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[xxracerxx]

Gary Johnson Is a Moron (And If You Vote For Him, You Are Too)

"Johnson's support comes disproportionately from young Democrats and Independents who supported Bernie Sanders in the primary," Jedd Lugam writes at Think Progress

That's nuts.

Name an issue Sanders ran on—TPP, Citizen's United, climate change, the minimum wage, health care, free college tuition—and Johnson is on the opposite side. Sanders wants to raise the minimum wage, Johnson doesn't think there should be a minimum wage; Sanders wants a single payer health-care system, aka "Medicare for all," Johnson wants to eliminate Medicare and let the free market work do its magic; Sanders opposed TPP, Johnson supports TPP; Sanders wants the federal government to guarantee free college tuition, Johnson wants to eliminate what little support the federal government currently provides to college students; Sanders thinks climate change is a threat to humanity, Johnson thinks we shouldn't do anything to address climate change because colonizing habitable planets we haven't discovered yet is the far easier solution—and, hey, the Earth is going to be swallowed up by the sun billions of years from now so let's eliminate all regulations on the energy industry and destroy the Earth ourselves before the sun has a chance.

Something I have been saying forever that Savage touches on:

Hm... third parties should start by running candidates for Congress and state legislatures... and maybe elect a governor or two before asking us to take third party candidates for president seriously?
...
Wanna build a third party in the United States? Do it from the bottom up.

His writing is heavy handed, but I believe in the message of building from local government and moving forward from there.

 

[jack_package_200]

Most of the third party voters I have seen (I do know a few Johnson supporters who genuinely believe in his platform) do it as a protest. Its not about the third party candidate's policy.

Its about being a special snowflake and claiming to be above two parties they think are the same.

 

[Boombloxer]

Most of the third party voters I have seen (I do know a few Johnson supporters who genuinely believe in his platform) do it as a protest. Its not about the third party candidate's policy.

Its about being a special snowflake and claiming to be above two parties they think are the same.

Most of that is also horseshit in a different form.

 

[iamblades]

Gary Johnson Is a Moron (And If You Vote For Him, You Are Too)

Something I have been saying forever that Savage touches on:

His writing is heavy handed, but I believe in the message of building from local government and moving forward from there.

The argument about starting on a local level is kind of silly considering both Johnson and Weld ARE ex governors.

You can argue about why they didn't get elected as Libertarians, but that's ignoring that in many places it's impossible for third parties to even get on the ballot, and one of the best ways to expand ballot access and potential future success for the party is to have a candidate in a national election do well.

 

[Laieon]

Not interested in Trump or Hillary.

Stein it is.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Not interested in Trump or Hillary.

Stein it is.

Hope you're not posting from a wifi connection

 

[jack_package_200]

Hope you're not posting from a wifi connection

Yeah I heard those apparently cause cancer.

 

[MartyStu]

Most of the third party voters I have seen (I do know a few Johnson supporters who genuinely believe in his platform) do it as a protest. Its not about the third party candidate's policy.

Its about being a special snowflake and claiming to be above two parties they think are the same.

Correct.

As a die-hard Sanders supporter, it almost causes me physical pain whenever former supporters claim Johnson as an appropriate alternative.

 

[xxracerxx]

The argument about starting on a local level is kind of silly considering both Johnson and Weld ARE ex governors.

You can argue about why they didn't get elected as Libertarians, but that's ignoring that in many places it's impossible for third parties to even get on the ballot, and one of the best ways to expand ballot access and potential future success for the party is to have a candidate in a national election do well.

As you said, the point is they were elected to those positions as Republicans.

What is doing well in a national election though? Are we talking about people like Wallace who actually won some states?

 

[Carcetti]

Hope you're not posting from a wifi connection

It's all right if you're wearing a tinfoil suit. That'll keep also the vaccine needles from giving you super-autism.

 

[S2G_Chris]

#Johnsonweld2016

No.. seriously, hes the real, true, sensible option to me. The guys a bit of a nut, and he actually is downright uninformed and ignorant on certain things, but his policies seem like the best middle of the road option between Hillary and Trump, neither of which i could ever support.

Coming from a Canadian who cant even vote anyway so i guess my opinion is totally irrelevant

Edit: And no, i wasnt a Bernie guy either, I wanted to believe Kasich would somehow pull ahead of trump via some kind of magic, but it didnt happen

 

[commedieu]

Not interested in Trump or Hillary.

Stein it is.

Holy fuck that's bold. Are you sure?

 

[Toxi]

#Johnsonweld2016

No.. seriously, hes the real, true, sensible option to me. The guys a bit of a nut, and he actually is downright uninformed and ignorant on certain things, but his policies seem like the best middle of the road option between Hillary and Trump, neither of which i could ever support.

Coming from a Canadian who cant even vote anyway so i guess my opinion is totally irrelevant

At this point it's almost cliche.

 

[Freyjadour]

Correct.

As a die-hard Sanders supporter, it almost causes me physical pain whenever former supporters claim Johnson as an appropriate alternative.

They never cared about the politics or policies, just the feeling of the thing. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[El Odio]

Name an issue Sanders ran on—TPP, Citizen's United, climate change, the minimum wage, health care, free college tuition—and Johnson is on the opposite side. Sanders wants to raise the minimum wage, Johnson doesn't think there should be a minimum wage; Sanders wants a single payer health-care system, aka "Medicare for all," Johnson wants to eliminate Medicare and let the free market work do its magic; Sanders opposed TPP, Johnson supports TPP; Sanders wants the federal government to guarantee free college tuition, Johnson wants to eliminate what little support the federal government currently provides to college students; Sanders thinks climate change is a threat to humanity, Johnson thinks we shouldn't do anything to address climate change because colonizing habitable planets we haven't discovered yet is the far easier solution—and, hey, the Earth is going to be swallowed up by the sun billions of years from now so let's eliminate all regulations on the energy industry and destroy the Earth ourselves before the sun has a chance.

The biggest reason I've personally seen for why some people, especially younger millennials, want to support Johnson is because you practically have to go looking for information on his asinine policies yourself. His biggest point him and Jill seem to be running on are "We're not the other guys," and in both cases it's usually more "We're not Hillary." No mention of actual policy whatsoever.

 

[S2G_Chris]

At this point it's almost cliche.

Lol, well its the truth, im just a guy looking from the outside in at the end of the day, but another Clinton and Donald fucking Trump were the best two options your country had to offer? Johnson auto wins just based on the one simple fact hes neither a Clinton or... Trump, to me anyway.

 

[chaobreaker]

#Johnsonweld2016

No.. seriously, hes the real, true, sensible option to me. The guys a bit of a nut, and he actually is downright uninformed and ignorant on certain things, but his policies seem like the best middle of the road option between Hillary and Trump, neither of which i could ever support.

Coming from a Canadian who cant even vote anyway so i guess my opinion is totally irrelevant

Edit: And no, i wasnt a Bernie guy either, I wanted to believe Kasich would somehow pull ahead of trump via some kind of magic, but it didnt happen

How is cutting all social services, the minumum wage, public education, and all the other free market nonsense from the libertarian party a middle of the road option? It's the equivalent of driving your car off the road and hoping it sprouts wings and flies.

 

[commedieu]

Lol, well its the truth, im just a guy looking from the outside in at the end of the day, but another Clinton and Donald fucking Trump were the best two options your country had to offer? Johnson auto wins just based on the one simple fact hes neither a Clinton or... Trump, to me anyway.

Are you white? Visibly?

 

[MartyStu]

They never cared about the politics or policies, just the feeling of the thing. Absolutely ridiculous.

I think they do care, but many are young or new to politics and feel betrayed. They are lashing out.

This will be a learning experience for them I think. I figure that when the moment comes, many will make the right decision. At least I hope.

 

[Toxi]

Lol, well its the truth, im just a guy looking from the outside in at the end of the day, but another Clinton and Donald fucking Trump were the best two options your country had to offer? Johnson auto wins just based on the one simple fact hes neither a Clinton or... Trump, to me anyway.

You just keep the Trudeau train going and all is forgiven.

 

[Cartman86]

Not interested in Trump or Hillary.

Stein it is.

I had the same thought today when I was deciding which fast food I would have for lunch.

 

[Laieon]

Holy fuck that's bold. Are you sure?

Made the decision this week. Was definitely never going to go for Trump, but I haven't been feeling Hillary either. Living abroad, home state is Texas, that's inevitably going to go red, so I'll just vote for someone who I would actually like to see as president, even if they have 0 chance of actually getting elected.

There's a small chance I'll change my mind before election day, but Hillary hasn't convinced me to vote for her, and this morning didn't change anything.

If my home state was a battleground state, that would be a different situation.

 

[SenorArdilla]

lel

The jump from socialism to libertarianism is hilarious.

 

[Tigress]

Lol, well its the truth, im just a guy looking from the outside in at the end of the day, but another Clinton and Donald fucking Trump were the best two options your country had to offer? Johnson auto wins just based on the one simple fact hes neither a Clinton or... Trump, to me anyway.

Charles Manson is not a Clinton or Trump. I guess by your standards we should vote for him.

 

[RustyNails]

#Johnsonweld2016

No.. seriously, hes the real, true, sensible option to me. The guys a bit of a nut, and he actually is downright uninformed and ignorant on certain things, but his policies seem like the best middle of the road option between Hillary and Trump, neither of which i could ever support.

Coming from a Canadian who cant even vote anyway so i guess my opinion is totally irrelevant

Edit: And no, i wasnt a Bernie guy either, I wanted to believe Kasich would somehow pull ahead of trump via some kind of magic, but it didnt happen

Here's Gary Johnson's Libertarian Party Platform.

• End the Federal Reserve.
• Defund and repeal Obamacare - and replace it with nothing. Extract government from the health care industry, ending the damage it does. Expand health freedom, which will allow costs to plummet and quality care to flourish.
• As states remove restrictions on low-cost and free medical care, dismantle and repeal Medicare and Medicaid; repeal the Medicare tax.
• Sell the US postal service and end its monopoly privileges.
• Eliminate the Department of Labor.
• Eliminate the Department of Energy.
• Eliminate the Department of the Interior.
• Eliminate Health and Human Services (HHS).
• Eliminate various bureaucracies within HHS (there are dozens of entire bureaucracies within this one federal bureaucracy).
• Eliminate Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
• Eliminate the Department of Agriculture.
• Eliminate the Department of Education (DOE).
• Eliminate the Department of Commerce.
• Eliminate the Department of Transportation.
• Eliminate the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
• Eliminate the Federal Elections Commission (FEC); instead, require anyone who profits from government --contractors, government employees -- to refrain from donating to political campaigns.
• Repeal DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act).
• End the federal death (inheritance) tax; cut wasteful and unneeded government spending.
• Dismantle and prohibit all government unions; only private sector unions that receive no funding from government should be legal.

Tell me what you like about it. And don't tell me oh he wont end those agencies, that's just talk. NO. The fucking guy is a libertarian. You played BioShock? He's Andrew Ryan. This is what they believe!!

 

[EmSeta]

Has there ever been an election with such awful candidates? Clinton is at least sane though.

 

[SenorArdilla]

So Johnson is going to pull a Nader?

EDIT:
Hillary is not that bad, people. Oh my god.

 

[Joni]

This election has three completely batshit insane should never be allowed near the presidency candidates, and Hillary Clinton who is insanely qualified but has a bit of the old establishment smell. 'Both candidates are the same'

 

[Chris R]

So Johnson is going to pull a Nader?

Nope.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Yeah I heard those apparently cause cancer.

If not properly treated it causes major Aleppo inflamation

 

[S2G_Chris]

Are you white? Visibly?

Lets not do this -_-

The idea that if you vote for anyone without a D beside their name on a ballot has a racial implication is fucking weird and creepy. ESPECIALLY when its between two old rich white people anyway (and dont try to twist this as me saying theyre the same, i understand its not even close, but thats exactly the point im making). I understand Democrats are making the best sales pitch to minorities at this point in time (and have been for as long as ive been old enough to have any kind of informed political opinion) but to act like its a lower form of thinking or understanding to have skepticism of someone like Hillary (or democrats in general) is weird.

And no, im half native, but i find it totally completely irrelevant and feel dirty even answering that question.

 

[Sheroking]

#Johnsonweld2016

No.. seriously, hes the real, true, sensible option to me. The guys a bit of a nut, and he actually is downright uninformed and ignorant on certain things, but his policies seem like the best middle of the road option between Hillary and Trump, neither of which i could ever support.

Coming from a Canadian who cant even vote anyway so i guess my opinion is totally irrelevant

Edit: And no, i wasnt a Bernie guy either, I wanted to believe Kasich would somehow pull ahead of trump via some kind of magic, but it didnt happen

Gary Johnson isn't the "middle of the road" between Clinton and Trump. They're somewhere in the middle and he's way off to the right in an extreme niche. Everything that is better about Canada, Johnson is opposed to.

Tell me in some detail what you like about Gary Johnson's policy suggestions, and what you don't like about Clinton's? Which political party do you favor in Canada and why?

 

[minor effort]

Despite the "both major party candidates are the same" justifications to themselves, many of these third-party voters likely have a preference between the Democratic nominee and the Republican nominee. They just want everyone else to have to dirty themselves voting for their preferable outcomes, so they can have their Purity Vote.

I've heard so many say "I'm voting third-party in my state unless it's really, really close." Some hard convictions there.

EDIT:

Made the decision this week. Was definitely never going to go for Trump, but I haven't been feeling Hillary either. Living abroad, home state is Texas, that's inevitably going to go red, so I'll just vote for someone who I would actually like to see as president, even if they have 0 chance of actually getting elected.

There's a small chance I'll change my mind before election day, but Hillary hasn't convinced me to vote for her, and this morning didn't change anything.

If my home state was a battleground state, that would be a different situation.

This illustrates my last point exactly. You have a preference between these two candidates, but you want everyone else to vote for them on your behalf. People in battleground states don't get the easy choice of a protest vote.

 

[S2G_Chris]

You just keep the Trudeau train going and all is forgiven.

Sorry for double post, but i voted NDP. Dont wanna take credit for something i had nothing to do with. Though i do feel hes done a better job on some things i would have given him credit for, if i could go back in time he probably would have gotten my vote.

 

[Piggus]

Not interested in Trump or Hillary.

Stein it is.

Yeah, because someone who questions vaccines and says public Wifi is health risk sure deserves our vote.

Let me guess... You're a disgruntled former Bernie supporter who abandoned him and his message after he endorsed Hillary. It's okay, you're not alone. Though hopefully you realize that the two potential outcomes of the election will greatly impact the lives of millions of people. This is bigger than you.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Sorry for double post, but i voted NDP. Dont wanna take credit for something i had nothing to do with. Though i do feel hes done a better job on some things i would have given him credit for, if i could go back in time he probably would have gotten my vote.

You vote NDP aka the basically socialist strong fed government but want Johnson who would cut basically every Federal program ever?

Asinine.

 

[JordanN]

Its about being a special snowflake and claiming to be above two parties they think are the same.

Or maybe some people just don't like monopolies?
In the past, I didn't even care about third parties but now this year, I care more than ever. Because the option of always having more choices is better than being forced to pick from 2 candidates you just don't like.

 

[Sheroking]

You vote NDP aka the basically socialist strong fed government but want Johnson who would cut basically every Federal program ever?

Asinine.

He likely doesn't know what the NDP stands for, nor Gary Johnson.

He's making his decisions on an uninformed preference for the "outsider", rather than the "establishment".

 

[JHoNNy1OoO]

Savage puts it perfectly why I've never considered a third party in a Presidential election. Even IF they were to get in office I have absolutely no idea what the US would look like with their policies implemented. There is no town or state to point to that they can say, "look at how well our policies are doing here!". So they want to go from 0-100 and just leap frog into the Presidency.

Our country doesn't work that way and never will. Third parties first priority should be to dismantle FPTP if they ever want to get anywhere. Till then it's a pipe dream.

 

[Sheroking]

Or maybe some people just don't like monopolies?
In the past, I didn't even care about third parties but now this year, I care more than ever. Because the option of always having more choices is better than being forced to pick from 2 candidates you just don't like.

The problem is that any moderate, left-leaning or sensible conservative voting for a third party is tacitly voting for Donald Trump.

Gary Johnson and Jill Stein have about as much chance of being president as you do, and throwing out meaningless protest votes only empowers the most ridiculously dangerous and unqualified candidate in the modern history of the Presidency.

 

[Toxi]

Or maybe some people just don't like monopolies?
In the past, I didn't even care about third parties but now this year, I care more than ever. Because the option of always having more choices is better than being forced to pick from 2 candidates you just don't like.

There aren't more choices though. Gary Johnson doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of actually becoming President. Jill Stein is polling below a dead gorilla.

It's telling how you say you don't care about third parties normally.

 

[Slayven]

Or maybe some people just don't like monopolies?
In the past, I didn't even care about third parties but now this year, I care more than ever. Because the option of always having more choices is better than being forced to pick from 2 candidates you just don't like.

One believes in wifi demons and has a holocaust denier as a running mate

The other wants to eliminate every basic service and protection the government provides.

Thats some options.

Personally I would respect people more if they just said they weren't going to vote.

 

[Kthulhu]

Or maybe some people just don't like monopolies?
In the past, I didn't even care about third parties but now this year, I care more than ever. Because the option of always having more choices is better than being forced to pick from 2 candidates you just don't like.

The other choices are worse than Trump IMO.

 

[S2G_Chris]

Here's Gary Johnson's Libertarian Party Platform.

Tell me what you like about it. And don't tell me oh he wont end those agencies, that's just talk. NO. The fucking guy is a libertarian. You played BioShock? He's Andrew Ryan. This is what they believe!!

Theres too many people getting mad at me and im not good enough at Gaffing to quote all these people yet

But, obviously im no economist, but ill say im more or less a fan of the idea of free market even though implementation of it has been fucked in my lifetime. But i feel like thats a stupid argument to make because i dont like when people make it about socialism so its not fair for me to be doing it.

I dont necessarily agree with cutting social services on that level, but i agree some of them need to be cut and those funds need to be funneled into other things. I believe in drug testing for people on welfare and stuff like that. Im pro choice but believe there needs to be a cut off point (third trimester). Things like that. Those are things i feel like i align with on the Libertarian party.

Thats more or less my answer, and you can take any of those examples i made, find the stances of trump or hillary on either of those things, and i feel like neither's ideals line up as closely as Gary's do with mine.

I guess thats the best answer im able to give?

 

[SMattera]

Johnson's support appears to come equally from both would-be Republicans and Democrats.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Nevermind.

 

[Subitai]

Are both major party candidates criminals?

Are they both going to make the world order worse?

Are Dems gonna work with Trump?

Are Reps gonna work with Clinton?



This Pro Life conservative is going to hold his nose and vote for Johnson and Weld.



What are you guys worried about though? Clinton is gonna win despite her best efforts not to unless there is a 9/11 attack between now and election day. Even Frank Luntz sees this.

 

[xxracerxx]

Or maybe some people just don't like monopolies?
In the past, I didn't even care about third parties but now this year, I care more than ever. Because the option of always having more choices is better than being forced to pick from 2 candidates you just don't like.

And that is why the op-ed says you should be voting third party in local elections.

Right now you are shooting for the moon by jumping off the roof.

 

[Sheroking]

Johnson's support appears to come equally from both would-be Republicans and Democrats.

Johnson's support comes from libertarians and people whose knowledge of what he stands for is about on-par with Johnson's knowledge of the Syrian civil war.

 

[S2G_Chris]

He likely doesn't know what the NDP stands for, nor Gary Johnson.

He's making his decisions on an uninformed preference for the "outsider", rather than the "establishment".

I dont think you know me well enough to be calling me uninformed, you have no idea what my values are or my reasons for voting what i did?

That feels like an attack on me for simply not being a liberal. Because if id said i voted conservative you would have blasted me for liking Gary on his social policies which dont line up at all with Harper.