Cornell student makes case to vote Gary Johnson

Why a Vote for Gary Johnson Is a Strategic Vote | Cornell Daily Sun - Jacob Waltman:

November 4, 2016 - "This election cycle is a mess. We have a billionaire playboy with a trash mouth who doesn’t know why we just can’t 'nuke' people and a former secretary of state who is one of the least liked and most corrupt politicians in history.... I can’t bring myself to vote for either of them. But, fortunately, I have a choice. Contrary to popular belief, a vote for former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is not a wasted vote. In fact, it’s a strategic vote.

"In the 2012 election, Johnson was also the Libertarian candidate. He managed to receive 1,275,923 votes, just under one percent of the popular vote. In this election, he is doing much better. As of a month ago, Johnson was polling at 13 percent of the popular vote. A Washington Post survey showed Johnson polling at double digits in 42 states and at 15 percent or higher in 15. Another poll even showed him at 17 percent in New York, the home state of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Keep in mind, Gary Johnson has garnered this much support despite the fact that his campaign budget is a fraction of Clinton’s and Trump’s. On top of that, he has received little to no media coverage, evident by his exclusion from all three presidential debates....

"Yes, it’s true that the winner of this election, as has been the case for every election we can remember, will either be a Democrat or Republican. We have a bipartisan system and people are annoyingly loyal to their political party. Thus, when the two major parties nominate candidates who are unlikeable and/or unfit for office, we are left with a tough decision. A decision, as many people would say, to choose the lesser of two evils. This in itself is a sign that our bipartisan system is flawed....

"I will be voting for Gary Johnson, the most qualified candidate in the election, because I refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils and in doing so, my vote is a strategic vote for the 2020 election.

"Let’s just say that Johnson ends up getting 10 percent of the popular vote on November 8. It’s possible. If that happens, the Libertarian Party will have improved its support by 1000 percent from 2012 to 2016. Let me repeat that, ONE THOUSAND PERCENT. If the Libertarian Party support improves in 2020 at even a third of [that] ... we would be looking at a third party candidate polling at over 30 percent, which is certainly enough to be a serious competitor in a three party election.

"The Libertarian Party has four years to increase its popularity and campaign funds. Not only is it possible that a third party candidate can compete in the 2020 presidential election, but it’s even likely....

"If the winner of this election turns out to be as awful as everyone thinks he or she is, the demand for a legitimate alternative will only grow.... So, when someone tells you that a vote for Gary Johnson is a wasted vote, tell them that they are wrong. It’s a strategic vote, a vote that will lead us to a future where we have more options and won’t have to choose between the lesser of two evils.

Read more: http://cornellsun.com/2016/11/04/guest-room-why-a-vote-for-gary-johnson-is-a-strategic-vote/
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See also: Cornell Republicans booted for endorsing Johnson

Gary Johnson's SCOTUS picks 'best of them all'

Best Supreme Court Shortlist Of Them All: Gary Johnson’s | Above the Law - David Lat:

November 2, 2016 - "I’m a fan of the Supreme Court shortlist just released by libertarian president candidate Gary Johnson (and not just because I have some right-of-center tendencies). Say what you will about these folks, but at least they’re interesting.... All six figures on this list are brilliant and well credentialed....

"Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski ... needs no introduction to regular readers of Above the Law.... Damon Root of Reason offers a good summary of his appeal, noting the judge’s 'principled defenses of the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, limited federal powers, and the due process rights of criminal defendants.' And let’s not forget his TV and movie career....

"Randy Barnett: The Georgetown law professor is most famous for his libertarian legal advocacy, including the medical marijuana case of Gonzalez v. Raich, which he argued before SCOTUS, and NFIB v. Sebelius, the major Obamacare challenge.

"Judge Janice Rogers Brown ... the D.C. Circuit judge 'is revered in libertarian legal circles for her stirring votes in defense of the Fourth Amendment against pro-police ‘orthodoxy’ and in defense of economic liberty against ‘burdensome regulation'.... Back in 2010, I mentioned her in my round-up of uncomfirmable conservative dream candidates for SCOTUS.

"Tom Campbell, before he joined the faculty (and served as dean) of Chapman Law, taught law at Stanford and business at UC Berkeley. This former SCOTUS clerk also has a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago — in economics, a Chicago specialty — and a J.D. from Harvard Law. As a former U.S. Congressman and California State Senator, he would bring much-needed political experience to the Court.

"Miguel Estrada ... a Harvard Law grad and ex-SCOTUS clerk, ... was famously nominated to the D.C. Circuit back in 2001, before falling victim to a filibuster (and despite receiving a unanimous 'well-qualified' rating from the ABA). He’s widely regarded as one of the finest appellate advocates in the nation, praised by Justice Elena Kagan — with whom he disagrees on many issues — as 'an extraordinary lawyer' with 'a towering intellect.'

Jonathan Turley ... [t]he George Washington University law professor supplements his scholarship with real-world litigation, in matters ranging from the Clinton impeachment to the Sister Wives case, and he engages in frequent media commentary, in broadcast and print as well as online....

"Johnson has a zero percent chance of winning — and that’s too bad, at least for the Supreme Court."

Read more: http://abovethelaw.com/2016/11/the-best-supreme-court-shortlist-of-them-all-gary-johnsons/?rf=1
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Columnist explains why she's voting for Johnson

I’m voting for Libertarian Gary Johnson - San Francisco Chronicle - Debra J. Saunders:

October 31, 2016 - "Once again, Clinton is in hot water because of her reckless decision making. Her original sin was setting up a home-brew server. Her second sin was deciding to delete thousands of emails under subpoena. Defenders act perplexed as to why the Democratic nominee set up this email system. I assume she had many, many things she wanted to hide — which is why she lied about the whole arrangement.

"The GOP nominee lacks conviction, character and self-control. Trump didn’t keep his promise to release his tax returns. He trash-talks women and minorities. In all my years of covering politics, I’ve never seen a campaign where supporters actively blame the candidate’s lack of self-control — not his advisers or pollsters — for the harebrained things he says. Even his most enthusiastic fans say Trump is his own worst enemy.

"Clinton or Trump? I truly have no idea which candidate would be worse....

"That’s why I’m voting for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson. The former GOP governor of New Mexico had the right stuff to win election and re-election in a purple state. Johnson believes in small government. He was not afraid to challenge federal mandates. In his first term, he cut the state workforce by 1,200, capped state budget increases at 4.2 percent (down from 10 percent) and vetoed 388 bills, according to the Almanac of American Politics. When he ran for re-election in 1998, he won 55 percent of the vote....

"Johnson doesn’t answer snap questions well in part because he doesn’t have a staple of canned sound bites he endlessly repeats. When I interviewed Johnson this summer, I asked him to name the first three regulations he’d work to eliminate. He drew a blank — he couldn’t name three. He instead said, 'I’ll bet that we’re able to do away with hundreds of regulations in a matter of weeks.' Later he mentioned he would get rid of the federal Department of Education and Department of Housing and Urban Development. He’s not afraid to push for smaller government. He has been a strong critic of the failed federal war on drugs. He supports legalizing recreational use of marijuana. That is, he understands where the federal government should pull back.

"Johnson doesn’t like being called an isolationist; he sees himself as a 'non-interventionist.' He told me he believes U.S. troops should work to defeat the Islamic State because 'ISIS has attacked us.' I fear that he will reduce America’s military footprint abroad, but at least he has little appetite to send U.S. troops in harm’s way for unclear objectives.

"Is he ready to be president? No. Neither is Trump. And Clinton isn’t ready to be the kind of president who works within simple rules. From Day One, Trump or Clinton will sow chaos. So I’m going with the no-drama candidate who actually means what he says."

Read more: http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/saunders/article/I-m-voting-for-Libertarian-Gary-Johnson-10426115.php
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Opioid makers spend big to stop legal cannabis

Why Big Pharma is Spending so Much Money to Defeat Marijuana Initiatives - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Eric Boehm:

October 28, 2016 - "Legal marijuana will poison children and cause more Arizonans to die in car crashes, according to scary television and online ads running across the state in advance of Election Day. 'Edibles that look like candy, marketed to kids,' warns one ad, with a voiceover meant to sound like a concerned mother....

"The ads were created by Arizonans For Responsible Drug Policy, a group that's encouraging voters to reject Arizona's Proposition 205, which would allow people aged 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants in their own homes. Arizona is one of [five] states — along with California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada — that could vote to legalize recreational weed on November 8.

"Despite the voices and faces in the ads, though, Arizonans For Responsible Drug Policy and similar groups urging 'no' votes on marijuana legalization in other states are not funded by concerned parents and public officials. In large part, these groups are funded by pharmaceutical companies trying to protect their share of the market for painkilling drugs — and in Arizona, the biggest donor to the 'No On 205' campaign is a company that's been investigated for its role in overdose deaths.

"That company, Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics Inc., is best known for manufacturing a pain relief spray that contains fentanyl, an opioid that's been under heightened scrutiny for its role in several overdose deaths, including the high-profile death of Prince in April..... Insys Therapeutics in August made a $500,000 contribution to Arizonans For Responsible Drug Policy, the largest donation the group has received from a single source.

"It's not just happening in Arizona. According to a report from The Nation, Purdue Pharma and Abbott Laboratories, makers of the painkiller[s] OxyContin and Vicodin, respectively, are among the largest contributors to the Anti-Drug Coalition of America. Meanwhile, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which advocates on behalf of drug companies, spent nearly $19m on lobbying in 2015, according to a report from The Guardian, which called PhaRMA 'one of marijuana's biggest opponents.' Federal lobbying data aggregated by Maplight shows that PhaRMA has spent more than $150 million on lobbying since 2008 — a total that only includes federal lobbying efforts, not similar work done in state capitals, where PhaRMA is also active....

"[I]t's worth asking why they would be so keen to spend millions of dollars fighting marijuana legalization.

"One big part of the answer is that states with legal marijuana — medical or recreational — have lower rates of drug prescriptions."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2016/10/28/why-big-pharma-is-spending-so-much-money
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Rep. Rigell records video endorsing Johnson

Powerful: GOP Congressman Scott Rigell Video Endorsement of Libertarian Gary Johnson - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Nick Gillespie:

Oct. 23, 2016 - "That's Scott Rigell, a Republican congressman from Virginia who broke party ranks to endorse Libertarian presidential nominee and former two-term New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson back in August. The mere fact of partisans such as Rigell splitting their votes is important, of course — it's a bold, even courageous example, and a necessary one for an era in which voter identification with the major parties is going down like the Titanic:"

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2016/10/23/powerful-gop-congressman-scott-rigell-vi
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McAfee & Perry won't vote for Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson's Libertarian rivals reject him for president - Washington Times - David Sherfinski:

October 18, 2016 - "It’s not exactly 'never Johnson,' but some of Gary Johnson’s former rivals for the Libertarian presidential nomination say they are unimpressed with his campaign and won’t vote for him, with one even channeling Sen. Ted Cruz and telling libertarians to vote their 'conscience' as he mounts an informal write-in campaign for himself.

"Author Darryl Perry, who placed fourth at the party’s nominating convention in May, said last month that everyone, including libertarians, should 'follow their conscience' when voting in the general election. 'I will be writing myself in,' Mr. Perry said this week. 'Of the people that are on the ballot in New Hampshire, there’s none of [them] that I think are good.'

"Mr. Perry has taken issue with Mr. Johnson’s positions on taxes and guns, among other areas. Mr. Johnson has said he wants to replace the income tax with a consumption tax. He also said he is open to a discussion on banning people on terrorism watch lists from buying guns while criticizing such lists as riddled with errors.

"Cybersecurity specialist John McAfee, who came in third, said he is not going to vote. He cited gun control as one reason he is withholding support for Mr. Johnson. He also said he doesn’t see much appeal in either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. 'The reason I’m not going to vote is that you cannot tell me that I have a choice between the measles or a bladder infection and expect me to pick one,' Mr. McAfee said....

Nicholas Sarwark, who chairs the Libertarian National Committee, said people who didn’t win the nomination won’t be happy but that Mr. Johnson was the convention delegates’ clear choice. 'I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what the haters think,' Mr. Sarwark said. 'For the most part, the people who are the loudest concern trolls are the people who do not have our best interests at heart.'

"Mr. Johnson does still have the support of businessman Austin Petersen, his top rival for the nomination. Mr. Petersen acknowledged 'disappointments,' such as Mr. Johnson’s blanking on a question about ... Aleppo, but said the former two-term New Mexico governor still has a historic opportunity to get a higher vote total than any other Libertarian Party presidential candidate.

"'It won’t put him in the White House, but it does advance the movement that’s behind him, which is sort of what I consider the future of politics in the United States, and that’s the liberty movement,' Mr. Petersen said."

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/18/gary-johnsons-libertarian-rivals-reject-him-for-pr/
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Johnson's the only candidate worth considering

Why Gary Johnson Is the Only Presidential Candidate Worthy of Consideration | HeatStreet - Sebastian Doggart:

October 24, 2016 - "When the Trump campaign imploded, I finally felt it was safe to come out as a supporter of Gary Johnson.... The response was more hostile than if I’d announced I was engaged to Kim Jong Un.

"'I’m genuinely concerned you’ve lost your mind,' wrote my pro-Clinton friend Eliza....  I knew Eliza opposed the death penalty, so asked her why she was voting for Clinton, who still believes the government can kill people legally. When I showed her that, unlike Johnson, Clinton is indeed a cheerleader for lethal injections, Eliza went silent.

"Capital punishment is just one issue where many Americans, in their heart of hearts, may well agree more with Johnson than with ClinTrump. Peace is another one. Hawkish Hillary voted for the Iraq war, backed military action in Libya and sending American troops into Syria. Trigger-happy Trump also gave the Iraq war a thumbs-up.... Johnson opposed the Iraq war, and has pledged to slash the military budget ... scale back on nuclear programs, close down some foreign bases and end foreign invasions.

"Johnson is a far braver free-speech advocate than ClinTrump. He has been steadfast in his opposition to the Patriot Act, censorship of the Internet, militarization of the police and the indefinite detention of prisoners. In 2012, the American Civil Liberties Union gave him the highest score of any presidential candidate....

"Johnson is the champion of the challenge to the bankrupt two-party system, with which millennials are so fed up. That’s especially true with Social Security ... an entitlements program that is heading off a cliff.... 'Millennials are getting screwed,' Johnson warns.... The same is true with healthcare. As Johnson said: 'President Obama’s affordable healthcare is dependent on young healthy people paying for older unhealthy people'....

"On education, Johnson ... will completely abolish the grossly wasteful Department of Education and will expand vouchers for private schools. Unlike Clinton, his plan favors teachers over unions; local educational processes over federalized testing.

"Johnson is passionate in his belief that the Federal government should stay out of both your bedroom and your wallet. That is most apparent in his tax plan, which would eliminate the IRS and replace most of the tax code with a single consumption tax. He’s promised to submit a balanced budget to Congress within his first 100 days in office....

"Johnson could win the White House it if he prevails in just one state, and neither Clinton nor Trump secures 270 electoral college votes.... Terror of this scenario is what’s brought out the Obamas to turn their sights on Johnson and led the liberal-limousine echo chamber to sink to personal insults. Bill Maher recently called Johnson a 'ventriloquist dummy' and a 'fucking idiot.' John Oliver drank the two-party Kool-Aid, laid into Johnson as 'weird… an ill tempered mountain-molester with a radical, dangerous tax plan.' David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, called him 'the least informed candidate for the presidency'.... The Clinton propaganda machine and their loyal media supporters ... hammered Johnson [and] MSNBC ... organized a Gotcha-ism orgy."

Read more: http://heatst.com/politics/pot-shot-heres-why-gary-johnson-should-be-the-next-president/
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