Don’t Like Hillary Or Trump? Try A Third Party, Libertarian Gary Johnson Calls Trump A Bad Name
The Republican establishment hates their front runner candidate and the Democrat mainstream is squashing their grassroots challenger so maybe it’s time for Americans to elect a third party candidate.
That’s what former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, a Libertarian, hopes for as he pushes his third party candidacy into overdrive.
Wednesday, Johnson cast himself as the real winner of Super Tuesday after Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton walked away with resounding victories, reports the Washington Times.
“I actually believe I may have won Super Tuesday.”
Libertarian hopeful @GovGaryJohnson: 'I may have won Super Tuesday'. https://t.co/QF5InRhKQv @WashTimes @LPNational pic.twitter.com/rrBh6VQziv
— Jennifer Harper (@harperbulletin) March 2, 2016
Johnson, the likely Libertarian Party nominee for president bills himself as the only real mainstream candidate capable of connecting with the silent majority of Americans, reports the Albuquerque Journal. He hopes voters who are unhappy with both the Republican and the Democrat parties will flock to his third party banner.
“With the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton trains becoming more and more unstoppable in their respective parties, I believe a real majority of American voters are going to be left without a political home in November. To those millions of voters, a successful two-term Governor with a solid record of fiscal responsibility and defense of civil and personal liberties could well be the mainstream option.”
He’s certainly no Trump fan. During a Libertarian debate last weekend third party candidate Gary Johnson called Donald a word that is crude slang for a wimp.
Gary Johnson tells conservatives: "I am the third party" https://t.co/yFHZnuO1vg #CPAC2016 pic.twitter.com/DtoGU4oY6c
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 3, 2016
The former New Mexico governor ran for president in 2012 and only got 1 percent of the electorate with 1.3 million votes, but Johnson hopes this election will be different because of the polarizing political war going on, reports the Washington Times.
“Both of the major parties are succeeding in alienating more voters than ever before. The Democrat establishment is effectively shutting down its challengers, and Republicans are clearly rejecting their establishment. The net result may be that more Americans than ever before will be looking to a truly independent, experienced and proven candidate.”
Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson Warmly Received at CPAC https://t.co/kIMvyZCKvr
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 3, 2016
Thursday, Johnson called on conservatives to help him get into the next presidential debate hosted by Fox Business Network host John Stossel. He’s already sued the Presidential Debate Commission hoping to join the mainstream presidential candidates on stage, but failed.
The Libertarian Party will be on the ballot in all 50 states so voters who feel disenfranchised by the current political climate might want to consider third party candidate Johnson as an alternative.
For the record Johnson is pro-choice, but doesn’t want government to pay for abortions, he doesn’t believe in bailouts for corporations and wants to reduce the national debt by cutting entitlement programs and supports legal prostitution.
Johnson supports same sex marriage and equal rights, wants to eliminate corporate taxes, is against the death penalty, supports the legalization of marijuana and an end to the war on drugs.
The former governor supports school vouchers, is against student loans, wants to expand clean energy and wants to end foreign aid except for special circumstances. Johnson supports gun ownership and wants to end ObamaCare and Medicare, according to On The Issues.
The third party Libertarian candidate has alternatively been called the sanest man running for president and a pipe dreamer, but his real problem is getting attention. Third party candidates traditionally have a difficult time breaking into the mainstream and grabbing the attention of voters who would rather support a more mainstream Democrat or Republican.
Maybe that’s why he recently went on TV extolling his virtues as a athlete.
What do you think? Would you ever support a third party candidate?
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Alex Wong/David Becker/Getty Images]
