Gravel decides to go Libertarian

The reality is I don't think Mike Gravel will do any better as a Libertarian candidate given his numbers as a Democrat but it was interesting to learn that:

WASHINGTON (CNN) – One-time Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Gravel announced Wednesday he is abandoning his political party and will run for the White House as a Libertarian.

Gravel, a former senator whose presidential campaign was never taken seriously by most political observers, made the proclamation in a message posted on his Web site.

“The fact is, the Democratic Party today is no longer the party of FDR,” Gravel said. “It is a party that continues to sustain war, the military-industrial complex and imperialism — all of which I find anathema to my views.”

Personally I think Ron Paul would be the candidate that could get a larger following if he would have been the one to make the jump but he's stated on the record that he is not going to make a third party run.