Jacobs, LawrenceOstermeier, Eric J.2018-10-082018-10-082008-07-07https://hdl.handle.net/11299/200526Third parties may determine the outcome of the 2008 presidential contest between the presumptive Democratic and Republican Party candidates, Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. Elections in statewide races around the country indicate significant potential support for runs by Libertarian nominee Bob Barr, Ralph Nader, or possibly other candidates. Voter support for a Barr or Nader third party run would re-shuffle the carefully hatched plans of the Democratic and Republican parties. Three of the last 4 presidential elections were impacted by third party campaigns. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader tilted the 2000 election from the Democratic to Republican parties by drawing 97,488 votes in the Florida contest that was decided by 537 votes. Ross Perot influenced the outcome of the 1996 and, especially, the 1992 races. Although Libertarian presidential candidates have not received more than 0.5 percent of the vote since 1980, they have placed their candidate’s name on every presidential ballot since 1972, and have achieved ballot access in at least 36 states in every year since 1980. The Party has won enough votes in statewide races to contribute to the defeat of many Republicans (e.g. Democrat Jim Doyle’s 2002 Wisconsin Gubernatorial win and Democrat Tim Johnson’s 2002 South Dakota U.S. Senate victory). Third party candidates have also recently won statewide races for U.S. Senate (Connecticut’s Joe Lieberman and Vermont’s Bernie Sanders in 2006) and governor (Minnesota’s Jesse Ventura and Maine’s Angus King in 1998).enthird partyimpactReport