2008 Libertarian National Convention

2008 Libertarian National Convention
2008 presidential election

Nominees
Barr and Root
Convention
Date(s) May 22 – May 26
City Denver, Colorado
Venue Sheraton Hotel
Chair Bill Redpath
Notable speakers Dr. Mary Ruwart
Candidates
Presidential nominee Bob Barr (GA)
Vice Presidential nominee Wayne Allyn Root (NV)
Other candidates Mary Ruwart of Texas
Mike Gravel of Alaska
Mike Jingozian, software developer
Steve Kubby of California, activist
George Phillies of Massachusetts
Denver
Saint Paul
Kansas City
Chicago
Sites of the 2008 national presidential nominating conventions

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, which was sponsored by the United States Libertarian Party, nominated Bob Barr for the presidency and Wayne Allyn Root for the vice-presidency in the 2008 presidential election through the convention process, televised nationally by 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]

Platform

Sheraton Hotel, where convention was held

In 2006 the self-styled Libertarian Party "reformers" at the convention in Portland, Oregon took out 46 platform planks detailing party positions, leaving just fifteen. In 2008 more "radical" libertarians wanted to restore that platform. They did not succeed, but they narrowly prevented the reformers from watering down 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, 2012
Candidate Home state Profession Campaign
Bob Barr Georgia Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 7th district
(1995-2003)

(CampaignPositionsWebsite)
Mike Gravel Alaska U.S. Senator from Alaska
(1969-1981)
(CampaignPositionsWebsite)
Daniel Imperato Florida Businessman
Mike Jingozian Oregon Software developer
Steve Kubby California Libertarian activist (Campaign)
Robert Milnes New Jersey Activist
George Phillies Massachusetts Professor of Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Wayne Allyn Root Nevada Businessman, media personality, author, TV producer (Campaign)
Mary Ruwart Texas Retired biomedical researcher; Libertarian speaker, writer, and activist (Campaign)
Christine Smith Colorado Humanitarian activist, and writer

Voting for presidential nomination

First ballot

After the first round, six of the eight candidates running moved onto the second round of voting. Mike Jingozian and Christine Smith were both eliminated due to their small percentage of votes. Jingozian endorsed Fmr. Sen. 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
Candidate Total votes cast Percent of votes cast
Bob Barr 153 24.6%
Mary Ruwart 152 24.5%
Wayne Allyn Root 123 19.8%
Mike Gravel 71 11.4%
George Phillies 49 7.9%
Steve Kubby 41 6.6%
Mike Jingozian 23 3.7%
Christine Smith 6 0.9%
Ron Paul (write-in) 6 0.9%
Penn Jillette (write-in) 3 0.4%
NOTA 2 0.3%
Daniel Imperato (write-in) 1 0.2%
Color key: 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th place 5th place 6th place 7th place (tied)

Second ballot

After the second round, five of the six candidates running moved onto 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
Candidate Total votes cast Percent of votes cast
Bob Barr 188 29.7%
Mary Ruwart 162 26.2%
Wayne Allyn Root 138 21.8%
Mike Gravel 73 11.5%
George Phillies 36 5.7%
Steve Kubby 32 5.0%
NOTA 1 0.2%
Stephen Colbert (write-in) 1 0.2%
Color key: 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th place 5th place 6th 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
Candidate Total votes cast Percent of votes cast
Bob Barr 186 29.7%
Mary Ruwart 186 29.7%
Wayne Allyn Root 146 23.3%
Mike Gravel 78 12.4%
George Phillies 31 4.9%
Ron Paul (write-in) 1 0.2%
Color key: 1st place (tied) 2nd place 3rd place 4th place

Fourth ballot

After the fourth vote, three of the four candidates went onto 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
Candidate Total votes cast Percent of votes cast
Bob Barr 202 32.1%
Mary Ruwart 202 32.1%
Wayne Allyn Root 149 23.7%
Mike Gravel 76 12.1%
NOTA 3 0.4%
Color key: 1st place (tied) 2nd place 3rd 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
Candidate Total votes cast Percent of votes cast
Mary Ruwart 229 37.1%
Bob Barr 223 36.1%
Wayne Allyn Root 165 26.7%
NOTA 6 0.9%
Color key: 1st place 2nd place 3rd 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
Candidate Total votes cast Percent of votes cast
Bob Barr 324 51.8%
Mary Ruwart 276 44.1%
NOTA 26 4.2%
Color key: 1st place 2nd 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
Candidate Total votes cast Percent of votes cast
Wayne Allyn Root 269 47.7%
Steve Kubby 209 37.1%
Daniel Williams 40 7.1%
Jim Burnes 27 4.8%
Gail Lightfoot 14 2.5%
NOTA 2 0.4%
Mike Ferguson (write-in) 1 0.2%
Mary Ruwart (write-in) 1 0.2%
Leonard Schwartz 1 0.2%
Color key: 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th place (tied)

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
Candidate Total votes cast Percent of votes cast
Wayne Allyn Root 289 51.0%
Steve Kubby 259 45.7%
Daniel Williams 10 1.8%
NOTA 6 1.1%
Richard ??? (write-in) 1 0.2%
Mike Ferguson (write-in) 1 0.2%
Mary Ruwart (write-in) 1 0.2%
Color key: 1st place 2nd place 3rd place (tied)

See also

References

External links

Wikinews has related news: Bob Barr wins the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
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