Posted on 05/19/2016 3:05:01 PM PDT by MarvinStinson
Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson has agreed to join forces with former Massachusetts Governor William Weld for the Libertarian Party's nomination. Weld will run for the party's vice presidential slot, possibly bolstering the third party's appeal to general election voters.
Weld was a popular governor in the 1990s with crossover appeal and could boost the legitimacy of a third-party option for voters disgruntled by presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
"It brings an enormous amount of credibility to what it is I'm doing," Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, said in a statement. "I'm unbelievably flattered by this and humbled."
The official announcement is expected Thursday morning.
Johnson was the party's nominee in 2012 and won 1.2 million votes, more than any previous Libertarian presidential candidate. Four years later he could be an even greater contender as some Republicans, including party leaders like Mitt Romney, have voiced their desire for an alternative presidential candidate to Trump. Weld could help him do that.
Weld, a fiscal conservative and social liberal, won two terms as a Republican in the heavily Democratic state of Massachusetts, including with 71 percent of the vote in his re-election. His political preferences have spanned the political spectrum. He endorsed fellow Massachusetts politician Romney in the last presidential election but supported Barack Obama in 2008.
Some impact in MA. Little elsewhere.
Romney, now Weld. Masshole now has an additional definition in Webster’s.
Trump has the Reagan coalition locked up. Losertarians won’t get above 1% of the vote.
Hillary’s last hope...
Prop up the Libertarian.
May appeal to few #nevertrumps who would never vote for him anyway.
Gary Johnson got <1% in 2012, despite the uninspiring Romney-Obama November matchup.
Johnson won't crack 2% this November.
Pat Paulsen, I remember him. He was a running gag on Laugh In back in 1968.
Did you see the Fox poll? He’s at 10%.
Did Johnson consult with Levin on this?
He’s a progressive “libertarian.”
At least he had a sense of humor!
It’s typical for 3rd-party candidates to poll high this early out.
For Libertarians anything over 1% is a win.
Of course it was Koch's money that got them over 1% in 1980, but the fact that they did their best against Reagan suggests that maybe their votes aren't coming from conservatives or right-wingers. With that in mind, Weld may not be a bad pick for Clark.
Except that Bill Weld gives "low energy" a whole new meaning. He was a funny guy, but never that energetic.
(And, also if memory serves, the Dems gave the losertarian candidate money.)
.
Trust me, it ain’t happening. In fact, Johnson-Weld will peel off Sanders supporters.
Respectfully, I do not agree.
Fine, then continue to curl up in the fetal position.
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