# Johnson/Weld campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 23, 2016, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446 "2016-05-23T07:34:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/141 "2016-06-08T03:42:10Z")
> [@Lok](#): > > I listened to a recent episode of Penn’s Sunday School podcast where Penn talked to Johnson about his history & campaign. Penn is a Libertarian, and really likes Johnson, although he has made noses about maybe voting for Hillary because Trump is a walking disaster. > > So they start with Johnson talking about how he hates hypocrisy, especially in politics. He says what he means and sticks with it. > > Later, Penn asks for an example of something Johnson might do in foreign policy. Johnson days he would get together with China and see about unifying Korea under Seoul, the two major powers working together to make this happen. Yeah, that would happen. :rolleyes: > > Right after this, Penn asks about Johnson’s opinion on current foreign policy, and the other candidates’ outlooks. Johnson hates all the military interventions, and especially hates regime change by the US. Apparently, Korea wouldn’t count because… Reasons? :dubious: Sounds like what Johnson is doing is the kind of “smart power” Obama likes, but applying it to a clearly impossible situation, which doesn’t really make it smart at all. Smart is getting Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey to unite to fight ISIS. Difficult, but doable, and that has been a goal of the President’s foreign policy there. But getting China to agree to get rid of North Korea and put a potentially hostile neighbor on their border? China would have to be a completely different country to even consider that, and it would take major concessions from us in the process, plus who is going to die to get rid of the Kim family? Are South Korea and China supposed to do this for us, when we have treaty obligations with South Korea? Even if we did get China to do this, we have to fight North Korea. I’ll say the same thing about Johnson that I said about Ben Carson. Gotta do your homework man. Hire some good people, good Republican advisors who know their shit and hate Trump. I’m more hopeful for Johnson since unlike Carson he has political experience, plus he has a running mate who is a lot more knowledgeable than he is. But his first taste of the spotlight is going to break him if he doesn’t do better. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/142 "2016-06-09T14:52:20Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Sounds like what Johnson is doing is the kind of “smart power” Obama likes, but applying it to a clearly impossible situation, which doesn’t really make it smart at all. Smart is getting Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey to unite to fight ISIS. Difficult, but doable, and that has been a goal of the President’s foreign policy there. But getting China to agree to get rid of North Korea and put a potentially hostile neighbor on their border? China would have to be a completely different country to even consider that, and it would take major concessions from us in the process, plus who is going to die to get rid of the Kim family? Are South Korea and China supposed to do this for us, when we have treaty obligations with South Korea? Even if we did get China to do this, we have to fight North Korea. > > I’ll say the same thing about Johnson that I said about Ben Carson. Gotta do your homework man. Hire some good people, good Republican advisors who know their shit and hate Trump. > > I’m more hopeful for Johnson since unlike Carson he has political experience, plus he has a running mate who is a lot more knowledgeable than he is. But his first taste of the spotlight is going to break him if he doesn’t do better. I don’t think China would be at all afraid of South Korea at its border. There’s a fair chance they would welcome it, as opposed to the current crazed and impoverished North Korea. The question in my mind would be “What would it take to get China on board with regime change in NK?” I can’t say I have an answer for that. I’d say though, if anyone can force an NK regime change without war breaking out, it would be China. At a guess, they have lots of contacts within the NK government, and a threat to pull out all support unless Lil Kim goes away could well result in a coup. Now, how you get from a non-Kim, less crazy NK government to reunification with the South is another issue I have no ready answers for. But perhaps the people will resolve that themselves, as they basically did with the reunification of Germany. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/143 "2016-06-09T18:02:07Z")
Without a popular movement from within, Un and cronies have a stranglehold on the country. You’d need a full-scale invasion to topple him. Not gonna happen. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/144 "2016-06-09T19:15:22Z")
[Austin Peterson presented Gary Johnson with a replica of a pistol owned by George Washington, as a show of party unity, and Johnson threw it in the garbage.](http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/2/gary-johnson-tossed-rival-austin-petersons-gift-of/) In other news, [Johnson has pledged not to smoke pot in the White House](https://heatst.com/politics/gary-johnson-promises-he-wont-smoke-pot-in-the-white-house/). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/145 "2016-06-09T21:58:23Z")
Out in the Rose Garden, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/146 "2016-06-10T13:16:45Z")
> [@](#): > > … So far, only 18% of voters surveyed even realized he was running for president and only 17% realized his experience was as a governor… _Oh wow! Dude!_ ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/147 "2016-06-10T13:19:25Z")
On the other hand, that means he’s winning half of those who know who he is. That bodes well for his support if more voters find out about him, which is likely given his media appearances. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/148 "2016-06-10T14:54:27Z")
Unskew those polls! They’re crying out for mercy! ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/149 "2016-06-11T01:09:51Z")
I heard those bogeymen from Kansas were planning to pump a bunch of their gelt into propping up his campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/150 "2016-06-11T01:59:04Z")
I have the winning strategy for Johnson. Between now and the time ballots are printed he legally changes his name to “None Of the Above”. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/151 "2016-06-11T02:35:07Z")
Well, one way to unskew the polls is to simply ask about Johnson. Then you find out that Clinton is not surging, rather Trump is losing voters to Johnson: [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general\_election\_trump\_vs\_clinton\_vs\_johnson-5949.html](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton_vs_johnson-5949.html) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/152 "2016-06-12T02:58:31Z")
From [Politico](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/gop-donors-donald-trump-224218#ixzz4BKX2D34M): > [@](#): > > The annual Experts and Enthusiasts summit, which brings together Romney’s expansive network of deep-pocketed contributors, served as a powerful reminder of the high hurdles Trump faces in courting the Republican money crowd. … > > On Friday, Republican pollster Frank Luntz stood before the approximately 250 attendees and asked them who they planned to vote for. Trump got the most claps, but Clinton got a few as well, said two people who were in the room. One person clapped loudly for Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson. 0.4%. Sounds about right to me. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/153 "2016-06-12T03:44:42Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Well, one way to unskew the polls is to simply ask about Johnson. Then you find out that Clinton is not surging, rather Trump is losing voters to Johnson: > > [2016 General Election: Trump vs. Clinton vs. Johnson | RealClearPolling](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton_vs_johnson-5949.html) As covered in a different thread, [not so much so](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19396504&postcount=449). True that Clinton is not quite surging in polls. True that Trump is losing voters. False that they are mostly going to Johnson. Two thirds he’s just losing without them going to anyone. > [@](#): > > Not quite so. > > Fox poll 5/14 - 5/17 Trump + 3 (Johnson 10) > Fox poll 6/5 - 6/8 Clinton +3 (Johnson 12) > > Swing within the same polling house was 6 points off of Trump and only 2 of them were to Johnson. Mind you the other 4 did not go to Clinton but they did not go to Johnson either. MOE +/- 3. Dig into that [most recent Fox poll](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2016/06/09/fox-news-poll-national-releas-6-16/) some and you find more evidence that there is no real support for Johnson: > [@](#): > > 1. Which better describes how you feel about a general election matchup between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump? … (Will vote for 3rd party candidate) 3 …(Wouldn’t vote) 3 … Even more digging and the lost Trump support moved more into “Don’t know” than to Johnson. And looking at the subgroups - Trump dropped 5 among Republicans and 9 among Independents. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/154 "2016-06-24T03:41:40Z")
Johnson and Weld had a CNN town hall yesterday and while the performance wasn’t great, they do seem to have a message of sorts: We’re nice guys, like that Carson dude you liked so much. Except we have experience. They aren’t going to outduel Clinton on policy chops, so likeability isn’t the worst strategy in the world. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/155 "2016-06-24T12:57:30Z")
So far though he seems to be making minimally no progress in getting any closer to that debate threshold of 15 points. He’s running mostly 6 to 9, if anything a slight drop off from earlier in the month. It is a bit of a catch 22 even beyond the impact of getting on the debate stage: without the polling hitting some threshold (or at least rising) he won’t get much free media, and without the free media he won’t likely increase beyond fringe status. Doubt the “you don’t know us well enough to dislike us yet” message will get much coverage. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/156 "2016-06-24T14:21:28Z")
Who, exactly, liked that Carson dude so much? Seems like we were seeing a vaporous spectre of support for him that wafted away on the breath of his inanity. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/157 "2016-06-24T22:12:45Z")
This ticket is just plain embarrassing. Johnson’s style is to not make any waves whatsoever. He’s a major lightweight and he hasn’t improved his delivery in four years. He’s not even going to make it to the debates. I think that he thinks everyone cares so deeply about legal weed. He offers nothing that would appeal to the visceral nature of voters. Libertarians should be punching through the utter bullshit of statist propaganda not playing Democratic games of “please please like me”. What a waste of time and effort these men are. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/158 "2016-06-25T04:43:35Z")
The LP isn’t going to win as the libertarian party, they are going to win by being likeable and non-threatening since the major party candidates are unlikeable and in one case, scary. Plus they have more experience than either major party ticket. They win by being the adults in the room. The honest adults. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2016, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/159 "2016-06-25T09:29:53Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The LP isn’t going to win as the libertarian party, they are going to win by being likeable and non-threatening since the major party candidates are unlikeable and in one case, scary. Plus they have more experience than either major party ticket. > > They win by being the adults in the room. The honest adults. They’re not going to win. If they can do more than just be likable, then perhaps there’s a small chance they can get to the 5% threshold. But being likable is a nothing strategy for a third party. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446/160 "2016-06-25T10:00:28Z")
This is not a normal election. Gary Johnson is at 5-10% simply by not being Trump or Clinton, and that’s with the vast majority of voters not even knowing there’s an alternative in the race. Where will Johnson be polling when most voters do know he’s there? The media, unlike in past years, really seems to want voters to at least be aware that he’s there. And I’m sure once the Sanders-Clinton race is totally finished, they’ll start giving Jill Stein more of a platform too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnson-weld-campaign/755446.md?page=9)