But that’s exactly how Libertarian nominee and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson introduced himself before a campaign rally Saturday on Boston Common-just across the street from the old office of his running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.
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Ms. Tate says her enthusiasm for Johnson has replaced her initial dislike of the Republican and Democratic candidates. I disagree with any assumption that the only alternative is to vote for no one.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday evening shows that 62% of likely voters are interested in hearing from Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson during the debates, and having an option besides Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“Based on the polling information, they’ve identified Wisconsin as being a target state”, Anderson said. Recent four-way polling (featuring Johnson, along with Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Green Party candidate Jill Stein) has him in the high single digits, with some state polling placing him right at the necessary number.
Clinton and Trump are disliked by most voters, and that could leave the door wide open for Johnson. Johnson is at 10 percent in a secondary question contained in the Quinnipiac poll results. Sure, their respective followings might be far below those of the major party candidates, but the primary debates have consisted of candidates whose poll numbers were negligible at the time of their performance.
“This type of opportunity for a third party does not come around very often”, Republican Ford O’Connell told the Herald, citing Ross Perot’s 1992 White House bid as the last great third-party run.
Johnson tweeted to his 300,000 followers: “2016 could be the year when the two party hold on American elections falls apart – and it’s about time”. “Like Ralph Nader did in 2000 with Al Gore, in that Nader was the difference in Florida which ended up giving the election to George Bush”.
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“Your vote is your expression of what you believe in and the candidates you believe in”, Anderson said. Johnson averages between 8% and 11% nationwide, but isn’t always included in Presidential polls.
