[ConstantineX]

The real cost-effectiveness of organizing and possible political implications of that organizing is lower than you might think. First of all, there are very few libertarians or ACers, and particularly regarding the nature of the ideology that group, they are hardly expected to agree on an ideal strategy or candidate. Even after this organization, there is considerable time-lag between this small voting bloc and implementable policy. Just by the very nature of the American political system, a libertarian voting would be investing in a powerful central executive branch to somehow promote liberty. An ACer paradoxically would be voting for a liberty-reducing organization (the government) to promote liberty, trying to vote out of gerrymandered districts lead by powerful Senators, in league with a uniquely powerful President, to effect real changes. By that virtue, those individuals have far too much power over their vision.

Indeed, the government is traditionally conservative - not in the political sense - until some exogenous shock, economically or socially, presents itself. They twiddle a minimum wage law here, some appropriation funding there, but until some crisis or BIG problem arises, it's much of the same. The most recent shock for Bush was September 11th, and it geared his Administration's outlook. Perhaps some neo-con voters believe if he had take more swift action earlier versus Iraq, he may have been able to prevent it. I doubt any amount of democratic fundamentalism amongst libertarians and ACers to effectuate change would have done anything; populism amongst the "citizen-minded" is most often mere theatrics and meaningless showmanship.

So there we have it. A great deal of collective effort expended by individualist-minded peple to invest in a strategy headed by powerful leaders who respond to exogenous shocks rather than democratic pressure for the abstract ideals of liberty that have distributed long-term benefits rather than immediate short-term goals. And you're surprised that many people don't vote?