How does Gary Johnson fit into 2012?

[Nathan Hale]

Well motivated core supporters makes campaign money go a lot further than unmotivated supporters.

Ron Paul will have a lot of volunteers. Johnson will have a lot of staff.

You're assuming that Johnson won't have motivated supporters. There is a large Johnson following on these very boards. He has core support as well. my point was that his ability to talk "inside the box" to some extent allows him to reach out to moderates in ways that Paul couldn't.

 

[Nathan Hale]

I don't think it has anything to do with Ron being "too far out there", that implies people heard his message and rejected him. In my experience with the campaign in 2008, I'd say the major stumbling block was the average voter not knowing who he was or hearing his message. If they did hear anything it was a tiny snippet.

The problem is that candidates only get to communicate in snippets and sound bites during a primary run. That's why I said that Paul was "too far out there" - because his positions require prospective voters to practically read a white paper in order to be brought up to speed. Sorry, but we don't have that opportunity. We need a candidate who can articulate some form of the message in snippets and soundbites.

 

[Elwar]

You're assuming that Johnson won't have motivated supporters. There is a large Johnson following on these very boards. He has core support as well. my point was that his ability to talk "inside the box" to some extent allows him to reach out to moderates in ways that Paul couldn't.

I'm just going by what I've observed so far in his "campaign". He's taken a decidedly more mainstream approach.

Ron Paul was pushing for an end of the Income Tax. Johnson is pushing for smarter tax laws, perhaps the Fair Tax though he would support an end to the Income Tax.

Ron Paul wants to End the Fed. Johnson believes that the Federal Reserve needs to handle things more carefully and wants an audit and he would sign a bill if it showed up on his desk getting rid of the Fed.

Those are smart positions to take, but not positions that get your juices flowing and make you want to go stop strangers on the street and plead with them to go check him out.

He will have core supporters. Myself being one of them (check out garyjohnson2012.com). But I don't see people willing to sell their homes or plaster their cars with stickers or risk going to jail for his more mainstream stances.

 

[newyearsrevolution08]

I agree with that for sure,

If he ran on an economic/health plan he could have done great. I think his overall views were picked apart and made him look too far out there for sure. Its sad that "too far out there" is actually where we should be and sad to see how far we have come over the years to end up where we currently are and the state of our country and the world in general.

 

[Nathan Hale]

He will have core supporters. Myself being one of them (check out garyjohnson2012.com). But I don't see people willing to sell their homes or plaster their cars with stickers or risk going to jail for his more mainstream stances.

That's the thing - Gary Johnson doesn't need people willing to sell their homes and go to jail for him. That stuff makes for fine and dandy anecdotal shenanigans, but what does it actually do? Johnson needs a core support group willing to organize and work for the cause, and he's far enough outside the box to generate that level of enthusiasm.

 

[Megzabucks]

I think Gary Johnson has a lot of supporters and I think he has the potential to gain even more as he keeps moving around the country. I think if he keeps going at this pace he has a really good chance. I mean that guy has been everywhere! I personally hope he keeps up the stamina because I would love to see him run!