# Let's go nuts: Voting third-party **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 18, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-go-nuts-voting-third-party/755117 "2016-05-18T21:27:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-go-nuts-voting-third-party/755117/21 "2016-05-22T06:16:49Z")
Well, Gary Johnson has said if he gets the nomination at the Libertarian convention on Memorial Day weekend he will name former Mass. Gov. William Weld as his running mate. Weld has confirmed he would join the ticket. That would give a lot of fiscal conservatives a ticket to seriously consider. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-go-nuts-voting-third-party/755117/22 "2016-05-22T09:55:36Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Johnson is against Medicare and Social Security; that’s a hell of a lot worse. But only meaningful if he could practically convince the legislature to change them. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-go-nuts-voting-third-party/755117/23 "2016-05-22T13:54:23Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > A single issue voter and that issue is GMOs? As I said earlier, one of the four main tenets of the Green Party is “ecological wisdom” and they fail phenomenally on that topic. Doesn’t give me much hope for any of their other tenets. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-go-nuts-voting-third-party/755117/24 "2016-05-22T14:47:06Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Well, Gary Johnson has said if he gets the nomination at the Libertarian convention on Memorial Day weekend he will name former Mass. Gov. William Weld as his running mate. Weld has confirmed he would join the ticket. That would give a lot of fiscal conservatives a ticket to seriously consider. Social conservatives, not so much. He recently espoused ditching abortion and gay marriage stances. That won’t play well with the religious crowd. [http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/22/politics/bill-weld-holocaust-donald-trump/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/22/politics/bill-weld-holocaust-donald-trump/index.html) [QUOTE=William Weld] “No, it’s not a concern at all. I think we have our positions. We’re going to press them,” Weld said. “I’d like to ideally nudge the Democrats toward the economic center, get them away from excessive spending. I would like to get the Republicans to get away from their anti-abortion stance, their queasiness with gays and lesbians being able to live openly and married and peaceably.” [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-go-nuts-voting-third-party/755117/25 "2016-05-22T15:36:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Social conservatives, not so much. He recently espoused ditching abortion and gay marriage stances. That won’t play well with the religious crowd. > > [http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/22/politics/bill-weld-holocaust-donald-trump/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/22/politics/bill-weld-holocaust-donald-trump/index.html) Weld has actually publicly supported abortion rights and gay rights since at least the early 90’s so I wouldn’t call that “recent”. That was a big part of why Jesse Helms blocked his nomination as US Ambassador to Mexico under Bill Clinton. Both he and Johnson served two terms as governor in states that normally vote for Democrats. Weld in fact was reelected in Massachusetts with the largest percentage of the vote of any governor ever in that state. I have major policy disagreements with the Libertarian Party but in an election cycle where the two major party candidates are so incredibly unpopular, particularly with independents, these two seem in the best position to serve as a viable third choice for those who are seeking one. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-go-nuts-voting-third-party/755117/26 "2016-05-22T19:01:38Z")
I didn’t say he anything about when he came to his views. I’d never even heard of him before this election cycle. My point was that on a third-party ticket he’s not going to be much of a draw for conservative votes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-go-nuts-voting-third-party/755117.md?page=1)