We have a natural fit with Colorado. I embrace the notion of being a spoiler. The two-party system is outdated. Politics right now is very status quo. It’s really like a non-choice.Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson • Discussing the role he could play in Colorado, where the race is very tight and the state’s marijuana ballot initiative plays to his base’s strengths. He stands a chance to make an impact in the state than most for a few reasons: Libertarians tend to do better in western states, the party was founded in Colorado, and he’s perhaps the best-known candidate on the ballot who supports legalization — which is a hot topic in the state. Depending on how he does, he could take votes away from either Obama or Romney. Spoiler, indeed.
Yes, he can! After failing to win the hearts of Republican primary voters, former New Mexico GovernorGary Johnson will appear as the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate on 47 states’ ballots this year. While we feel confident that Johnson won’t win the presidency, it’s not unfeasible that he could have an effect on the outcome. As Politico points out, 2008 Libertarian candidate Bob Barr received over 25,000 votes in North Carolina last cycle. John McCain lost the state by less than 15,000. (Photo credit: AP).
» Reminder: None of these candidates are running for the Republican nomination anymore.
We are just fed up with the two-party system. The Democratic Party, I think, has turned their backs on gay rights, marriage equality, their anti-war base, their anti-drug war sentiment. …Republicans are no longer the stewards of the pocketbook. Republicans are no longer good stewards of tax dollars.Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson • Giving a mission statement of sorts as he makes it official — former Republican candidate and governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson has leapt over to the Libertarian Party to mount a third-party candidacy for president. Johnson was a popular governor in New Mexico at the time of his departure, and boasts a platform that was markedly unorthodox for the present GOP field (save the occasional overlap with Ron Paul, who Johnson endorsed in 2008). Should he gain any traction, a Johnson candidacy could have a scale-tipping effect in 2012, as the recent polling surge by Ron Paul illustrates a decent spate of GOP voters are willing to look at a different brand of conservative this cycle. source (via • follow)
Gary Johnson: Exclude me GOP?!? I’m gonna run as a Libertarian, jerks!: After showing up in a grand total of one major debate (in which he made a dog poo joke), the former New Mexico governor will take a stab at running on a third-party ticket. Think he might have a shot? source
Journalist-Source relationship in 2011. Sponsored by Apple.
The 2012 presidential campaign: Where no encounter is too absurd.
I don’t want for a second for anyone to think that we didn’t screw up.Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson • Owning up to his longshot presidential campaign’s total fail, in which they had to rush to New Hampshire on Friday to fill out paperwork in person ahead of a major deadline, because they forgot to file. “Bottom line, we just screwed up,” he said. Props to Johnson for being honest about it. It’s kind of endearing, and most presidential candidates wouldn’t be so honest about their failings. source (via • follow)
Did Gary Johnson forget to file in New Hampshire? He did, forcing an emergency trip to the state to file in person (a total pain because he was supposed to be in Arizona this weekend). That’s gotta be a load of dog doo that’s gonna be hard to wipe off his boots.
(Source: twitter.com)
Gary Johnson just said he’d name Ron Paul as his running mate if nominated! Johnson / Paul ‘12!
One of these things is not like the other. Could they have found a better photo of Gary Johnson?
But seriously … I am not kidding.
I’m not watching all of...
Yahoo wants to buy Hulu now too. They’re going on an “I...
I’m moving back to New York in a few days. Unlike past...
OMG. I got so...
In this week’s Newsweek, a little...
Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
Welcome to the Fox News-Google Debate, the third in fifteen days for the GOP presidential hopefuls and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson’s first trip to the debate stage with the national spotlight firmly on the primary.
Decoder has prepped debate primers before - see our tea party debate primer, and Iowa debate bit - but this time we’ve lassoed some of Tumblr’s most interesting political commentators for their perceptions, expectations and questions about tonight’s debate. (For the questions they would ask, see our prior post with commentary from Bart Hinckle, MostlyPolitical and HipsterLibertarian.)
Below, you’ll hear from:
- Evilteabagger
- Ilya Gerner
- Josh Sternberg
- Political Prof
- PantlessProgressive
- Shortformblog, with whom we are liveblogging the debate at Tumblr tag “Google Debate.”
Click the link to read all their thoughts, including ours, where we suggest the wild idea of a debate sponsored by Politifact. More soon!
Gary Johnson saddles up: The former New Mexico governor made it official today — he’ll be running for the GOP nomination in 2012. Johnson’s cut from a libertarian cloth, but has the sort of ideological tether to that philosophy that may make some traditional, establishment Republicans antsy; Johnson is in favor of legalizing marijuana, for example, and contradicts the party’s usual hard-line stance on Mexican border security and fence-building (a pitch which prompted CPAC to awkwardly “play him off” the stage). Given his stance on legalizin’ it, though, we wish he’d gone full-bore and announced his candidacy yesterday. source
» Okay, okay. It’s probably just statistical noise. Nevertheless, if the former governor of New Mexico is indeed planning a run for President, he really needs to put himself out there more, lest he become this year’s Fred Thompson.
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