The idea is that if you make the next closest guy to your ideals lose, then next time around they will lean more your way. If the libertarian vote was to cost the Republicans the election, it might very well get them to put forward a candidate who isn't as eager to spend my money as any other democrat.
That almost happened in 1997. Christie Whitman, rumored to be a closet Republican, ran against McGreevey. Murray Sabrin, the LP candidate, nearly cost her the election. (He had a lot of pro-life voter support.)
Notice how the NJ GOP got noticeably less "eager to spend my money as any other democrat", or how they moved in a pro-life direction?
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The idea is that if you make the next closest guy to your ideals lose, then next time around they will lean more your way. If the libertarian vote was to cost the Republicans the election, it might very well get them to put forward a candidate who isn't as eager to spend my money as any other democrat.
That almost happened in 1997. Christie Whitman, rumored to be a closet Republican, ran against McGreevey. Murray Sabrin, the LP candidate, nearly cost her the election. (He had a lot of pro-life voter support.)
Notice how the NJ GOP got noticeably less "eager to spend my money as any other democrat", or how they moved in a pro-life direction?
Neither did I.