(CNN) – Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson announced his intention to seek the Libertarian nomination for president Wednesday.
Calling his choice "both a difficult decision-and an easy one," in a statement, Johnson decried the Republican presidential nomination process and pledged to bring a "libertarian voice" to the 2012 race.
Johnson blasted the inclusion of "candidates with no national name identification like Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, and John Huntsman" as well as "candidates with no executive experience like Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum" in presidential debates while he was "arbitrarily excluded by elitist media organizations in New York."
The former two-term governor struggled to gain footing in national polls measuring support for GOP candidates seeking the 2012 presidential nomination and failed to meet criteria necessary to participate in debates. However, he has attended two debates: one in May, and another in September after reaching one percent support in five national polls.
And after "appeals to the Republican National Chairman for basic fairness were ignored," Johnson said he concluded that "the best answer is the simplest."
"I'm a Libertarian in belief. I successfully governed as a Libertarian in everything but the name, and I am running for president as a Libertarian."
As for that other Libertarian already running for president, "While Ron Paul is a good man and a libertarian who I proudly endorsed for president in 2008, there is no guarantee he will be the Republican nominee," Johnson said.
So far, he claimed "just the speculation that I might run as a Libertarian has garnered more national media attention than I ever received as a Republican candidate."
"I am excited," Johnson said. "I am liberated."
From CNN Politics
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"I am excited," Johnson said. "I am liberated."
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You're also DAFFY! Please, enough. You peaked with the Obama job joke in the debate. Please try to find another like of work. It ain't happenin' Gary!!! Wake up!!!
Really scrapping the barrel here.
" 'Liberated' Gay Johnson seeks Libertarian nomination" – removal of one letter would make it interesting. Without it it's just more of the same – "crazy-bus-full-of-GOP-drama-queens".
So you're going to be the 3rd party candidate. I'm so thrilled. Yeah right! I'll make a deal with you Gary. Propose legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana and you've got my vote.
All I know about Libertarians is that Libertarian girls are really hot. Don't ruin it by telling me any more.
Libertarians never have realistic solutions. They tend to want anarchy rather than government. They dream of a return to a utopian world that never really existed. They want an isolationist, dysfunctional government in an era when every natiuon must strongly compete in an interconnected world. Like Ron Paul – they want simple solutions to very complex problems.
Gary who?
Ron Paul is not running as "the other Libertarian." He's a Republican Party candidate.
Libertarians are branded as nutty or kooky because the truth they speak does not comport with what the MSM wants us to believe. They want us to fight over "tastes great" vs "less filling" when the real issue is we should not be drinking that watered down horse pi$$ beer at all!
Actually, with all the game playing on both sides, a vote for a third party candidate is an effcetive way to send a message to both parties. The Libertarian Party is the best organized of the alternatives.
GROVER NORQUIST IS A ENEMY OF THE STATE - So you're going to be the 3rd party candidate. I'm so thrilled. Yeah right! I'll make a deal with you Gary. Propose legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana and you've got my vote.
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Why am I not surprised that would be your primary concern.... Of course he supports that. It looks like you found your candidate for 2012. Better than wasting your vote on Obama.
who is this Guadalupe mountains dude,...or Carlsbad caverns...who is this dude?/????
Great, it just keeps getting more and more easy for Obama 2012
I'm honestly excited for Johnson. I hope he gets on the ticket. I'd vote for him.
"who is this Guadalupe mountains dude,...or Carlsbad caverns...who is this dude?/????"
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A mind is a terrible thing.
Honestly, I don't know much about Johnson. Though I don't want him to make an impact on the election. I want him to gain enough support and votes to make the other two parties realize that they aren't invincible...
Look what Gov. Johnson did here in NM. Billions in surplus dollars. Ran as a republican and defeated a state that is two to one democrats. Won the second term by a land slide. Cut state spending and state jobs that were not needed. I would rather have a real person in office than the liar I voted for last time.
Say, Remaincalm, do you know something about the Republican Nominating process that the rest of us are unaware of? Ron Paul is A Republican Party Candidate, not THE Republican Party Candidate.
I thought the economy was bad seems like a lot of people have money to waste on running for potus.
This guy has more heart than any presidential candidate in history. This is not your average politician people. Multiple Ironman finishes says it all. But most people wouldn't understand that. This is your man, unless you are someone that feeds off of welfare and are basically a leech on society. Then you are pretty much screwed.
The more the better. As a democrat i love watching this.
Truth and Nothing But the Truth
GROVER NORQUIST IS A ENEMY OF THE STATE – So you're going to be the 3rd party candidate. I'm so thrilled. Yeah right! I'll make a deal with you Gary. Propose legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana and you've got my vote.
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Why am I not surprised that would be your primary concern.... Of course he supports that. It looks like you found your candidate for 2012. Better than wasting your vote on Obama.
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You must smoke crack if you think I'll vote for a republican or libertarian.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
ELIZABETH WARREN 2012 & BEYOND
Have any of you clowns read his platform? He actually says how he's going to make changes and fix this country. Democrats and Republicans have ruined this country.!Libertarians are the only answer. Read his website...it all makes perfect sense hence the reason the hyenas are braying!!!!!
Johnson balanced his state budget, has high support from both colors (reds and blues) in his home state, and pragmatic views on the issues. He wants to end the wasteful war on drugs, citing that we should have learned something from organized crime and prohibition. He supports keeping govt out of marriage.
He also climbed Mt Everest (no, I'm not making this up). He is a TRUE conservative, as in smaller, more effective government that stays the heck out of your bedroom. Of COURSE he couldn't appeal to the fundibans of the GOP.
The fact that this is all that CNN got out of Gary Johnson's speech today is exactly the reason that he had to go third party. CNN and other media blocked him out of debates. When Cain dropped out, Gary Johnson could have gone up even on the list of GOP nominees. Ridiculous. This Independent was going to vote for Gary Johnson, the Republican. Now I will vote for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian. His message is the same. He is the only fiscal conservative for President.
In the last national poll , The state of New Mexico is rated number two in poverty.
Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson should consider a job for the department of highways in American Samoa .
Larry L- All political ideals are Utopian in nature. what would be the point of constructing an imperfect ideal? Libertarian principles have a long history of success. America was founded on Libertarian principles. Chile pulled itself out of crippling economic squalor with Milton Friedman's Libertarian free market economic principles. They lowered their poverty rate to 17% from over 40% and managed to make Chile an economic force in a region that is still largely third world. Libertarian is not a singular ideology, it is a wide spectrum of belief. On the political compass it is the entire southern region, opposite of Authoritarian. I suggest you look into it more, and maybe take the political compass test. You might be surprised by the results. If you're not Authoritarian or dead center, YOU are Libertarian.
We've allowed ourselves to become polarized beyond a point where a third-party can emerge. During the last 25 years or so the Republicans realized they could never win national elections if only rich, white males voted Republican – the math didn't work. The Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich crowd knew they needed hot-button social issues to energize dependable right-wing voters regardless of their income level. They fueled the fires with religion, immigration, abortion, gun control, and security – playing on the fears resulting from 9/11. Hate radio and TV talk show host became fabulously wealthy spewing out distorted "facts" and the Fox News crowd became cult-like, creatring their own reality and demonizing anybody who didn't agree with their social agenda. It worked! It worked for Hitler as well.
I think its great. I think he will pull more votes away from Obama than whoever the RC will be. Thats what makes him great, He embracess the common sense ideas of both sides.