# Is there an independent that could beat Clinton and Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 16, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180 "2016-03-16T17:46:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/21 "2016-03-16T22:42:34Z")
Ross Perot is still around but Admiral Stockdale is now pushing up daises so Ross needs a new running mate. Maybe Dana Carvey as his VP? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/22 "2016-03-17T10:37:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > lol Kanye? Really? > > Hip hop nation REPRESENT! Kanye has already announced an intention to run for President in 2020, which is why I mentioned him. He’s a rich insane idiot so he probably wasn’t joking. ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/23 "2016-03-17T11:49:59Z")
In 2012 Former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico received 1% of the popular vote for President, running as a Libertarian. He was a Republican governor, known for actually cutting waste out of the government, streamlining it while simultaneously protecting civil liberties. The Libertarian Party is already successfully on the ballot in all 50 States. While I do not believe that he can garner enough support to block Hillary from getting 270 EV, I do believe that he can get the required 5% of the vote to elevate the Libertarian Party to major party status, thus eliminating the requirement to get petitions signed to get the party on the ballot in 2020. In this way, I think that the Libertarian Party can rise from the ashes of the Republican Party, just as the Republican Party rose from the ashes of the Whig Party. The Republicans were a start-up in 1856, garnered enough votes to be taken seriously, and then were successful at getting their nominee elected in 1860. I understand the disdain that this board has for libertarians, but Johnson isn’t promising to go all Ayn Rand if elected. ---
**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 17, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/24 "2016-03-17T12:14:41Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > In 2012 Former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico received 1% of the popular vote for President, running as a Libertarian. He was a Republican governor, known for actually cutting waste out of the government, streamlining it while simultaneously protecting civil liberties. The Libertarian Party is already successfully on the ballot in all 50 States. While I do not believe that he can garner enough support to block Hillary from getting 270 EV, I do believe that he can get the required 5% of the vote to elevate the Libertarian Party to major party status, thus eliminating the requirement to get petitions signed to get the party on the ballot in 2020. In this way, I think that the Libertarian Party can rise from the ashes of the Republican Party, just as the Republican Party rose from the ashes of the Whig Party. The Republicans were a start-up in 1856, garnered enough votes to be taken seriously, and then were successful at getting their nominee elected in 1860. I understand the disdain that this board has for libertarians, but Johnson isn’t promising to go all Ayn Rand if elected. I highly doubt it. Essentially, libertarians are a fringe element within the Republican party, or Republicans that like weed. The “oh my God taxes really suck we gotta cut taxes” plank of libertarianism will be part of whatever takes the place of the Republican Party should Trump destroy it. Except for that anti-tax bit, nothing in libertarianism is going to attract a significant number of voters. No, there is no independent who can win running against Clinton and Trump. The same people who frothed at the mouth over Obama for the past eight years were already frothing over Hillary. Trump is going to get all of their votes, but it isn’t anywhere near enough to win. The subset of people that find both Hillary and Trump unacceptable is nowhere near as large as some think. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/25 "2016-03-17T19:11:22Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > In 2012 Former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico received 1% of the popular vote for President, running as a Libertarian. He was a Republican governor, known for actually cutting waste out of the government, streamlining it while simultaneously protecting civil liberties. The Libertarian Party is already successfully on the ballot in all 50 States. While I do not believe that he can garner enough support to block Hillary from getting 270 EV, I do believe that he can get the required 5% of the vote to elevate the Libertarian Party to major party status, thus eliminating the requirement to get petitions signed to get the party on the ballot in 2020. In this way, I think that the Libertarian Party can rise from the ashes of the Republican Party, just as the Republican Party rose from the ashes of the Whig Party. The Republicans were a start-up in 1856, garnered enough votes to be taken seriously, and then were successful at getting their nominee elected in 1860. I understand the disdain that this board has for libertarians, but Johnson isn’t promising to go all Ayn Rand if elected. If Trump, a Republican with authoritarian tendencies, is the nominee, and Trump is way behind in the race, Johnson could very well exceed 5% since there will be no risk for small government Republicans in voting for him to send a message. Besides, Johnson is actually one of us. Trump is not. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/26 "2016-03-18T09:40:34Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > If Trump, a Republican with authoritarian tendencies, is the nominee, and Trump is way behind in the race, Johnson could very well exceed 5% since there will be no risk for small government Republicans in voting for him to send a message. > > Besides, Johnson is actually one of us. Trump is not. “Us”? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/27 "2016-03-18T09:51:25Z")
A conservative. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/28 "2016-03-19T19:12:06Z")
Only a genuine populist like Huey Long. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/29 "2016-03-21T21:11:00Z")
The only person that springs to mind is a 65 year old Warren Buffet. But for better or worse (better, actually) Mr. Buffet is 85. But he’s got the bucks, he’s got the success, he’s got the reputation of being anti-financial cronyism. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/30 "2016-03-22T18:10:00Z")
Bernie has a good chance (“good” compared to say, Jill Stein – still bad in absolute terms), and hey, he’s always been independent. I doubt he’ll run without the Democratic Party’s support though, even though he probably should. And if the GOP doesn’t nominate Trump, he might go his own way, too, and we could have a four way election in which no one wins a majority of electoral votes. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/31 "2016-03-22T18:15:20Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What’s Ralph Nader doing these days? This could be his moment! Pat Paulsen in 2016! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/32 "2016-03-22T18:17:46Z")
I go Pogo. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180/33 "2016-03-22T18:22:47Z")
This could just be the break that Eugene V Debs has been waiting for! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-independent-that-could-beat-clinton-and-trump/749180.md?page=1)