The definition of “libertarian” in this case is even less exact than usual. They asked voters to define themselves as liberal, moderate, conservative, or “not sure” with respect to both fiscal and social policy, then plotted them in a 16-box matrix. If you consider yourself fiscally conservative and socially liberal, voila — you’re a libertarian. The unpolled X factor, of course, is foreign policy, which presumably is acting as a sort of tiebreaker between the anti-war social liberal Obama and the pro-war fiscal conservative McCain. I’m still surprised, though, as Maverick’s reputation for maverick-iness and his famous “agents of intolerance” speech in 2000 aimed at Robertson and Falwell has led some voters (sometimes to his detriment) to believe he’s more socially liberal than his voting record would suggest. Either libertarians aren’t fooled or they don’t care. Or, of course, maybe they agree with the Democratic narrative that McCain is Bush III and are voting for, ahem, Change, irrespective of the actual policies being offered.

The silver lining: Maybe this means Bob Barr does more damage to Obama than to McCain. The gray cloud:

The next biggest block of voters, representing 20% of all voters, are both fiscally and socially moderate. Forty-nine percent (49%) of these voters are Democrats and 33% are not affiliated with either major party. They are a bit less likely than the population at large to have completed college but demographically reflect the nation in most ways. Obama leads among these voters 59% to 30%.

Moderate/moderate voters aren’t a perfect proxy for independents or undecideds, but they may be the best of the 16 groups here. 59/30, with only 18% identifying as Republican, doesn’t inspire confidence.

Here’s a clip from last month of America’s Greatest Patriot acknowledging the overlap between his supporters/cult followers and Obama’s even while he derides Obama as an agent of the status quo, particularly with regard to keeping troops in Afghanistan. Or, as I like to call it, the war Ron Paul forgot he voted for.