Gary Johnson contemplates bowing out of politics

Gary Johnson contemplates bowing out of politics - Rob Nikolewski, New Mexico Watchdog:

November 10, 2012 - "In an exclusive interview with Capitol Report New Mexico on Friday morning, the Libertarian Party candidate for president said, 'If there’s no path to winning I’m really not' interested in pursuing another run for the presidency. 'I’m not interested in duplicating what I’ve just done,' Johnson said via telephone from his home in Taos.

"On Election Night, Johnson became the first Libertarian Party presidential candidate to receive more than 1 million votes in a presidential election — something that the national Libertarian Party leadership said it was 'thrilled about' — but the former two-term governor of New Mexico said, 'I was kind of disappointed' in the showing. 'I thought the numbers would have been higher,' Johnson said.

Read more: http://newmexico.watchdog.org/16490/exclusive-gary-johnson-contemplates-bowing-out-of-politics/

Libertarian Party regains ballot status in W.Va.

Libertarian Party regains ballot status in W.Va. - Huntington Herald-Dispatch

"November 9, 2012 - "Charleston, W.Va. (AP) — Libertarian candidates will again appear on the West Virginia ballot after an absence of more than a decade.... The party’s nominee for governor attracted enough votes for Libertarians to regain ballot status.

"David Moran received more than 8,700 votes or 1.3 percent of the total.... State law recognizes parties for ballot access when at least 1 percent of the gubernatorial vote goes to its candidate.

"The Libertarian Party had cleared that threshold in 1996. But it then lost ballot status in the following election for governor, in 2000, when its candidate missed the mark."

Read more: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x1340518140/Libertarian-Party-regains-ballot-status-in-W-Va

Gary Johnson’s 1.2M vote total set party record; Greens focus on 2014 - UPI.com

Gary Johnson’s 1.2M vote total set party record; Greens focus on 2014 - UPI.com:

Novembr 8, 2012 - "Cravings for less Washington gave the Libertarian presidential entrant a record vote count while a tight Obama-Romney race hurt the Green Party, officials said.

"The nearly 1.2 million votes won by Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, a former two-term Republican New Mexico governor, supported public-opinion polls showing "consistently that a majority of Americans want less government than we have today," party Executive Director Carla Howell told United Press International.

"His nationwide vote count -- the highest count of the minor-party candidates -- represents about 1.2 percent of the total popular presidential vote in the 48 states in which Johnson ran, a UPI analysis of Tuesday's results indicated. Johnson was denied ballot positions in Michigan and Oklahoma.

"His vote count also beat the previous Libertarian Party record, set in 1980 by lawyer-politician Ed Clark, of 921,128 votes, or 1 percent of the nationwide total."

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/11/08/Libertarian-Party-buoyant-Greens-hopeful/UPI-46151352363400/#ixzz2BfjgX3tT
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D.C.’s Newest Major Party: Libertarians

D.C.’s Newest Major Party: Libertarians - Loose Lips - Mike Madden, Washington CityPaper:

November 6, 2012 - "The Libertarian Party became the fourth political organization to hold major party status in D.C. tonight, with Bruce Majors winning enough votes in his losing challenge to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton to get the party officially recognized as such by the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. He needed 7,500, which he cleared easily with 83 percent of the vote counted: By 10:56 p.m., Majors had won 11,213 votes.

"Major party status means the District will conduct a primary for Libertarian candidates in 2014, and that the party won't have to seek ballot access for the general election."

Read more: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2012/11/06/d-c-s-newest-major-party-libertarians/
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Recreational marijuana, gay marriage backed in historic U.S. votes

Recreational marijuana, gay marriage backed in historic U.S. votes - World - CBC News:

November 7, 2012 - "Maine and Maryland became the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote, while Washington state and Colorado set up a showdown with federal authorities by legalizing recreational use of marijuana....

"The results in Maine and Maryland broke a 32-state streak, dating back to 1998, in which gay marriage had been rebuffed by every state that held a vote on it. They will become the seventh and eighth states to allow same-sex couples to marry....

"The marijuana measures in Colorado and Washington will likely pose a headache for the U.S. Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which consider pot an illegal drug. The Department of Justice has declined to say how it would respond if the measures were approved."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/11/06/us-election-ballot-initiatives-sidebar.html?cmp=rss
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Liberty Daily | Setting Expectations: Will Gary Johnson Join The Million-Vote Club?.

Liberty Daily | Setting Expectations: Will Gary Johnson Join The Million-Vote Club? - Austin F. Cassidy:

October 21, 2012 - "I always hate when I encounter the post-election disappointment coming from people who are brand new to minor party politics. It’s not their fault really, as for many people this might be the very first presidential election where they’re truly engaged. They often have wildly, ridiculously grand expectations. This is the first time they’ve ever been excited about anything political and when the returns start rolling in they feel crushed — even if their candidate did significantly better than expected.

"For myself, I’ve set my expectations at what I think are a pretty reasonable level. No Libertarian candidate for president has ever captured more than 1 million votes and I will consider the Johnson campaign a thoroughly successful effort if he breaks through that barrier....

"Another thing to look for is Johnson’s individual showings in each of the 48 states he’ll be on the ballot in. How many states can Johnson poll more than 1%, 2%, or even 3% in? Outside of the Ed Clark campaign in 1980, a Libertarian candidate for president has only attracted more than 1% of the vote in a state on 12 instances. And it’s only happened 3 times in the last 20 years!"

http://www.libertydaily.com/2012/10/setting-expectations-will-gary-johnson-join-the-million-vote-club/
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November 7 - As of 10 a.m. today, Google is showing Johnson at 1,139,000 votes. He is polling at 2% or better in: New Mexico (3.5%), Montana (2.9%), Alaska (2.5%), Wyoming (2.2%), and Maine (2.0%). - GD

Ron Paul Republicans win House races

Ron Paul Republicans win House races | The Daily Caller - W. James Antle III:

November 7, 2012 -  "Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul will retire from Congress next year after serving for 12 terms, but several Republicans influenced by the iconic libertarian-leaning lawmaker will be arriving to take his place.

"Thomas Massie won the race to replace retiring Kentucky Republican Rep. Geoff Davis, beating Democrat Bill Adkins by 20 percentage points. Massie, an ally of Paul’s son, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, raised nearly 10 times as much money as Adkins, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash, who was already vying to be the House’s next 'Dr. No' in his first term, was re-elected with 58 percent of the vote....

"In a neighboring Michigan district, Ron Paul Republican Kerry Bentivolio was elected to the House seat formerly held by GOP Rep. Thaddeus McCotter....

"Many other candidates endorsed by Ron and Rand Paul, as well as Paul-influenced organizations like Campaign for Liberty, were on the ballot Tuesday, including Texas Sen.-elect Ted Cruz. But these three Republicans most self-consciously identified with the Pauls’ calls for deep spending cuts, auditing the Federal Reserve, and a more restrained foreign policy.

"They all raised money from Paul’s vast national network of donors, which helped them remain competitive in their primaries and the general election."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/07/ron-paul-republicans-win-house-races/
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