DENVER — A multi-ballot battle for the Libertarian Party’s
presidential nomination is almost guaranteed, now that the party
has posted the official results of the
delegate-token count:
Bob Barr (94 tokens)
Wayne Allyn Root (94 tokens)
Mary Ruwart (94 tokens)
Mike Gravel (67 tokens)
Mike Jingozian (63 tokens)
George Phillies (62 tokens)
Steve Kubby (60 tokens)
That’s a total of 534 tokens, meaning that nearly 100 delegates
didn’t give their tokens to any candidate, or else gave tokens to
one of the seven declared candidates who didn’t make the cut. At
any rate, Barr’s token count (even allowing a cushion for the
tokens his campaign lent to Gravel) amounts to less than one-sixth
of the more than 600 delegates. Barr will probably get a larger
first-round vote, but it looks nearly impossible for him to get the
300+ votes needed for a majority on the first ballot.
Lots of intrigue and horse-trading can be expected, and Team
Barr face an obvious challenge from the LP’s more radical bloc. If
Jingozian, Phillies, and Kubby throw their support to Ruwart to
form an anti-Barr alliance, that would put Ruwart — the sweetheart
of the radicals — close to a majority of the delegates. (Oh, all
those ignorant MSM reporters who thought the nomination was a done
deal for Barr!)
Meanwhile, at 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MT), Jim Pinkerton will moderate
the seven-candidate debate on C-SPAN tonight.
Here’s video of Barr addressing his supporters this
afternoon: