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Gary Johnson has ‘Aleppo moment’ when asked to name favorite foreign leader
Washington Post ^ | 9/28/16 | David Weigel

Posted on 09/28/2016 10:20:53 PM PDT by Timpanagos1

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee for president, had been raring for Wednesday night's "town hall" on MSNBC. He had been cut from the first televised debate after missing the polling threshold, and he had not been invited when the network hosted a "commander-in-chief forum" with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

"This was their consolation prize," Johnson told The Washington Post this week when asked about the MSNBC special. "It was put to us that, look, you weren’t in this initial program. Here’s what we’d like to offer in lieu of being with the two major-party candidates. And I said, 'An hour of prime time Chris Matthews? I'll take it.' "


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To: Timpanagos1; 1rudeboy; SunkenCiv; dfwgator; BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj; Clintonfatigued; ...

To be fair, I’m having trouble thinking of one I like very much.

Bibi has some bad domestic policy in Israel.

A “RINO” if you will took over in Australia.

I suppose the PM of Japan (Abe) is ok.


41 posted on 09/29/2016 1:10:57 AM PDT by Impy (Never Shillery, Never Schumer, Never Pelosi)
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To: Dagnabitt; BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj; AuH2ORepublican; GOPsterinMA

I forgot about Orban. Possible choice.

I doubt Gary likes him, that is if he’s ever heard of him, or would remember if he had heard of him.

Weed is whack.


42 posted on 09/29/2016 1:14:51 AM PDT by Impy (Never Shillery, Never Schumer, Never Pelosi)
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To: Enchante

Forgot about him.


43 posted on 09/29/2016 1:16:12 AM PDT by Mr. Blond
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To: Mr. Mojo; MinuteGal

Bibi first, and then Abdel el-Sisi of Egypt, second. el-Sisi took on the Muslim Brotherhood in his Country, and won. No small feat.


44 posted on 09/29/2016 1:23:04 AM PDT by flaglady47 (TRUMP ROCKS!)
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To: BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj; Bender2; Clintonfatigued; NFHale; stephenjohnbanker; ConservativeTeen; ...

Oh jeez guys, they should bring back Vaudville for these clowns. I hope the RINOS voting for them don’t go over to Hillary.

“”Who’s your favorite foreign leader?” Matthews asked.

“Who’s my favorite?” Johnson replied.

“Anywhere in the continents,” Matthews said. “Any country. Name one foreign leader that you look up to.”

William Weld, Johnson’s running mate, chimed in with an assist: “I’m with Shimon Peres.”

“I’m talking about living, okay?” Matthews said. “You gotta do this. Any continent. Canada, Mexico?”

“I guess I’m having an Aleppo moment,” Johnson said.

“In the whole world!” Matthews said. “Anybody in the world.”

“I know, I know,” Johnson said.

“Pick any leader,” Matthews said.

“The former president of Mexico,” Johnson said.

“Which one?” Matthews said.

“I’m having a brain freeze,” Johnson said.

Weld, who had left the governor’s office in Massachusetts in an unsuccessful attempt to become ambassador to Mexico, began naming the country’s former presidents. “Fox? Zedillo? Calderon?”

“Fox,” Johnson said with a combination of jubilation and relief. “He was terrific.””


45 posted on 09/29/2016 1:25:37 AM PDT by Impy (Never Shillery, Never Schumer, Never Pelosi)
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To: Timpanagos1

Fair question but not a relevant question. One major point with Johnson is that he is an isolationist. Not being able to name people you don’t care about is not a serious flaw.


46 posted on 09/29/2016 1:41:12 AM PDT by Pollster1 (Somebody who agrees with me 80% of the time is a friend and ally, not a 20% traitor. - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Timpanagos1

The msm would not be attacking him if it was not helping Hillary.


47 posted on 09/29/2016 1:48:15 AM PDT by profit_guy
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To: Timpanagos1

The Clinton’s got to him; he’ll withdraw due to “health” reasons!


48 posted on 09/29/2016 3:07:59 AM PDT by Dr. Ursus
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To: stormhill

Obama didn’t start that “respect” there culture crap. That was Bush. When he allowed sharia rather then Roman law as the bases of Iraq. There was no going back. We where done.


49 posted on 09/29/2016 3:16:10 AM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric Cartman voice* 'I love you, guys')
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To: Timpanagos1

Far out, Catherwood.


50 posted on 09/29/2016 3:18:32 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Rise)
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To: Timpanagos1

He could’ve chosen Obama


51 posted on 09/29/2016 3:25:28 AM PDT by Mjreagan
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To: Timpanagos1
"Johnson voters moving to Trump."

Doubtful. Anyone that was considering Gary Johnson & Bill Weld (two far left-wing douchebag republicans) is going to either vote for Mrs. Bill Clinton or stay home smoking dope on election day.

52 posted on 09/29/2016 3:29:43 AM PDT by Godebert (CRUZ: Born in a foreign land to a foreign father.)
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To: Dagnabitt

Matthews just helped Trump get elected—this is an amazing election!

(Political junkies knew Johnson was a clown, but now more people know.)

The Libertarian Party left me—I did not leave the Libertarian Party.


53 posted on 09/29/2016 3:31:43 AM PDT by cgbg (Warning: This post has not been fact-checked by the Democratic National Committee.)
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To: Godebert

The young voters are the ones telling the pollsters they will vote for Johnson or Stein—and will either stay home or vote for someone else on election day.

They see Hillary as their very nasty aunt who hassles them (particularly if they are of the libertarian persuasion) and most polls shows they will break (in the majority) for Trump.


54 posted on 09/29/2016 3:34:42 AM PDT by cgbg (Warning: This post has not been fact-checked by the Democratic National Committee.)
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To: flaglady47

Agree about el-Sisi. Taking down the MB was one of the (very) few positive geopolitical developments since 0bama was elected. And of course from 0’s point of view it was a disaster, being the Moslem Bro-hoodie that he is.


55 posted on 09/29/2016 8:02:41 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo ("To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." - Teddy Roosevelt)
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To: Mr. Blond

If it was me I would have said Bibi.


56 posted on 09/29/2016 8:03:58 AM PDT by mware (RETIRED)
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To: Impy

Valid point, if any of us were put on the spot and asked to name which world leader we admired the most, it would be hard to start naming names.

A few years ago, I would say Bibi is the obvious choice, but now I realize the domestic policies enacted under his “conservative” administration are appalling.

Most of the across-the-board solid conservative world leaders to hold power recently are no longer in office, like Tony Abbott in Australia and that guy in Poland (see, I can’t even remember his name!) I also liked Goodluck Jonathan in Nigeria but he’s been replaced with a Muslim Socialist (and unlike Obama, that guy ADMITS to being a Muslim Socialist!)

As you noted, Abe in Japan seems like a decent guy, so is India’s first Sikh Prime Minister but I believe he’s also no longer in office. Harper in Canada was OK too but meh, and again, he’s no longer in power. Most “well known” world leaders are polarizing figures with baggage and controversies.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is a clever choice for FReepers, given the way he swiftly crushed Islamofascist opposition like the Muslim Brotherhood. Still, there is no way a Libertarian candidate would name such an aggressive militaristic leader, and I believe the U.S. government considers el-Sisi to be an illegitimate upsurger.

Viktor Orban of Hungary is an obscure name and I had totally forgotten about him, but again, clever suggestion on FR.

If I was put on the spot and asked to give a specific name, I probably would have thrown out Dr. John Key in New Zealand just because I know he’s currently PM and I remember him being a good opposition leader for articulating conservative policy when butch Helen Clark was in charge of NZ. However, after googling John Key, I’d regret naming him, since it looks like he’s caved to the left after taking power and turned traitor on issues like global warming and gay marriage.

Still, Gary Johnson fumbling over this question looked so bad that it made Perry’s brain fart over which department he’d abolish look good. Trump is about 50X better than Johnson at dancing around a question when he’s put on the spot and has no idea how to answer it. Johnson kept digging himself in deeper.

The other reality is that he’s a long time public official and former Governor that is campaigning nationally. He should have memorized a list of names he can instantly throw out there when he’s asked what other Governors he’s worked well with, what Senators and Congressmen he’d seek out as allies if he was President, what world leaders reflect the way he’d govern as President, etc., etc. I know I would have prepped for those types of questions with my advisors if I was running for President.

Johnson and Weld FINALLY managing to think of Vicente Fox (and in Johnson’s case, he had to be told the FORMER Mexican president’s name) and Angela Merkel was embarrassing. Merkel in particular is the LAST name a “libertarian” should name. (though in fairness to her, I’d say one of the big reasons her administration has been so bad is because she had to govern in a “grand coalition” with the SPD marxists).


57 posted on 09/29/2016 9:37:37 AM PDT by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj; Clintonfatigued; AuH2ORepublican

I didn’t know Goodluck Jonathan lost to some Muz, drat. :(

I don’t know much about the Sihk former PM of India but he was in the bad party, the INC. The ‘good guys’ won the last election, the new guy is named Modi. I haven’t been following India very closely but the initial news about him taking over sounded hopeful.

The guy in Egypt who overthrew the MB, good call.

Key came into my mind as well, yeah I think he’s a “RINO’ like the jerk that deposed Abbot in Australia. He’s better than the insane Kiwi leftists though.

Weld naming deceased leftist Shimon Peres and Merkel was even more ridiculous than Johnson’s brain freeze and slobbering over Fox. There’s no 2-ways about it, this “Liberatrian” ticket is just plain liberal. They are full circle back to their 1980 “low-tax liberal” position.


58 posted on 09/30/2016 11:26:18 PM PDT by Impy (Never Shillery, Never Schumer, Never Pelosi)
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