Libertarians a factor in key Senate races but downplay GOP spoiler theory

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

Libertarian voters, advocating everything from less government to legalized pot, seem the perfect wildcard in any November election, peeling off Democratic or Republican votes.

 

However, their stronger allegiance to the Republican Party and frequent opposition to it establishment candidates continue to create more problems for GOP nominees in general elections. And this year may be no different, as libertarian candidates threaten to drain votes from Republicans in key races.

 

The most high-impact race this year will likely be in New Hampshire, where Libertarian candidate Gardner Goldsmith is complicating Senate Republican candidate Scott Brown’s bid to defeat incumbent Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and help his party take control of the upper chamber.

 

Brown trails Shaheen by 10 percentage points (39-49) with Goldsmith taking 2 points and 9 percent of voters still undecided, according to the most recent Suffolk University/ Boston Herald poll.

 

While Goldsmith’s 2 percentage points might appear too small to decide the race, political observers argue New Hampshire voters have a history of supporting independent candidates, which means that Goldsmith could take a big chuck of the undecided vote and block Brown’s potential path to victory.

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Libertarians of the Fall?