# Gary Johnson at double digits in first three way poll **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 28, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430 "2016-03-28T03:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/1 "2016-03-28T03:29:40Z")
[http://krqe.com/2016/03/24/gary-johnson-pulls-11-support-in-national-presidential-poll/](http://krqe.com/2016/03/24/gary-johnson-pulls-11-support-in-national-presidential-poll/) > [@](#): > > In a three-way race against Democratic front runner Hilary Clinton and Republican front runner Donald Trump, a new national poll shows former New Mexico governor and Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson getting 11 percent of the vote. > > That poll, released Thursday by Monomouth University, surveyed registered voters about that hypothetical race. The results showed Johnson was strongest among independent voters polled. However it also shows Johnson is mostly unknown, with 76 percent of those surveyed saying they didn’t know enough about the former governor to form an opinion. That shows a heck of a lot of room for growth, actually. Sure does give a valid choice to those of us who can’t stand Trump. He’s also a candidate that big money donors and Republican politicians can get behind if Trump wins the nomination. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/2 "2016-03-28T03:31:18Z")
god no. Hillary doesn’t need her [mandate ruined](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=763148) like what happened to Bill in the '90s. The left-wing kiddies of the Dem party need to let the centrist adults run the show already, stop whining, and get in line and vote for the Clintons. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/3 "2016-03-28T04:09:28Z")
[http://www.ontheissues.org/Gary\_Johnson.htm](http://www.ontheissues.org/Gary_Johnson.htm) > [@](#): > > I view government in the same way as philosopher Ayn Rand. (Aug 2012) I can not see him getting more votes from Democrats than the ones that he would get from the Republicans. I do think that a lot of very disgruntled moderate and establishment Republicans will more likely look at him if Trump is the Republican candidate, besides views that match a lot of conservative ones, the Republicans that are in favor of immigration would be the ones that I think will look at him as an option in this election. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/4 "2016-03-28T04:20:19Z")
Of course Johnson will win more votes from Republicans. Which is why it’s awesome that Johnson+ Trump beats Clinton pretty easily. If we have to live with Hillary Clinton as President, I’m all for giving her a weaker mandate than even her husband had. Let’s see if we can make Clinton win with 39% of the vote. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/5 "2016-03-28T04:21:14Z")
Weird name. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/6 "2016-03-28T04:57:58Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > . Let’s see if we can make Clinton win with 39% of the vote. The Democrats already tried that by winning more votes for Congress, though they won less seats. It doesn’t change anything. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/7 "2016-03-28T05:00:54Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Of course Johnson will win more votes from Republicans. Which is why it’s awesome that Johnson+ Trump beats Clinton pretty easily. If we have to live with Hillary Clinton as President, I’m all for giving her a weaker mandate than even her husband had. Let’s see if we can make Clinton win with 39% of the vote. Whenever somebody comes up with the most outlandish, highly improbable scenarios, why does it seem that the majority of the time that somebody is you? ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/8 "2016-03-28T05:15:58Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Of course Johnson will win more votes from Republicans. Which is why it’s awesome that Johnson+ Trump beats Clinton pretty easily. If we have to live with Hillary Clinton as President, I’m all for giving her a weaker mandate than even her husband had. Let’s see if we can make Clinton win with 39% of the vote. not necessarily. A lot of those far-left Berners (like the Birchers but left-wing) will do anything to oppose “neo-liberal AND neo-con” Hillary, and Johnson could bring the siphoning close to even, or near parity. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/9 "2016-03-28T06:28:26Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Whenever somebody comes up with the most outlandish, highly improbable scenarios, why does it seem that the majority of the time that somebody is you? “Forget it, Johnny - it’s Adahertown.” ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/10 "2016-03-28T08:07:35Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Weird name. His name always makes me think of Presidential candidates (and identical clones) John Jackson and Jack Johnson from the _Futurama_ episode “A Head In the Polls”. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/11 "2016-03-28T08:26:25Z")
The poll doesn’t mean anything. The voters were presented with three and only three choices and had to choose one. Almost nobody knows who the third guy is and among those who may have remembered once having heard his name, even fewer know what his positions on the issues are. His name might as well have been “none of the above.” If voters ever find out who he is and what his positions are, those numbers might shrink or might grow. But right now, they don’t mean anything. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/12 "2016-03-28T08:35:55Z")
True, but wouldn’t you think that what amounts to a moderate Republican, one who is actually qualified to be President, would have a unique opening given the likely major party nominees? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/13 "2016-03-28T10:24:11Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > [http://krqe.com/2016/03/24/gary-johnson-pulls-11-support-in-national-presidential-poll/](http://krqe.com/2016/03/24/gary-johnson-pulls-11-support-in-national-presidential-poll/) > > That shows a heck of a lot of room for growth, actually. Sure does give a valid choice to those of us who can’t stand Trump. He’s also a candidate that big money donors and Republican politicians can get behind if Trump wins the nomination. The answer is probably “Because they’re a TV station only _pretending_ that what they do is actually journalism, so they don’t know any better,” but I’m going to ask anyway. Why the FUCK doesn’t the story have any way for the reader to look at the actual poll results? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/14 "2016-03-28T10:46:37Z")
Yeah, how significant that 11% for Johnson is depends on what the numbers are for the other two candidates. If it just means that Clinton beats Trump by 20 points instead of by 10 points, there’s no story here. If it tightens up the race, though, well that means something (though probably only the same something as votes for “none of the above” would). ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/15 "2016-03-28T10:54:33Z")
There are other sources for the poll: > **[Libertarian Gary Johnson in double digits in race against Hillary Clinton,...](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/24/libertarian-gary-johnson-double-digits-race-agains/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS)** > > Libertarian presidential hopeful Gary Johnson, possibly benefitting from dissatisfaction with the two major parties’ front-runners, is in double digits in a potential three-way race, according to a poll released Thursday. Clinton 42 Trump 34 Johnson 11 ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/16 "2016-03-28T11:26:27Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > The answer is probably “Because they’re a TV station only _pretending_ that what they do is actually journalism, so they don’t know any better,” but I’m going to ask anyway. > > Why the FUCK doesn’t the story have any way for the reader to look at the actual poll results? [Here ya go. Look all you want. (pdf)](http://www.monmouth.edu/assets/0/32212254770/32212254991/32212254992/32212254994/32212254995/30064771087/7714a05b-515f-4ad3-bdaa-e72a6e5f8e61.pdf) The hypothetical Clinton-Trump-Johnson matchup was buried in a much larger survey. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/17 "2016-03-28T11:37:44Z")
“Gary Johnson” is just a neutral-sounding WASPish American name. I bet the results of the poll wouldn’t have been much different if they inserted a similar made-up name, maybe something like Bob Collins. But I bet there would have been a big difference if they used a name like Laquisha Washington. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/18 "2016-03-28T11:39:26Z")
Yeah, and I remember when Anderson went independent in 1980, he was polling in the 20s in the spring. I bet Johnson gets \<5% of the vote nationally, mostly from Republicans who couldn’t stand voting for Trump, and has approximately zero effect on the Presidential outcome. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/19 "2016-03-28T11:46:09Z")
I doubt such a poll result this early means anything, but I’m totally okay with the possibility of Johnson’s support growing. He probably helps the Democrats, helps destroy the Republican party, and might add a non-crank voice to the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430/20 "2016-03-28T12:00:21Z")
Here I thought the only three way was Cruz’s marriage. \rimshot I don’t see the LP as getting anywhere near the support that Nader did in 2000. Sure, there are people that like weed and guns and hate taxes- but they’re already voting Republican. The LP offers them nothing that the Republicans don’t already offer more of. If you hate the Democrats but don’t want to burden yourself with feeling personal responsibility for voting for someone that’s actually running the government, then maybe the libertarian party is for you. For the sake of argument, let’s assume I’m wrong and Hillary wins with 40% of the vote. I don’t think she would have any less of a mandate than Bush did after getting the Nader assist in 2000. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-johnson-at-double-digits-in-first-three-way-poll/750430.md?page=2)