The selection of Wayne Root as the Libertarian Party's vice-presidential candidate is in some sense a fluke. It appears so many old LP hands, upset at Bob Barr's win, walked out of the proceedings that Ruwart's endorsed VP candidate Steve Kubby lost, even though Root's VP total was noticeably lower than Barr's final tally. Had the walk-outs stayed, a "unity ticket" was in their grasp.

Now, the gossip is that many of these same disgruntled Ruwart supporters, who control their state LP's ballot line and elector candidates, are considering not running the Barr/Root ticket. Some LP elector nominees have even already declared their intent to vote faithlessly. This is not unheard of in the LP. In 2000, the LP of Arizona placed L. Neil Smith on the Presidential ballot instead of Harry Browne. The LP's one electoral vote in 1972 came from a faithless Nixon elector.

But these "walk-outs" have a chance instead to create an even better "unity ticket" ticket while not irreparably fracturing the national party. These "rogue" state parties could dump Root and place Ron Paul on the ballot as Vice-President. Root, widely distrusted as a warmonger by the old hands in the LP, just dissed Paul a month ago for Paul's lack of militarism.

Paul need not accept these rogue endorsements of course, while he continues to campaign for the GOP nomination. Root would continue to campaign and do media as the official nominee. But this move would put Paul back on the table, even if only as a spectre, and could help propel the nominee Barr up in the polls and into the debates. It would also in a very real way put Paul's name back into the mix as a possible compromise candidate chosen by a faithless electoral college and/or the U.S. House. The LP would de facto have two Presidential candidates on the ballot.

Both the DNC and RNC conventions look to be trainwrecks this year and all the rules are being thrown out the window. Unhappy state LP heads should keep that in mind and think carefully, strategically, and outside the box in the event they do feel honor-bound to offer a rebuke of some sort.