30 votes over Steve Kubby, and 279 votes over Daniel Williams.

2008 Libertarian Party National Convention total vote count: Round 2
CandidateTotal votes castPercent of votes cast
Wayne Allyn Root 28951.0%
25945.7%
Daniel Williams 101.8%
61.1%
Unknown Richard (write-in)10.2%
Mike Ferguson (write-in)10.2%
Mary Ruwart (write-in)10.2%
Color key:1st place2nd place3rd place (tied)

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Richard L. Johnson . Starwood to Re-brand and Renovate Former Adams Mark Hotels as Sheraton Dallas Hotel and Sheraton Denver Hotel / February 2008 . Hotel-online.com . 2012-06-27.
  2. Web site: Database Error . 2008-05-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604132444/http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/cspan.csp?command=dprogram . 2008-06-04 . dead .
  3. Web site: Libertarian Party Bylaws . Lp.org . 2012-06-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080605025750/http://www.lp.org/organization/bylaws.shtml . 2008-06-05 .
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20120509083125/http://www.libertywillwin.com/ LibertyWillWin.com
  5. David Weigel, Who Isn't Trying to Take Over the Libertarian Party? Scenes from the LP's most newsworthy convention in years, Reason Magazine, May 23, 2008; Matt Simon, Libertarians Nominate Ex-Republican Barr, Huffington Post, May 26, 2008.
  6. Web site: 2004 Libertarian Party Platform . Lpedia.org . 2012-05-06 . 2012-06-27.
  7. http://www.lp.org/issues/platform_all.shtml National Platform of the Libertarian Party
  8. Web site: Press Releases: Presidential and VP Vote Totals – Updated Live! . LP.org . 2008-05-25 . 2008-05-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080528033121/http://www.lp.org/media/printer_588.shtml . 2008-05-28 . dead .