{"id":1723,"date":"2016-08-26T17:20:45","date_gmt":"2016-08-27T01:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chrisbodig.com\/?p=1723"},"modified":"2016-12-04T13:10:59","modified_gmt":"2016-12-04T21:10:59","slug":"the-third-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisbodig.com\/?p=1723","title":{"rendered":"The Third Option"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"GARY<\/a>

Gary Johnson<\/p><\/div>\n

In this vitriolic, poisonous and insane presidential campaign, I’m going to take a moment to write about a ray of light, another choice for the tens of millions of depressed Americans who can’t stomach the thought of either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becoming the President of the United States. I’m talking about Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson (along with his running mate William Weld).<\/p>\n

In my last post, Head or Gut<\/a>, I stated that I would choose Trump over Clinton if I had a gun to my head. Fortunately, there is no firearm presently held against my temple so I reject the binary choice that our two-party system provides. Right now, if I had to vote today, I would be voting for Gary Johnson.<\/p>\n

I can feel many of you clicking away, murmuring to yourselves that I have truly gone off the deep end and that this is a waste of time. So let’s say right away the odds of a third party candidate ascending to the Oval Office are slim and none, and slim is getting ready to leave town. Still, if there was\u00a0ever<\/strong> a year where the two-party stranglehold on our politics could be loosened, this is the year. So I ask you to humor me for a few minutes.<\/p>\n

The 63-year old Johnson, the standard bearer for the Libertarian Party this year, served as a Republican governor in New Mexico from 1994 to 2002. In 2008 he ran (as a Republican) for president and didn’t get one iota of support. In the end, he endorsed Ron Paul. In 2012, he ran for president again, this time as the standard bearer for the Libertarians; he earned about 1.275 million votes (just under 1%) in the Romney-Obama race. Johnson is an avid triathlete and has also climbed all seven of the “Seven Summits” including Mount Everest.<\/p>\n

\"WILLIAM<\/a>

William Weld<\/p><\/div>\n

Johnson’s vice-presidential running this year, 71-year old William Weld, is also a former two-term Republican governor, serving in Massachusetts from 1990 to 1997. Weld was popular in the Bay State, winning re-election in 1994 with 71% of the vote, the most lopsided gubernatorial contest in the state’s history.<\/p>\n

It’s obvious that the reason anyone is even talking about Johnson-Weld is because of the intense dissatisfaction with the choices of Trump and Clinton. Despite the fact that the majority of the population could not pick either Johnson or Weld out of a police lineup, the ticket is running at about 9% in the Real Clear Politics Average of national polls, with Clinton at 42%, Trump at 38%, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein at 3.5%. The fact that the unknowns Johnson and Stein are combining for one-eighth support speaks volumes to what an unusual year this is.<\/p>\n

Before tackling the “is it possible” question, let me quickly share some of Johnson’s policy positions:<\/p>\n

Gary Johnson on the issues:<\/span><\/p>\n