As expected the majority of Libertarian delegates at the party's National Convention threw away their principles to nominate former Republican Congressman and reactionary carperbagger Bob Barr as their candidate for president. The author of the Barr Amendment effectively prohibiting medicinal marijuana in the District of Columbia, and head cheerleader for the Clinton impeachment fiasco, will now carry the banner of the Party which purports to stand for individual liberty against neoconservative wars and oppressive social policies.
I don't think Barr will get many more votes than previous LP candidates. I know a lot of principled Libertarians who will stay home rather than vote for a political hack who looks like he's having a tooth pulled every time he has to apologize for his previous stance on important issues. OTOH I expect the votes he loses from libertarian purists will be replaced by GOP reactionaries who otherwise might hold their noses and vote for McCain. This could be significant in Barr's home state of Georgia and perhaps some other states as well, especially in the Bible belt and deep South.