Since Johnson just committed harakiri on live TV, where do his voters go?

[kentuck]

Last edited Thu Sep 8, 2016, 06:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Since he was a Republican Governor and is running with a Republican ex-Governor, I would think most of his support would go to Donald Trump. That is not good news for the Clinton campaign.

It is very depressing. The media is not our friend.

[LisaL]

1. They don't have to go anywhere.

It's not like he actually had a shot at becoming president.

[mainstreetonce]

2. He should resign and let his .vP head the ticket

Is that possible?

[roamer65]

45. Bill Weld would win the election.

Be careful what you wish for...you just may get it. He was a very popular moderate Republican governor of MA.

Weld used to work with HRC and they like each other, probably due their focus on the details. Bill is very versed on a wide range of policy and debates extremely well. If he is in the VP debate, he will win it.

[Blue_Tires]

3. They'll probably write-in Rand Paul or some bullshit...

[radical noodle]

4. I don't think so

The reason so many were considering Johnson is because they'd already determined that Trump was unfit. I don't think they'll suddenly think that Trump is worth voting for.

[bigdarryl]

27. There was a poll out a few months ago saying Johnson took

More votes from Hillary than Trump.

[womanofthehills]

44. He was a Republican when he was gov of NM

and here in NM, the only people I meet who are voting for him are Republicans.

[Odin2005]

5. What did he do?

[LisaL]

7. Here.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/libertarian-presidential-candidate-gary-johnson-asks-aleppo-tv/story?id=41944791

[Odin2005]

9. Holy shit!

[doc03]

26. What is the big deal Trump shows he is that stupid every day and

nobody gives a damn?

[jonno99]

51. It's the hair! (and johnson doesn't have it!)

[Chiyo-chichi]

6. With the most recent round of polls that show a closer race,

several media outlets have posited that Johnson had pulled more voters from Hillary than Trump. If that's at all true, we might assume that those voters who favored Hillary a couple of weeks ago will reconsider her.

[HughBeaumont]

18. Why would Democrats vote for Johnson's beyond-right-wing economic platform?

"The Legal Weeeeeed" isn't worth starving grandparents and giving the wealthy a tax-free life on our consuming backs.

Really not getting how they connect THAT (a) to (b).

[Chiyo-chichi]

20. I really don't buy it, either.

If there is any truth in it, I would guess these are not Democrats, but a few independents and/or "never trump" republicans who were leaning toward Hillary, but not firm supporters.

Johnson has maintained all along that he thought he would pull support equally from Trump and Clinton... but we saw this morning that he doesn't know jack.

[Exilednight]

21. There are many Democrats who buy into libertarian social policy.

They decouple social from economic and foreign policy.

There is also the anti-war side that believes America should have a smaller role militarily, or no role at all.

[Johonny]

23. I know several-because he sounds liberal with several minor stances

as long as he stays away from economics and the total core of his being. Conservatives have been quick to hide Johnson's economic policies this time around. In a debate he would be forced to talk about his granny starving policies and shown to be the true idiot that he is...

[JustinL]

32. perhaps they're not really Democrats; they just consider Democrats to be the lesser of two evils

Voters who are socially liberal but fiscally conservative may prefer to vote for Johnson. However, if they perceive Johnson to be not viable as a candidate, and if social liberalism has a higher place in their scheme of values than fiscal conservatism, they may settle on Clinton as the lesser of two evils.

The issue may not be Johnson "taking away" Democrats from Clinton, but rather Democratic-leaning Libertarians "coming home" to a candidate they perceive as viable. If that perception is weakened, they may go back to settling for Clinton.

[karynnj]

34. They are likely not Democrats, but Independents and Republicans appalled by Trump

As to his platform, just as people support Ron and Rand Paul, there are issues where he is not beyond right wing. Over the years there were many threads here that praised the Pauls -- that many of us responded to by listing those very issues where libertarians are the opposite of liberals. (ie esp big government vs small government )

[Warren DeMontague]

43. Yeah, but pot prohibition is both morally wrong and wasteful, AND it is opposed by a majority of

Americans.

Maybe it's time for some people on our side to stop treating "legal weeeeeeed" like a big joke or a pain in the ass question, and ask ourselves why there are people in our party who still defend wasting tax dollars throwing people in prison for the stuff.

[HughBeaumont]

50. Indeed it is. That doesn't mean we have to say "yes" to shitty economics to get it.

Individual states are making larger strides on this issue than the Federal Government is. With the Ryan congress, I don't see that changing even if he did become president.

All I'm saying is that Johnson's one or two calling cards are masking a horrible economic and societal plan.

[Warren DeMontague]

54. I agree with your post, here.

The Libertarian Party is like that person who speaks total gibberish 90% of the time but occasionally says something incredibly cogent.

[MANative]

8. For those of us stuck at work... what did he do?

[LisaL]

10. Here.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/libertarian-presidential-candidate-gary-johnson-asks-aleppo-tv/story?id=41944791

[MANative]

16. Thanks!

OMG - what a moran!

[kentuck]

11. He was asked a question about Aleppo?

Last edited Fri Sep 9, 2016, 05:35 PM - Edit history (1)

And he said, "What is Aleppo?"

(on edit) Or maybe he said, "What is a Leppo"?

[MANative]

14. Holy crap!

is right!

[Cicada]

12. The three Johnson voters watcing Morning Joe?

And how many voters know what Aleppo is? Five percent?

[MineralMan]

13. His supporters don't know what Aleppo is, either.

Nor do they care. That's the sad truth of libertarianism.

[TwilightZone]

28. Agreed.

I don't think this is going to change their minds much, if at all.

[n2doc]

15. I don't see how this will change things much

After all, Trump repeatedly has shown complete ignorance on vast subject areas, and he still is in 2nd place.

[malaise]

17. Precisely - Don the Con is just as dumb

[dembotoz]

19. trump must be happy

hrc is in trouble

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. Johnson only needs to be smarter than Trump to maintain his 9% share. n/t

[alarimer]

24. He's a nut.

I listened to him on the New Yorker Radio Hour. He said we should consider raising the retirement age to 72, and, despite being a libertarian, supports the EPA. Not very consistent, not that consistency is the most important thing. But he seems too weird. Anybody who thinks Atlas Shrugged is a good book has more than a few issues.

I'm not sure his supporters care about Aleppo.

[ProfessorGAC]

30. Raising Retirement To 72 Helps Employment and the Economy How?

Clearly, he didn't think that through. Hillary's proposal to allow Medicare buy-in at 55 has the potential to encourage early retirement for those that can afford it, opening up good jobs for younger people. Raising the retirement age would do just the opposite.

What an idiot this guy is!

[karynnj]

35. Beyond possible retirement, there are many reasons why the option to BUY into Medicare at 55 is a

great idea.

1) People 55 to 65 who do not have group plans from work would be able to get cheaper, better plans -- even as many of the collectively most expensive group of people are moved from private plans to Medicare. (Medicare has a much lower administration cost.)

2) Adding - on average - healthier people to Medicare, reduces their per capita cost.

Raising the retirement age ignores that people not in white collar jobs often physically can not work at their jobs until 72 years.
It also ignores that finding a job after age 55 years old is difficult for most people. Age discrimination exists.

[ProfessorGAC]

47. No Doubt

I was just referring to the macroeconomic piece, which libertarians claim to be about.

Doing something to restrict the economy and increase unemployment is in conflict with their usual philosophy.

[karynnj]

49. Understood - especially as the sub thread was about the libertarian

I was repeating the arguments that were stated - and backed - when the Democrats wanted to do this in late 2009, but could not get all Democrats behind it. They needed 60 votes so they had to drop it ... all because of Senator Lieberman. What is sad is that had they included that option, it is easy to argue that Obamacare would have been more successful than it was for those reasons given.

[ksoze]

25. To a vegan, non-alcoholic whale watching party

[book_worm]

29. Not many people saw it

[tblue37]

31. Libertarians are small government, anti-regulation, anti-tax, anti-social safety net Republicans. n

[madinmaryland]

40. In other words, Repubicans that smoke pot. nt

[geek tragedy]

33. libertarians tend to be isolationists who don't care about the larger world nt

[still_one]

53. exactly. Most are also selfish jerks

[taught_me_patience]

36. Nobody cares. .1%of the population has ever heard of Aleppo.

I have never heard that word before and still don't know what Aleppo is. This is idiotic.

[Egnever]

37. That was not hari kari

Silly.

Much ado about nothing.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

38. It shouldn't hurt him because they're isolationists

[jen63]

39. He is definitely a nut but at least he owned it.

That's rare for a politician. Nobody running is going to burn Clinton in a foreign policy debate.

[BlueInPhilly]

41. Hara Kiri

It's called "HarAkiri" (one word). Sorry.

[kentuck]

46. Thanks !

[Warren DeMontague]

42. Logically they should go to the party that is counseling sanity on the drug war and supports

Legalizing marijuana.

Which fortunately is tentatively us, at least as per our platform.

But people don't tend to vote Libertarian for foreign policy chops anyway, so Im not sure how much real effect this will have.

[NightWatcher]

48. Back to their government jobs via government roads to bitch about the government

[still_one]

52. Johnson supporters were never going to vote for Hillary, just as Stein supporters wouldn't

That is a false flag.

Johnson's credentials are libertarian

Hillary is doing just fine thanks