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Libertarian Gary Johnson Announces 2016 White House Run

Luke Skywalker said:
This guy has my vote locked up - the ONLY true conservative (with the possible exception of Rand Paul) whom has entered this race so far. Us Libertarians probably won't win, but we are right and both major parties are wrong. I am choosing to be on the right side, instead of drinking the red or blue cool aid and caving in to all the right/left wing media hype. IF you want real change and/or to really take your country back in 2016, then I hope you'll follow my example.

Donald Duck and/or HiLIARy wouldn't have a prayer if Johnson received half the media attention they do, by the way.

Read more here: Libertarian Gary Johnson Announces 2016 White House Run - NBC News
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Thank goodness. Trump or Sanders had my vote locked for the general but Johnson's got it now, provided the Libertarian Party doesn't pull the same nonsense they did in 2008.
 
beefheart said:
I went to a LP convention once, it was the biggest joke ever. Everyone was all being "an indivdualist" and no consensus on anything could be reached. It is a terribly run embarassment.
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I went to the Republican convention for Nevada in 2008 and they're no better, and are probably much worse. The Romney campaign supporters were flat out caught engaging in fraud.
 
Kobie said:
Gary Johnson was in several major debates four years ago.
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You are half correct - you're referring to the Republican debates of that year (but he was in fact excluded from several of those). I was referring to the general election debates between Romney and Obama.
 
Luke Skywalker said:
Chuckled at that last one - but that aside, I hope you are wrong about people not taking Gary seriously. I think that's all Libertarians want these days - to get the respect they deserve.

I just try to stay positive these days and not abandon the Libertarian Party quite yet.

I will confess that sometimes I want to jump ship myself and throw up my hands and go for one of the other major parties. Then Gary Johnson comes along and announces another candidacy. I really like him, so I'll stick around a little longer.
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On the contrary, I really like Gary, and especially his work on legalizing pot, he is a good guy.
 
beefheart said:
I went to a LP convention once, it was the biggest joke ever. Everyone was all being "an indivdualist" and no consensus on anything could be reached. It is a terribly run embarassment.
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There is a popular saying that rallying libertarians is like herding cats. Perfect analogy, imo.
 
Luke Skywalker said:
We all know this is basically a media war - the guy can't even nudge his way into a major debate.

Look, I still have enough faith in the American people to possibly elect a Libertarian in the White House some day. They just don't really understand what Libertarians stand for - it's Greek to them, or something. Part of the problem is - imho - the way our kids are educated (brainwashed).

Ignorance, however, can be corrected - stupidity can't be. I really believe people - for the most part - are just plain ignorant, which is the mainstream media's fault.
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The Presidential Debates have been a complete joke since they ran the League of Women Voters out of the process.

Gary Johnson would make a terrific POTUS, but the MIC won't allow it to happen. His record as Governor of NM was terrific. Everything POTUS should be except ass-kisser.
 
Maybe he can crack 1 percent this time. Also, libertarians aren't hard to unify, they're just far smaller in numbers than they believe themselves to be.
 
Libertarians remind me of philosophy 101 students. Lots of high minded talk with very little action. Far better suited to be a scholastic philosophy than political party. Nihilism is similar, no one is making that a political party. The problem is at the root- unless you plan on living in the wilderness completely divorced from society you'll have to work with others. That means a compromise of some sort. Political parties that worships individualism never make it passed the same scale as Mensa meetings. Good, smart people but getting them to agree on anything useful and achieving a goal is like herding cats.

Once we start living in apartments and the next door tenant plays his stereo too loud individualism clashes. Libertarians are fun to watch but I doubt a 'true libertarian' makes it to the Oval Office- politics demands many compromises because it is the will of the people, not the will of one guy... :peace
 
notquiteright said:
Libertarians remind me of philosophy 101 students. Lots of high minded talk with very little action. Far better suited to be a scholastic philosophy than political party. Nihilism is similar, no one is making that a political party. The problem is at the root- unless you plan on living in the wilderness completely divorced from society you'll have to work with others. That means a compromise of some sort. Political parties that worships individualism never make it passed the same scale as Mensa meetings. Good, smart people but getting them to agree on anything useful and achieving a goal is like herding cats.

Once we start living in apartments and the next door tenant plays his stereo too loud individualism clashes. Libertarians are fun to watch but I doubt a 'true libertarian' makes it to the Oval Office- politics demands many compromises because it is the will of the people, not the will of one guy... :peace
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A large population where the many compete for the few resources available demands large government. Libertarian is nice if you live in a state like Montana. Otherwise, reality hits.
 
notquiteright said:
Libertarians remind me of philosophy 101 students. Lots of high minded talk with very little action. Far better suited to be a scholastic philosophy than political party. Nihilism is similar, no one is making that a political party. The problem is at the root- unless you plan on living in the wilderness completely divorced from society you'll have to work with others. That means a compromise of some sort. Political parties that worships individualism never make it passed the same scale as Mensa meetings. Good, smart people but getting them to agree on anything useful and achieving a goal is like herding cats.

Once we start living in apartments and the next door tenant plays his stereo too loud individualism clashes. Libertarians are fun to watch but I doubt a 'true libertarian' makes it to the Oval Office- politics demands many compromises because it is the will of the people, not the will of one guy... :peace
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akrunner88 said:
A large population where the many compete for the few resources available demands large government. Libertarian is nice if you live in a state like Montana. Otherwise, reality hits.
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I live in the Maine woods and love my individualism. Could I live in a big city and learn to compromise with others whose beliefs are different than mine? Probably, since I've already been there and done that. Probably wouldn't like it at first, but I'd learn to make due. Could big city folk come to the woods of Maine and learn to survive - especially during the winter time - like I have? Each person has to answer that one for his/her self.

Libertarian minded folk are all about the individual - and believe in teaching the individual to fend for themselves, rather than living off the govt. I'll be candid - I'm currently on govt. disability, though my goal is to get off of it. In my mind, anyway, I won't be a true Libertarian until I do (at least the type of Libertarian I want to be) - one whom is completely self sufficient in all areas of my life.

To be completely honest here - I sometimes have qualms about voting the way I do. But, I've had good jobs and paid into social security in the past, so that notion helps set my mind at ease. I'm currently unemployed (for the record) and not working, though I really do want to work (Maine's job economy is less than stellar, to say the least). Have decided to go back to school and get another (Computer Science) degree in the meantime.

In a nutshell, I still believe in the American dream and am holding out joining - say - the Democrats for awhile. My ancestors always said, "If you can't beat them, join them." So I, along with the Libertarians, will continue to hold out for better times. I haven't given up yet, though I'd be lying if I said that sometimes it isn't tempting.
 
beefheart said:
He is a good guy, but the LP is a freaking joke. In 46 years of running candidates, they have never gotten above 1% in a presidential election, never elected a congressman, never elected a senator. Massive fail.

Only time they elect someone is when a candidates runs for a podunk city or county board and they don't have an opponent.
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The LIBERTARIAN brand in the voting booth is akin to the skull and crossbones on a medicine bottle. American voters shun it like a decaying leper shuns roller coasters in a high wind.

This will mean nothing in 2016. If Trump wins the GOP nomination, the nut vote goes to him anyways.
 
Luke Skywalker said:
This guy has my vote locked up - the ONLY true conservative (with the possible exception of Rand Paul) whom has entered this race so far. Us Libertarians probably won't win, but we are right and both major parties are wrong. I am choosing to be on the right side, instead of drinking the red or blue cool aid and caving in to all the right/left wing media hype. IF you want real change and/or to really take your country back in 2016, then I hope you'll follow my example.

Donald Duck and/or HiLIARy wouldn't have a prayer if Johnson received half the media attention they do, by the way.

Read more here: Libertarian Gary Johnson Announces 2016 White House Run - NBC News
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I'm gonna vote for him....... again!!
 
Luke Skywalker said:
I live in the Maine woods and love my individualism. Could I live in a big city and learn to compromise with others whose beliefs are different than mine? Probably, since I've already been there and done that. Probably wouldn't like it at first, but I'd learn to make due. Could big city folk come to the woods of Maine and learn to survive - especially during the winter time - like I have? Each person has to answer that one for his/her self. Libertarian minded folk are all about the individual - and believe in teaching the individual to fend for themselves, rather than living off the govt. I'll be candid - I'm currently on govt. disability, though my goal is to get off of it. In my mind, anyway, I won't be a true Libertarian until I do (at least the type of Libertarian I want to be) - one whom is completely self sufficient in all areas of my life. To be completely honest here - I sometimes have qualms about voting the way I do. But, I've had good jobs and paid into social security in the past, so that notion helps set my mind at ease. I'm currently unemployed (for the record) and not working, though I really do want to work (Maine's job economy is less than stellar, to say the least). Have decided to go back to school and get another (Computer Science) degree in the meantime. In a nutshell, I still believe in the American dream and am holding out joining - say - the Democrats for awhile. My ancestors always said, "If you can't beat them, join them." So I, along with the Libertarians, will continue to hold out for better times. I haven't given up yet, though I'd be lying if I said that sometimes it isn't tempting.
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How old are you Luke? I'd say scarcely less than 1% of the USofA population could live in the middle of no-where, there wouldn't be much middle of no-where if many did. I'm not new to Libertarian-ism, and there are almost as many versions as libertarians, but quite frankly so very few of the rest of us live off the government. Most all of us 'fend for ourselves'- the government provides services an individual can't provide for themselves- like bridges across rivers, roads, air traffic control, food safety, drug purity, national defense and major transportation networks, treaties, yanno big league stuff.

I'm a Progressive, I live at the end of a gravel road. The end of the power line (rural coop). I have a nice little ranch, my wife is a BA in IT. She got her degree as part of the old school GI Bill, she served her country. I get 60% disability for wounds serving my country. When the last ice storm killed power across lots of Oklahoma I started up my generator- not full power but my private water well, the freezer (full of venison) and fridge, fan to push heat from the wood burning stove. I stuck my truck hauling hay, I walked back home for my tractor in that ice storm- mile and a half- I'm AARP old... I'd say don't confuse rural living with libertarian living.

I note you live in a very Rural state, Maine- I've been there, I'd say even less job opportunities than Oklahoma and much of that work is seasonal. That is a big drawback to living in rural America, hard to find work. Are you going to get government help to go back to school?

I have zero problem with people using government services- but to be honest you're not a libertarian because you live in the woods. I live in the woods, do a lot for myself and still believe in the social safety net that is helping you right now.

Good luck with your education and getting off government assistance... :peace
 
Luke Skywalker said:
Libertarians, on the other hand, operate precisely the opposite. We decide first how we feel about the issues, then try to match a candidate that closely aligns with us.
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Do you still have to sign a loyalty pledge saying you won't oppose the Libertarian Party on any issue?
 
Johnson's problem in 2012 (other than the understood reality is that Libertarians will not get elected) is that he went from being a real potential candidate for president as a republican candidate to an elderly hipster as a republican candidate. I was very disappointed. I would rather see someone like Huntsman be recruited and run for the party nomination or Barr...but someone that would start January 1st, 2017 and not wait to see which nut falls from the republican tree.

The first thing they MUST do is abandon ANY mention of drugs.
 
a351 said:
Maybe he can crack 1 percent this time. Also, libertarians aren't hard to unify, they're just far smaller in numbers than they believe themselves to be.
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How I picture most Libertarians, specially the Ron Paul supporting types.
 
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