I have recently wondered if the Libertarian that always crops up in high profile races, was a plant. There was a relatively safe Congressional race, centered in Paradise Valley, that was lost to Kyrsten Sinema (the first proudly bisexual Rep in Congress!) due to the Libertarian siphoning votes from a good Conservative, Vernon Parker. Vernon Parker, a Black Conservative who is a former mayor of Paradise Valley, AZ, would have won the seat if the Libertarian hadn’t taken 10,000 votes from him. Conservatives/Libertarians shooting themselves in the foot.
Liberaltarians have more in common with RATS than they do with conservatives.
I have to wonder the same thing as of late. I’m not positive if he was Libertarian or simply something else, but he jumped into the race last-minute in then-CD8 in southern AZ. The guy siphoned off just enough votes so that after a week of counting/recounting, and finding “missing” ballots, hard-core leftist dupe and Sinema BFF Gabby Giffords ended up “winning.”
Libertarians pop up in races where the GOP nominates RINOs. Cuccinelli is not the normal VAGOP candidate - people like McDonnell and George Allen (both corrupt to the core) are. Their popularity is almost entirely a function of the GOP refusal to represent its own base.
I do not buy the story line that 3rd parties take votes from anyone.
Each voter needs to decide who they will support and vote for.
Each candidate needs to find a way to clearly advance who they are and how they will vote once elected.
If Republican candidates are unable to attract a wining majority of voters on election day, it is their own fault.