Libertarian Icon Ron Paul Says He Won't Be Voting For Gary Johnson

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Onetime Libertarian presidential nominee Ron Paul said Monday he isn't planning to support Gary Johnson, the party's nominee for 2016.

Instead, the former Texas congressman told MSNBC that he agrees with Green Party candidate Jill Stein on many issues. After he was introduced as a Stein supporter, Paul was quick to point out that he is not endorsing Stein or anyone else. But he said he feels Stein's policies have a libertarian bent.

"Liberty is all chopped to pieces," Paul said. "Liberals defend some parts of liberty and conservatives other parts and progressives are pretty good too on foreign policy."

"I said if the independents who don't know what to do and who should they pick, I say if you tend to lead progressivism and liberalism and you are interested in expressing yourself—you can vote for the Green Party," Paul clarified.

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ron-paul-jill-stein-gary-johnson

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. "..he feels Stein's policies have a libertarian bent." He's right, and that's a big red flag for me

[Mika]

2. Stein herself says that the Libertarians and the Greens have a lot in common. eom

[Tarheel_Dem]

5. That scares the shit out of most African Americans. When most of us hear Libertarian, we hear....

"state's rights", and that has never been good for us as a people.

[onehandle]

3. Cool story, nutcase.

Guess Ron came out and saw his shadow.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. That'll cause the Paulite groupies to flee Johnson

I swear, this election is about as insane as it gets.

[MidwestTech]

6. Can we NOW please, and forever, BURY that the green party is liberal in any meaningful way?

ok, maybe I should say the NATIONAL green party.
I'm sure there are a few true greens out there but damned if I know them.

The green party became the gop hand puppet when RALF nader took it over in 2k.
Since then I am yet to see ONE local office seriously challenged by a member of a liberal green party.

I'm happy, honestly, to be proven wrong but seriously... am I?

[Odin2005]

13. Eco-Ludditism has it's roots in Fascist hatred of the city and the idealization of rural life.

[Archae]

7. Ron Paul is an asshole.

To put it mildly.

He gave a keynote speech to an ultra-conservative Catholic group that is viciously anti-Semitic, and still claims the Earth is the center of the universe.

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2013/9/6/195018/9064/Dominionism_in_the_military/Ron_Paul_to_Speak_at_Holocaust_Denier_s_Gala_Dinner_Fundraiser_

[ucrdem]

8. Must have been the red pantsuit.

Clinton fever is breaking out all over!

[keithbvadu2]

9. Colbert did a segment on Johnson.

.

[msanthrope]

10. Fuck Ron Paul. nt

[Marc2010]

11. Ron, please just go back to trying to peddle gold coins.

[mwooldri]

12. Ron Raul going Green? I doubt it.

While nearly any vote is better than a Trump vote on its own, this year calls for tactical voting to keep Agent Orange - Don the Con - call him what you will... out of the White House. A vote for Johnson or Stein isn't going to do it.

He does have a point... Libertarians tend to be right wing and somewhat anarchistic, whereas Greens tend to be left wing and anarchistic. Hillary is mid-right and somewhat authoritarian. Trump is mid-right and very authoritarian.

https://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2016 - not exactly flattering to Hillary in the text but I think it proves Ron Paul's (and my point) well in that progressive libertarians should be supporting Jill Stein rather than Gary Johnson - if they're being idealistic.

Oh and call this hashing up of the Primaries if you must but if any of you thought that there was not much difference between the Republicans look at the chart on the bottom of that page and you will see that you were right. During the primary season Trump et al were fighting all over the same space. Very right wing, very authoritarian, very effin' scary.

[Odin2005]

14. Not surprising, there is a lot of overlap beteen the Eco-"Left" and the Far-Right.