Libertarian Nominee Gary Johnson Asks ‘What Is Aleppo?’ in TV Interview

[brooklynite]

Source: Bloomberg

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson said he was “incredibly frustrated” with himself after failing to recognize the name of the Syrian city of Aleppo in a TV interview Thursday.

“And what is Aleppo?” Johnson asked on MSNBC when he was questioned on what he would do about the besieged Syrian city.

“You’re kidding,” commentator Mike Barnicle said. “No,” Johnson replied. “Aleppo is in Syria, it’s the epicenter of the refugee crisis,” Barnicle said.

“OK, got it,” Johnson said, going on to provide a general answer about the Syrian conflict, where he said the only viable option “is to join hands with Russia to diplomatically” resolve the conflict.

The exchange, which sent the phrase “What is Aleppo” to Twitter’s worldwide trends list, is a blow to a third-party candidate trying to capitalize on the unpopularity of Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-09-08/libertarian-candidate-asks-what-is-aleppo-in-tv-interview

[left-of-center2012]

1. Deer in the headlights look?

[bucolic_frolic]

2. What is Trump?

[shenmue]

3. What is pie?

[BumRushDaShow]

9. What is that thing?

[roamer65]

15. 3.1415926.........

Whoops, wrong pi.

[Motley13]

4. Don't think he'll make it to 15% to get in the debates

[izzybella]

5. The worst part

about this is that is gives Trump a heads-up to learn about Aleppo. I imagine he'll start using it as a talking point.

[PersonNumber503602]

6. How is it possible for anyone to not know what Aleppo is?

One would just have to passively follow world events for the past five years, and I would assume anyone wanting to run for president would sort of pay attention.

[ansible]

14. Lots of people don't care about foreign issues at all and only care about what happens in the US

[PersonNumber503602]

16. That is true, but like this dude wants to be president...

There are also lots of people who don't care about what's going on in the US either. They just live in their own little bubble without a clue. I don't think any of them will be trying to run for president though.

[femmocrat]

7. I just saw the clip on MSNBC.

I'll give Johnson the benefit of the doubt. Barnicle pronounced it like two words: "A Leppo". Johnson asked, "What is a leppo?" That could happen to anyone.

We have bigger fish to fry!

[Marthe48]

20. He needs to be alert

The world needs more lerts.

[onehandle]

8. Libertarians are defined in the dictionary as 'simpletons.'

His equally idiotic lemmings will see this gaffe as a 'plus.'

[TygrBright]

10. meh. Dim Son had no idea what the capital of Uzbekistan is. His voters won't care. n/t

[PSPS]

11. There it is again. "... capitalize on the unpopularity of ... Hillary Clinton"

[Saviolo]

12. Dammit, Gary!

We were counting on you being a "viable" rightist candidate to peel a few hundred thousand votes off of Trump in important battleground states. Those disenfranchised GOPers who wouldn't vote for Hillary in a million years, but just couldn't stomach Trump would have voted Libertarian if Gary seemed viable enough, peel a bunch of votes away from the Trump lunacy.

[roamer65]

13. This gaffe won't stop the defections.

Most Americans don't know where Aleppo is on the map, let alone the complicated civil war situation engulfing the city.

Gary at least would study it and understand it, unlike Drumpf who would just let Putin have his way with the situation. The disfranchisement within the Rethug ranks goes much deeper than a gaffe over the Syrian conflict.

[deancr]

17. Why

would he know about real world places when Libertarianism is all about dream world solutions?

[jamzrockz]

18. I think his biggest mistake

was saying we should work with Russia. Had he said something like "we should fight the illegal Russia bombardment of US sponsored moderate be-headers" I think the NECON media would haven't have pounced on him.

And btw, who the hell pronounces Aleppo and A.. leppo? And his answer to the question once he got clarification is one of the best I have ever heard from any politician running this cycle.

[JunkYardDogg]

19. It is a dog food, for Christ sakes

Jeez, that was easy