1. Given who the other two candidates are I was almost prepared to vote (L) this go-around. Then I started looking in to the positions of the Libertarian candidates and found that they’re not. They’re just a slightly different blend of the government knows best type of politician.

   I have no idea who to vote for for President. I may just have to write in my own name.

   1. I have the same reservations, but am still voting LP, as at least my vote can influence automatic ballot access next cycle, whereas it will not determine which petty tyrant we will be saddled with come January. I place more stock in Senate races anyway, versus POTUS.

      1. +1 the only answer to the choices given is not to play the game.

         And Johnson is a total idiot….still a better choice.

2. A libertarian or green party candidate cannot win. They can keep either major party from a majority. That at least makes claiming a mandate less believable. Vote for someone. A really high turnout with a large secondary party vote will at least show our disgust for the majors.

   1. I think this year’s Libertarian Party candidate cane from the Green Party.

      1. Wasn’t Gary Johnson the LP candidate in 2012, too?

         He was a decent choice then, as I recall. His “platform” has moved significantly more left/socialist/big-government this time around. I like him even less than either of the major party candidates on a lot of issues now (and that’s saying something!).

3. Vote “None of the Above!”

4. I went to the Gary Johnson rally at FIU. The gun question came up, and Gary did state he wasn’t in favor of restrictions based on type/capacity and so forth. He believes in the natural right to keep and bear arms. But that’s what he “said”. In practice, as governor of New Mexico, he didn’t mess with gun rights in any significant way. However, if he were to become POTUS, I’m not sure how that would pan out since he’s subject to the vagaries of Congress and the lobbyists.

   Is he full Libertarian? Not really. The only full LP candidate was Austin Petersen, but I do believe the LP passed on him since he had no name recognition. The LP wanted to make a huge splash this go-around, and they did.

   Gary is “Libertarian-lite”. He joined up and the Party accepted to bolster it’s image in the mainstream. Which is good. I think everyone knows at least that the LP exists now. I’ve been registered LP since I was 18 and finally 20 years later people have really started asking me about it.

   For the record, I’m on the voting rolls as LP. However, some of the trends in the Party do concern me a bit. I think Gary is OK, even though he’s not full LP, but I do question Bill Weld, despite the fact that he kind of fessed up to “making a mistake” in supporting the restriction of firearms rights.

   I do keep my LP accreditation in part because it pisses off Democrats though. Every Dem I’ve come across says – “A vote for Johnson is a vote for Trump…”

   “OK, so effing what?” is my response. “If you’re gonna goad me to vote for HRC, you’re no better than the fascists you claim to oppose…”

   I’ve never had a Trump voter accuse me of the same. Actually, if you break down Trump a bit, he’s always had some libertarian values in his belief system. He’s pro gay-rights (hey, he came around in the 80s in New York…), supports drug decriminalization efforts, and at least nominally backs the Second Amendment. Economic-wise, not sure. He’ll gladly support business restrictions if it benefits him.

   I don’t think the Republicans regard the LP as a threat, yet. Probably because a percentage of registered Libertarians still vote Republican in the federal election cycle. I have yet to hear of a Dem-turned-LP do that.

   But yet, I’ve never had a Trump voter accuse myself or the LP of stealing votes from the Republicans.

   The Dems just redoubled their attacks on the LP and the Greens. I want to see Dr Stein vandalize the DNC headquarters. Don’t agree with her politics one bit but that’s one brave crazy lady.

   1. I wish I had the same experience. I generally vote GOP in Congressional elections, but this year especially, I’ve been harassed by Trump supporters I know far, far more than Clinton supports. Could be in part because I’m not around many Clinton supporters.

      I do not however, trust the GOPs intentions regarding the LP….they’re happy when the votes come their way, and they claim ‘common cause’ when trying to cajole support. But that common cause disappears when the GOP nominates a liberal autocrat, as they’ve done this electoral cycle. Adding to that the mutual aiding and abetting with the Democrats in trying to keep Libertarians off the ballots at the state level, and out of the debates at the national level.

      There are some Republican I would have no problem voting for [were I but in Mike Lee’s district…] but the party can burn to the ground for all I care. Perhaps an actual Conservative party can rise from the ashes.

      1. I hate to burst y’all’s bubble, but libertarian philosophy is pie-in-the-sky fantasy that can’t work on the real world. It assumes that all citizens will be rational actors, and in the real world that never happens. A certain percentage of humans will act in irrational ways that will tend to be counterproductive, and even harmful, to themselves and to fellow citizens. This can come about either through stupidity or mere perversity. And another group, about 4% of all humans, are born psychopaths and cannot change. They not only don’t care about society or their fellow citizens, they take pleasure in the misfortune of others, and will even deliberately cause pain and suffering. Studies indicate that psychopaths watching videos of people in distress will cause pleasure centers to activate, which is consistent with earlier research. Libertarian, socialist, and other philosophies that assume that all citizens are rational actors are doomed to failure.

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