Despite never attracting more than about 1 percent of the presidential vote, a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll showed nearly half of the country is interested in the possibility of a third party alternative, with Johnson gathering 10 percent support in a recent Fox News poll.
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“I don’t talk about his alcoholism”, Mr. Trump told The New York Times this weekend, “so why would he talk about my foolishly perceived fascism?” He hopes to capitalize on the dissatisfaction with the presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and the likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Gary Johnson won the Libertarian presidential nomination on second ballot at the Libertarian National Convention today, and while he expects socially liberal voters will gravitate toward his candidacy, particular constituencies like LGBT activists will need to come to him rather than the other way around.
Weld secured the nomination on the second ballot, with 50.6 percent of the vote, beating out his nearest rival, Larry Sharpe, by 32 votes.
The Libertarian Party of Arkansas has a candidate running in every congressional office (Democrats are challenging just two seats) along with a handful of state legislature and justice of the peace races.
“This is the best message team going forward”, Johnson, the Libertarians’ presidential nominee, told reporters after Weld won the vice presidential nomination. Weld, 70, was MA governor from 1991 to 1997, also as a Republican.
Most delegates believe Johnson and Weld’s statehouse experience will be an asset, though, for a party that has always been overlooked.
On fiscal matters, Libertarians push for reduced spending and taxes, saying the federal government has gotten too big across the board. Sarwark also said he had been speaking to Matt Kibbe, former president of conservative advocacy group Freedomworks, about supporting the party’s nominee.
Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson will run for president of the United States.
He insisted that his frank approach would appeal to disaffected voters and help the long-marginal Libertarians achieve “major-party status”.
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The convention at times got rowdy. Delegates stormed through the halls with signs and chants. At issue was Weld’s ability to present Libertarian ideas and values on a national stage.
