Gary Johnson plans to run against Rand in 2016

[eleganz]

Gary Johnson lost a top 2016 staffer because he said he knew he wasn't going to win but wanted to run anyway.

 

[erowe1]

Gary Johnson lost a top 2016 staffer because he said he knew he wasn't going to win but wanted to run anyway.

What did that staffer want him to say?

 

[philipped]

I'm actually trying to figure why it does exist. It certainly isn't to win elections. I was an active member of the LP for over 20 years with the naïve belief that if we could get the message out, we could start winning. After all, the libertarian message seemed to align with the winning side of nearly every issue in poll after poll.

The problem with the LP, (and it rears its head in these forums as well), is that there are so many factions that continually fight each other over who is rightly entitled to hold the helm of the ideology. It's a circular firing squad. I became finally became disillusioned after discovering that the party is not really about trying to restore liberty, but more about a fighting ground for contrarians. I hope one day they'll be something different, but I haven't seen any evidence of that as of yet.

So with that being said the Republican Party will become the "libertarian party" (emphasis on the lower cases on both words).

 

[cajuncocoa]

I'm actually trying to figure why it does exist. It certainly isn't to win elections. I was an active member of the LP for over 20 years with the naïve belief that if we could get the message out, we could start winning. After all, the libertarian message seemed to align with the winning side of nearly every issue in poll after poll.

The problem with the LP, (and it rears its head in these forums as well), is that there are so many factions that continually fight each other over who is rightly entitled to hold the helm of the ideology. It's a circular firing squad. I became finally became disillusioned after discovering that the party is not really about trying to restore liberty, but more about a fighting ground for contrarians. I hope one day they'll be something different, but I haven't seen any evidence of that as of yet.

Did you ever consider that the PTB in both major parties don't want that message to get out?

When Ron Paul delegates won the right to be heard at the party convention, their voice was silenced. Along the way, our people had all sorts of dirty tricks played against them. Bones were literally broken.

The "inroads" that some think are being made in the GOP are with a watered-down libertarian message at best. Even that only goes so far. How many times has it been said on this board that Rand is only saying this or that because it's the only way he can win the nomination? Even with that, the establishment isn't happy with him (and libertarians are grinning and bearing it, even as we're told he doesn't need us, and doesn't want us).

i guess that's why the LP exists. Whether they have a chance of winning or not, they give those of us looking for freedom and liberty something other than lip service. Just in case the establishment pisses on Rand as they did to his father.

 

[JJ2]

Gary Johnson lost a top 2016 staffer because he said he knew he wasn't going to win but wanted to run anyway.

That reminds me of all the questions from the media in 2012 to Ron asking him why he was running when he knew he couldn't win, etc. Ugh, awful memories, lol. I hope we don't have to put up with any of that with Rand running!

 

[dillo]

abortion is the great divide among libertarian leaning individuals imo

 

[JohnM]

I'm actually trying to figure why it does exist. It certainly isn't to win elections.

And it is very, very unlikely that the LP will ever start winning elections.

It probably exists for a variety of reasons, most of which are not very good.

There is, in my opinion, only one good reason for the existence of a party which cannot win elections, and that is to educate the general public and get the message of liberty out into the country.

Whether forming a political party is the most helpful way of doing that is, of course, open to debate. I suspect that Ron Paul managed to get a much more effective hearing for libertarianism by seeking the nomination of the Republican Party in 2008 than by being the Libertarian nominee in 1988.

 

[NACBA]

Gary Johnson’s foolish Rand stand

W. James Antle III, Rare Contributor
Posted on November 7, 2014 10:09 am

Republican Ed Gillespie will not be the next senator from Virginia. He lost to incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Warner by about 0.77 percentage points.
Libertarian Robert Sarvis, widely regarded as a spoiler in Virginia’s 2013 gubernatorial election as well, received 2.45 percent of the vote.
“It seems only fitting that we Democrats stop licking our bruises long enough to say thanks to Mr. Sarvis,” a Virginia Democrat wrote in a Washington Post letter to the editor.
North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis did manage to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan. But Libertarian Sean Haugh’s 3.75 percent of the vote was more than double Tillis’ margin of victory.
And former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson told Newsmax he was planning to run for president again in 2016 to provide a real libertarian alternative to… Rand Paul.
The liberty movement, made up of constitutional conservatives and small-l libertarians, is trying to figure out how best to insert liberty and limited government into the mainstream political debate.

Read more at http://rare.us/story/gary-johnsons-foolish-rand-stand/#RKMIdrSxA0wRvwMy.99

 

[Christian Liberty]

Is there any good reason for me to care that Gillespie lost?

 

[VIDEODROME]

They ran candidates in 2008 and 2012 against Ron Paul as well, when the latter was pretty much a gift-wrapped miracle from above to every libertarian-minded person following the elections. Yes, the Libertarian Party most assuredly is that stupid, not to mention selfishly invested in their own egos.

I think on principle, Gary feels he can participate in the debates, unlike last time when he got shafted even more than Ron Paul.

I also wonder if the outcome of this could be an outreach to someone like Rand Paul to get the Libertarian candidate in as the VP or another cabinet position, whether it is Gary or someone else.

 

[surf]

I owe you another +rep

me too. well said Peace&Freedom.

Rand, nor any other republican or democrat, are not entitled to votes or support. if Rand goes neocon, he'll lose many of us.

i'm hoping none of you hear trot out the "wasted vote" line. I voted for GJ last time and wrote in Ron in '08 even though i'm an "elected" republican here.

Ron Paul is a libertarian and so am I. there is no need to belittle libertarians... many of us were essentially the momentum and force that kick-started the '08 campaign.

that said, i'm still planning on being a delegate to at least a few upcoming conventions supporting Rand for '16.

 

[H. E. Panqui]

Surf pretends: "if Rand goes neocon, he'll lose many of us."

:roll:

Good grief!!..he's already swabbed stinking romney's arse..stinking mcconnell...apologized for the stinking drug war...pledged $upport to the crazed, murderous IZraelis..WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE 'NEOCON' LABEL?!?

 

[NOVALibertarian]

Surf pretends: "if Rand goes neocon, he'll lose many of us."

:roll:

Good grief!!..he's already swabbed stinking romney's arse..stinking mcconnell...apologized for the stinking drug war...pledged $upport to the crazed, murderous IZraelis..WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE 'NEOCON' LABEL?!?

That doesn't make one a Neo-Conservative. Grow up.

 

[specsaregood]

I think on principle, Gary feels he can participate in the debates, unlike last time when he got shafted even more than Ron Paul.

I'll predict the same thing as I predicted months ago. If Randal secures the GOP nomination, all of a sudden the debates commission will change their position and let in every single 3rd party presidential candidate they can think of.

 

[satchelmcqueen]

i say bring it on with gary. the more libertarians we have on stage the better. i think in the end gary will help rand when it matters. he helped ron in case you forgot. he was the only one on stage to name ron as the guy he looks up to.

 

[surf]

Surf pretends: "if Rand goes neocon, he'll lose many of us."

:roll:

Good grief!!..he's already swabbed stinking romney's arse..stinking mcconnell...apologized for the stinking drug war...pledged $upport to the crazed, murderous IZraelis..WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE 'NEOCON' LABEL?!?

ok, i'd like to change it to more neocon....

 

[RandallFan]

Gary Johnson is the perfect candidate to run. The last thing Rand needs is Pat Buchanan or Perot or Huckabee running bashing illegal immigration, trade or gay marriage. Gary Johnson's condescending views on illegal immigration are great for the GOP.

 

[idiom]

Oh Gary. Can't you run for Senate or something? You would be useful there.

Surely this would make more sense, run for senate or congress from Utah, possibly as independent. Get elected on Rands coat-tails instead of opposing him.

LP people should be identifying ways to land their first national candidates, by overturning dem incumbents on the Randslide, possibly getting the Repubs not to field a candidate.

Or run as GOP, get elected, then change parties for 2018 and get re-elected on your amazing record.