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Voting for Gary is the Only Way to Make Your Vote Count
By Mike Guadagnino
The 2016 campaign may go down as one of the greatest Presidential election cycles of all time! In order for that to happen, 5% of the voting population would need to do something different, something that hasn’t happened in over 20 years.
Your politics may not lean libertarian like mine, but you may wish we had a serious Presidential alternative to these two major party Presidential candidates. Sure, Gary Johnson isn’t the perfect candidate; he has had those three bad interviews we’ve watched over and over on social media as opposed to his other 100 or so good interviews that didn’t go viral. He did have that big Aleppo gaffe which was similar to Hillary’s Mosul gaffe and Trump’s gaffe when he didn’t know how many articles are in the Constitution. What makes him potentially a major figure in American history is that he is the nominee of the top “third political party” in America; the only third party candidate that is on all 50 state ballots. If he should receive 5% of the American popular vote, the 2020 election will be much different…….much different.
What the press does not talk much about is that our country is a republic and we elect our President by an electoral college. Polls that tell us who are winning the popular vote are really not as important as who is winning each state. This year’s election will be decided by 7 or so “swing states”. Like it or not, in fact, love it or not, Hillary Clinton will win New Jersey’s 14 electoral votes. Both Hillary and Donald are not campaigning in New Jersey as they both agree that Hillary will win New Jersey similarly they both agree that Trump will win Alabama. If your heart is set and want one of those two candidates to win, then in my opinion you should go ahead and vote for them. On the other hand if you want to see a fundamental change in our electoral system and a change in the two party duopoly that gives the US citizens only two choices that can actually win, regardless of how good or how bad those candidates may be, you can help make a difference. If you live in a non-swing state like New Jersey, you can actually vote for real change and have YOUR VOTE COUNT for something!
Should the Libertarian Party candidate win 5% of the popular vote everything will change. With 5% of the vote the 2020 Libertarian Presidential Candidate will not have to scramble and waste resources in many states for ballot access. The 2020 Libertarian candidate will also receive approximately $10 million dollars of matching federal funds; not as much as the Republican and Democrat candidates presently receive but it will be $10 million dollars more than they have ever been granted.
This year Gary Johnson has raised approximately $12 million dollars, an extra $10 million dollars would have helped him reach the debate stage. When the Bipartisan Commission of Presidential Debates decided upon the contestants for the debate, all candidates needed to be at 15% in the polls. In early September Johnson varied between 9-11% depending on which poll you examined. More funds would have allowed for more advertisements, more rallies and more opportunities for larger fundraising efforts. With an extra 4-6% in the polls we would have seen much different debates.
You may not personally like Gary Johnson, you may not agree with everything in the Libertarian platform but I bet if you read the Democrat and Republican platforms you would not agree with everything in those documents either. But with a third candidate with a real chance to win it would give America another viable choice. If we have a third party that has an equal opportunity to win the Presidency you may see other well known pro-liberty candidates like Rand Paul, Trey Gowdy or Jim Webb join the likes of Austin Peterson or Darryl Perry in the 2020 or 2024 Libertarian primary.
As for me, with the clear understanding that Hillary will win New Jersey, I am not going to waste my vote. I am voting for the future and for change in the American election system; I’m voting for the Libertarian candidate Governor Gary Johnson.
Thanks for providing an informative alternative for those of us “still on the fence”
The idea of a “wasted vote” is flawed on so many levels. First, automatically assuming anything about the election, especially in one as volatile as this, is foolish. The fact that you state with absolute certainty that “Hillary will win New Jersey” is undermining the importance of the voting process and the civic duty of ALL citizens to cast a vote for the candidate their views and opinions align most closely with.
Next, if, as you mention, your views align along the Libertarian Party platform, you should personally know how laughable the nomination of Johnson was and continues to be. He has been possibly the worst nomination of the party in recent memory and his personal politics are quite removed from the basic tenets of liberatariansm.
Third, isn’t it ironic how the Libertarian Party is banking on receiving 5% of the vote simply so they can receive tax payer money to put towards future elections?
It is insulting how you are trying to subvert and manipulate the voting process and opinions of the Oakland populace in order to simply further the agenda of a private political organization.
Am I right in believing that you feel Clinton must be stopped? If so we are in agreeance and the best way to do that will be to cast a vote on November 8th, for Donald J. Trump.
I couldn’t have been given a bigger gift than what Mr. D(?) has offered. Name calling, hostility towards anyone with a different opinion and political trolling behind a pseudonym & computer screen are perfect examples of why, in my opinion, we need to break the two party duopoly that has controlled this Presidential election.
I was having a conversation with my neighbor and his buddy and we all agreed that Gary Johnson is someone you could (and would want to) have a beer with and chat about anything, Seemed to be very level headed and logical. Sure, he didn’t know where or what Aleppo was but I’d still have a brew with him.
I wonder if the ticket would’ve done better with Weld at the top. He seems to be the stronger personality on the team.