GOP presidential candidate (and two term Governor of New Mexico) Gary Johnson is leaving the GOP to run for President as a Libertarian. His frustration and being omitted from the debates and the polls finally drove him out of the Republican Party.
Frankly I doubt it will have an effect on the outcome in November 2012, as few vote for most third party candidates. Still, the LP now has a former governor running as its premier candidate. Way to go, GOP!
The LP nomination for Johnson is far from guaranteed — the governor is a “weak” Libertarian compared to the more ideological folks running within the LP. But his elected status should give him the frontrunner position at the LP national convention.
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/johnson-libertarian-gop-president/2011/12/14/id/421034?s=al&promo_code=DB78-1
Comments 2
I still do not understand by what logic Gary Johnson was excluded from the GOP debating circuit/circus. If you are going to include Santorum, Bachmann, or Cain, shouldn’t he have also been there? Time spent on dialogue about the insanity of our current drug policy would have been much more productive than discussing “9/9/9” or whether the HPV vacine causes retardation or any of the other inane questions that have been asked. Damn shame and an opportunity missed.
Gary Johnson is a true Libertarian and could be good for the party. The party has grown a lot and is increasing its fundraising and marketing from the Libertarian National Campaign Committee. If Ron Paul gets the nomination he could be his VP ticket. Libertarians are still sour from the 2008 Bob Barr nomination for LP presidential candidate (Barr recently endorsed Newt Gingrich).
If Johnson does get the nomination of the Libertarian Party for president at the Las Vegas National Convention, his running mate could be the 2008 VP nominee and Obama’s Columbia University classmate, Wayne Allyn Root.