Mitt Romney and Barack Obama took the stage Wednesday night at the 2012 election cycle's first presidential debate, and they made it clear beforehand: libertarian candidate Gary Johnson ain't invited.
In response, Johnson actually filed an antitrust lawsuit charging the RNC and DNC with conspiring in restraint of trade to exclude the consideration of third-party candidates in these nationally televised exchanges. No one knows what will come of the lawsuit, and I'm still not sure whether to laugh at the Libertarian Party or laugh with them.
The antitrust suit is ... an interesting decision. Either way, here are the top five reasons Gary Johnson should be allowed to participate because of, you know, equality and stuff.
1. George Washington warned us about restrictive political parties in his Farewell Address. "I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State," said Washington. "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension ... is itself a frightful despotism." In other words, he was afraid that political parties would turn into vengeful monsters seeking to suppress competition rather than welcome new ideas. I'm sure Republicans want to hide Johnson's glowing gubernatorial record, and, likewise, I'm sure Democrats want to stop Johnson from telling liberal voters about Obama's medical marijuana raids, undocumented immigrant deportations, and huge corporate fundraisers.
2. Johnson will be electable when people are given the opportunity to understand his stances. Third-party candidates don't poll well unless they're given a chance to debate. For instance, the Libertarian Party candidate and Independent candidate received a combined total of only 0.96 percent in 2008. In 2004, the number was even lower at 0.70 percent. So, it's really no coincidence that only successful third-party bid in modern times came when the candidate was allowed to participate in the presidential debates. Ross Perot took the stage with Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush and defined his campaign as one that came "from the people." He received 18.9 percent of the popular vote, a record theretofore unheard of (with the exception of Teddy Roosevelt).
3. Johnson has plenty of political leadership experience. He was the sitting governor of New Mexico, a state that covers an area larger than the entire country of Italy. His record includes vetoing 47 percent of legislation introduced throughout his first six months in office and leaving taxpayers a $1 billion surplus. If Romney's four years as governor qualify him for president, why won't Johnson's eight years as governor get him into a debate?
4. Voters are losing faith in the two-party system. Both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee were caught this year rigging the results of voice votes that hadn't yet been taken. It's not a smart time for either party to play off this election as 'the left vs. the right.' We're beginning to feel a little like the election is really about 'the government vs. the people.' Philips Electronics already dropped its sponsorship of the upcoming debates after deciding to distance itself from these "partisan politics." Are voters next?
5. Republicans will isolate its key conservative-libertarian base by ignoring an important figure in the growing liberty movement. Like Senator Jim DeMint told Fox News in January, "The debate in the Republican Party needs to be between libertarians and conservatives. That's what our party needs to be about." And let's not forget another famous Republican's words. "I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism," explained Ronald Reagan. "Libertarianism and conservatism are travelling the same path."
Follow Brian LaSorsa on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BrianLaSorsa
Doug Bandow: Frightened Republicans Try to Close Down Election Competitors, such as Gary Johnson
 |
 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
I think that one other reason for the lack of real third parties here is that with the exception of the unelectable and downright goo/fy Nader, third party candidates always seem to come from the (R), or at least conservative, side of the aisle. In my lifetime the major third party candidates have been George Wallace, John Anderson, and Ross Perot, and I think voters may not perceive them as being much of a departure from their former party (Wallace was only a Dem until the Dixiecrats all became Republicans). Same for the Pauls - lifelong Republicans.
1. Reduce the size of government
2. The fair tax
3. Audit the Federal Reserve Bank
4. End all unconstitutional wars. Bring our troops home from Korea, Germany and everywhere else, unless Congress declares war
5. Women's rights and freedom of marriage
6. End of prohibition of recreational drugs
7. Repeal Obamacare
8. Repeal Patriot Act
9. Balance the budget and reduce the National Debt
10. No more corporate bailouts, or croney capitalism as precticed by the Obama Administration
11. No bailouts of foreign governments
12. No bailouts of state governments
Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, was the elected governor of the State of New Mexico for two terms (eight years). He produced eight balanced budgets and turned the State's deficit into a $1.1 billion surplus. Gary's experience as chief executive officer of a government entity, as Governor of New Mexico, exceeds the combined experience of Mitt Romney as Governor of Massachusetts and Barak Obama as President of the United States.
GARY JOHNSON FOR PRESIDENT 2012
Johnson, like Ron Paul (not the traitor son) could get this country back on course, but sadly we live in an idiocracy controlled by the status quo and the MIC and their mouthpiece the MSM, however, one person at a time are beginning to wake up, and the liberty movement is growing. If Obama wins we may see a still energetic Ron Paul & Gary Johnson ticket in 2016 and a public that finally gets it.
Johnson gets my vote: it's a no brainer.
http://www.change.org/petitions/southwest-airlines-withdraw-sponsorship-of-the-commission-on-presidential-debates
allowing in Jill Stein or Johnson would expose the fraud of so many things, they could never allow it to happen. the US economy is like a stack of playing cards waiting to collapse, trillions in debt with no end in sight, just the usual rhetoric that we'll fix things.
Obama & Romney could almost be on the same ticket, supporting: the war on drugs , the military machine, big Ag, big Pharma, health insurance companies, the war on organic famers & monsanto, little to no serious wall street reform. I won't even talk about a new 9-11 investigation ...
Isn't that really really important?