In addition to two small towns in New Hampshire, polls have also closed in Guam, where it is already Wednesday morning. While Guam has no electoral votes, the presidential race does appear on the ballot. Libertarian Bob Barr is the only alternative candidate listed, and with about half of Guam’s votes tallied, he has 97 votes, or 0.7% of the total. Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain 8,796 to 5,355.
Barr winning 0.7% of Guam vote
November 4th, 2008 · 10 Comments
Filed Under: Libertarian Party
10 responses so far ↓
1 AnthonyD // Nov 4, 2008 at 10:31 am
Based on Obama winning Guam, CNN is projecting him the winner of the 2008 presidential election. Sean Hannity has heart attack.
2 richardwinger // Nov 4, 2008 at 10:57 am
In 2004, Michael Badnarik got .20% in Guam. Also in 2004, Bush carried Guam almost two to one over Kerry.
3 George Dance // Nov 4, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Hear that? Barr has led us from 0.2% to 0.7% in Guam.
In your face, purists!
4 Bradley in DC // Nov 4, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Results are in from Guam (no electoral votes, but a straw poll) with Obama getting 20,120
 votes, McCain 11,940
 and Barr 212.
http://www.guampdn.com/article/20081105/NEWS03/811050339/-1/NEWSFRONT2
The LP vote is up substantially from last time: In 2004 it voted Bush 21,490; Kerry 11,781; Nader 196; Badnarik 67. Guam has picked the president every election since it started in 1980.
5 paulie cannoli // Nov 4, 2008 at 4:09 pm
So it appears that Barr benefited from being the only alternative candidate on the ballot there this time?
6 George Dance // Nov 4, 2008 at 4:47 pm
What? It ‘appears that Barr got Nader’s votes?
It’s more likely Nader’s votes went into the 8,000 votes the Democrats gained, while Barr’s increase came out of the 9,000 the Republicans lost.
7 paulie cannoli // Nov 4, 2008 at 5:01 pm
What? It ‘appears that Barr got Nader’s votes?
Yes. Many of them are protest votes, not necessarily strictly leftist or rightist.
8 George Dance // Nov 5, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Many of them are protest votes, not necessarily strictly leftist or rightist.
You’ve met these people? Did you petition for us in Guam, or something? Or are you merely speculating?
9 paulie cannoli // Nov 5, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Unless voters in Guam are a lot different than voters elsewhere, the same rules hold forth.
Many votes that alternative parties and independents receive are protest votes against the top two. As such, in the event that one of the alternatives is removed, the next best option for such a voter is either another non-duopoly vote or to not vote at all.
Also, despite some real differences, on some issues -ranging from the bailout, to foreign policy, to the drug war, and more – parties like the CP, GP, LP and independents like Nader have more in common with each other than any of them have with the RP or DP. For people who consider such issues to be primary, this is why they are non-duopoly voters.
Which non-duopoly option is in many cases a secondary concern.
And no, I did not petition Guam. They do not collect signatures, just accept a letter. But I did petition in over 30 states.
10 George Dance // Nov 5, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Yes, I know you’re a petitioner with a great record; that’s why I asked, only half tongue-in-cheek.
I’m aware that some third-party votes are pure protest votes, which are freely transferrable from a socialist party to a libertarian one and back again. Maybe even ‘many’ are; but it’s just as true to say ‘many’ aren’t but vote ideologically instead.
I suspect some of Nader’s 2004 Guam voters stayed home, some went to Obama, and some went to Barr. But I wouldn’t try to guess how many of each that was.
Some of Nader’s suppo
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