As the Kos Komrades revel in their current victory of Democrats over Republicans, those of us in the real Libertarian community sadly ready ourselves for another tough two years. 
Our standard of success is a little different. Making the ballot, participating in debates and raising a sliver of the money needed for serious assaults on Olympus.
Ours is a quixotic union. While the 'best & the brightest' cling to the statist and collectivist revisions of the electoral shuffle, we seem to take the refugees from the geeks and the freaks. It's just hard for us to promise better government, let alone more. Despite what our brains relay as rational political behavior, somehow our hearts take up the call to resistance every cycle. Yet few listen to our message.
We are vilified as kooks, extremists and outright radicals. Yet, while our philosophy is never practiced, we cannot make inroads on what we deem as just plain old bad policy, be it Red or Blue. Suddenly though, we are are the new swing vote. NASCAR and soccer moms be damned. There's a sizable percentage of socially progressive and fiscally responsible oriented who will now be sought to swing the immutable power structures in place.
Unfortunately the power of radical ideas and minimalist sovereignty needs has not translated to anything substantial in the last thirty years. The Libertarian Party is saddled with a new schism desiring political power and an old core faithful to the principle of non-aggression in all aspects of life. To latter it is conforting to label opponents violent statists. To the former it is horrifying to alienate a potential base.
Beyond this infighting, is the practical orientation that American Democracy while it may tolerate competiton in the electoral arena, it does not want it. Ballot access, proportional representation and IRV, STV or Range voting have no place in the power players dialogue or mindset. It is simply a matter of countering the radicals in the opposition towards a centrist or moderate motion in legislation. Thus the reason you often see Libertarians and Greens align. We our poor cousin outsiders in the big game. Too principled, too impractical. While both the GOP and Dems say come join us, the believers will always resist.