Pay Attention To Libertarian Gary Johnson; He’s Pulling 10 Percent vs. Trump And Clinton

[applegrove]

Pay Attention To Libertarian Gary Johnson; He’s Pulling 10 Percent vs. Trump And Clinton

by Clare Malone at fivethirtyeight

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pay-attention-to-libertarian-gary-johnson-hes-pulling-10-vs-trump-and-clinton/

"SNIP...............



Gary Johnson might be on the verge of becoming a household name.

At the moment, he’s probably most often confused with that plumber who fixed your running toilet last month or your spouse’s weird friend from work who keeps calling the landline, but he’s neither — he’s the former governor of New Mexico, likely Libertarian candidate for president, and he’s polling at 10 percent in two recently released national polls against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

A Morning Consult survey published Tuesday and found Clinton getting 38 percent of the vote, Trump 35 and Johnson 10, with 17 percent undecided. A Fox News poll conducted from May 14-17 showed Trump leading over Clinton, 42 percent to 39 percent, but Johnson at 10 percent as well. Lest you think this is some fluky May development, a Monmouth University survey conducted in mid-March — while the political universe was still busy wringing its hands over the Republican nomination — found that in a three-way race, Clinton would get 42 percent, Trump 34 percent and Johnson 11 percent.

Given that Trump and Clinton are sporting historically high negative ratings, Johnson’s polling makes a fair bit of sense; Gary Johnson is neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton. He might not win a state, but he could make some noise.



................SNIP"

[Initech]

1. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

A 3rd party candidate like this - very bad for us, very good for Trump.

[applegrove]

2. I think he will take more votes from Trump.

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Quite the opposite

Libertarian candidates pull GOP votes more than Dem votes. Johnson will be a protest vote for the "principled" GOP voters (there have to be a few still breathing).

[Initech]

6. So this is a good thing then? OK.

[Kelvin Mace]

12. If you want Trump to lose, yes.

[Initech]

13. Yes I do want Trump to lose.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

11. Wrong wrong wrong Initech K and RRR

[DVRacer]

3. He will damage Trump more so

[forjusticethunders]

5. Johnson takes more from Trump for sure.

In fact, I could see #NeverTrump quietly rally around him as the real "conservative" in the race. And Hillary could pull any Dem leakers simply by pledging to deschedule weed.

[meaculpa2011]

7. Keep an eye on Zoltan Istvan. n/t

[OilemFirchen]

8. Looneytarians are, of course, Republicans who like to smoke pot.

No actual sentient liberal or progressive will vote for Johnson.

[Shandris]

9. "IT'S RISING!! THE JOHNSON IS RISING!!"

HAD to be done.

[DVRacer]

10. It would be too hard for me to vote for him

Best I can do

[Initech]

14. Thread over!

[former9thward]

15. Libertarians always do well in the early polling.

Then their support fades away as the actual election comes around.