Politico.com reports that former Governor Gary Johnson “hasn’t given up on his New Hampshire-centric bid for the Republican nomination yet, but he’s already in talks with the Libertarian Party about becoming their candidate instead.”
The article reports that leaders of the Libertarian Party “are still hoping Ron Paul will reconsider and seek their nomination at the Las Vegas convention in May.” It also mentions that former Governor Jesse Ventura has contacted the Libertarian Party also, with a view to a possible run for President.
Full post @ http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69398.html
Ventura’s son is/was (?if the show is even still in production) the producer of the conspiracy show. His Dad does them because the son wants him to do it. From what I know the son and another guy come up with the storylines. JV just reads his lines he doesn’t write the shows.
The “crazy” is somewhat an act. I mean gang the man was a professional wrestler. It’s all “show” bizzzzness! Ventura can be sane and serious when he needs to be.
From what I’ve heard JV wants to tagteam with RP, but hey if GJ is the man JV may play with a new plan. The main thing to success i$ MONEY (used correctly of course). A ticket headed by two former Gov. would even “force” me to open my wallet ! Hopefully you ls and Ls and even some indies would do the same. I could be inspired to even place signs on some highways and walk a precinct or two to help the plan.
Wait and see what happens, but this could be a year where a breakthough is made. Millions of people are out of work and prices continue to rise. The people want SOLUTIONS………..
@18,
Yeah, i just meant the last 2. A couple of the other ones are/were kinda “out there” though. I won’t elaborate specifically because I could be misremembering but I remember some stuff. I can’t think that any actually brought anything positive other than the Koch money and some state level political experience. Then you have the hucksters, the diploma mill degrees in weird stuff, militia survivalist , anti-immigrant democrats, and just blah non-notables.
@20,
Romney? Wha?
If Romney is not the GOP nominee and Johnson is the LP nominee, I will vote for Johnson more than likely.
That would be besides not bedsides.
Tonie Nathan? David Bergland? David Koch? Jim Lewis? Andre Marrou? Nancy Lord? Jo Jorgensen? Art Olivier? Who bedsides Richard Campagna and Wayne Allyn Root were your referring to?
LP normally has crazy/wacky VP candidates, anyway.
13-14 r, yes, that does represent a break from Paul’s usual approach in some ways. When he speaks personally, he generally avoids attacking his opponents, especially personally, although he does point out policy dysfunction.
It’s my view that getting into the mud is not the path to peace and freedom. This was Read’s counsel to Rothbard, which was disregarded. You can’t have peace without demonstrating it. Attack undermines the most important message, IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWKTOCP45zY
@6 — Here is a new web video from the Ron Paul campaign called, “Newt Gingrich: Serial Hypocricy.” That is not milquetoast. It is an aggressive attack, of the sort that Johnson and the Orange Line crowd typically eschew.
So, no, I would not say that “RP takes the same civil approach as GJ.” It’s different, and not as milquetoast. (Though I find nothing uncivil about pointing out Gingrich’s scummy history. )
“Gary Johnson does have his own presentation issues, but his opposition to the Iraq War, his support for marijuana legalization, and his more reasonable views on abortion and immigration make him a better fit for the Libertarian Party than some proposed candidate.”
Gary Johnson’s support for the toxic Fair Tax plan is reason enough for the Libertarian Party to avoid him.
Gary Johnson also doesn’t believe that people should be pardoned for victimless crimes, he supports at least some US military interventionism, he thinks that Gitmo should stay opened, and he defended a law in NYC that mandates that restaurants post calorie counts on their menues.
I agree that the LP should welcome him with open arms, just try to keep a lid on the crazy. Having him as the VP might be the option that gets the positives and keeps the negatives down.
Having said all this I am not a LP member so what the hell do I know. Just friendly observations.
Did anyone here see JV on the X-Files ? He acts for money sometimes. He can RAI$E money, something GJ seems to be having trouble doing. LP needs to welcome new members. JV can help add numbers to the membership list.
…summary of his time as governor…
As Minnesota Governor, Ventura succeeded in several initiatives. One of the most notable was the rebate on Sales tax. In each year of his administration, Minnesotans received a tax-free check in the late summer.[38] The state was running a budget surplus at the time, and Ventura believed that the money should be given back to the public. In political debates, he often admitted that he had not formed an opinion on certain policy questions. Ventura frequently described himself as “fiscally conservative and socially liberal.”[39] He selected teacher Mae Schunk as his running mate.
Later, he came to support a unicameral (one-house) legislature, property tax reform, gay rights, and abortion rights. In an interview on The Howard Stern Show, he affirmed his support of gay rights, including gay marriage and gays in the military, humorously stating he would’ve gladly served alongside homosexuals when he was in the Navy as they would’ve provided less competition for women.[40] While funding public school education generously, he opposed the teachers’ union, and did not have a high regard for the public funding of higher education institutions. Additionally, Ventura supported the use of medicinal marijuana,[41] advocated a higher role for third parties in national politics, and favored the concept of instant-runoff voting.
Despite being a supporter of third parties in the past, in 2010 Ventura advocated that all political parties, including third parties, be abolished. Feeling that the two-party system has corrupted the government, Ventura has expressed concern that if a third party became as successful as the Republicans and Democrats, it “will likewise have to corrupt itself. If you already have a two-headed monster, why would you need three?”[42]
Lacking a party base in the Minnesota House and Senate, Ventura’s policy ambitions had little chance of being introduced as bills. Initially, the residents of Minnesota feared Ventura’s vetoes would be overturned. He vetoed 45 bills in his first year, and only three of those vetoes were overridden. The reputation for having his vetoes overridden comes from his fourth and final year, where six of his nine vetoes were overturned.[43] He vetoed a bill to require recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools.[44]
During the first part of his administration, Ventura strongly advocated for land-use reform and substantial mass transit improvements, such as light rail.[45] He made the light rail project a priority, obtaining additional funding from the Minnesota state legislature to keep the project moving. The Hiawatha Line was completed in 2004.
During another trade mission to Cuba in the summer of 2002, he denounced the economic sanctions of the US against that country.
me – don’t fear Jessie and his followers, WELCOME the HELP!!!!!!!!!
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably, he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, and intolerable.” -H. L. Mencken
I watched Jesse Ventura’ s “Conspiracy Theory” tv show, and he came off as an extremely gullible and self-important kook.
He is an important ally on the issues, but his manner of presenting conspiracy theories actually makes them appear less plausible. And he did not seem to avoid the really kooky conspiracy theories or the really kooky conspiracy theorists.
Gary Johnson does have his own presentation issues, but his opposition to the Iraq War, his support for marijuana legalization, and his more reasonable views on abortion and immigration make him a better fit for the Libertarian Party than some proposed candidate.
Also, Gary Johnson was re-elected Governor with a solid majority in a predominantly Democratic state. Jesse Ventura declined to run for re-election, either because he thought he would lose, or he was bored with it.
I think a Johnson/Ventura ticket would be very interesting and could be a big bonus for the Party. I know Ventura has more name recognition and more charisma than Johnson but I say Johnson on top of ticket because he comes across as a more serious person and too much of Ventura’s conspiracies (particularly his Truther stance) could do real damage if it gets too much play which it will if he heads the ticket. In other words you get the publicity while possibly containing the negative of perceived nuttiness.
Personally I think the ideal ticket would be Paul/Johnson.
Ventura would draw LARGER numbers into the LP than Johnson. I sense some dislike Ventura, hope it’s not for receiving large $um$ of moola to do a “different” type show on cable! A Paul/Ventura or Johnson/Ventura would actually BUILD the LP more than at anytime in history.
Where Johnson and Paul falls in the mid line to right on the Nolan Chart in the Libertarian Quadrant, Ventura falls to the left of the mid line. The area the LP needs to increase the most. A BALANCED ticket with BOTH wings of the Party in a BIG TENT LP strategy would fly much farther than any past LP POTUS ticket.
Who is better known to the American public Johnson, Paul or Ventura ? The better known the less possibility to be ignored by the lackeys in the Lame Stream Media.
Big Tent LP means a growing LP. Get’em in then you can educate them fully on the finer details. Let’s not run Jessie off if he wants to “tag team” the enemy with us ! (pun intended).
Now watch for the agent provocateurs within the Party to begin to tear down this possible MAJOR move for the LP. Finally a real player in national politics. The Kleptocracy can’t allow it to happen. Watch the war start to block this major breakthrough.
What’s the Diff?!: http://www.youtube.com/user/clearsky24#p/u/27/KOji-ZIv4Vs
4 js, interesting. RP takes the same civil approach as GJ. Are you saying he’s “milquetoast” as well?
JV is interesting, and would be my second choice for #2. Were it not for his Truther stance, I might have another opinion. My guess is he’s got more name rec than GJ, a plus.
JV probably has more away-from-liberty track record items than GJ, too.
Wonderful development for liberty. Name, credible people reportedly vying for the LP line.
Does this quote ring “off” for others?: “We cant stop anyone from saying they want to try and run,” Benedict said. “So there are always some joke candidates who decide they want to try.”
#3- see story at Ballot Access News. It doesn’t seem the LP is his target.
Johnson doesn’t have the anti-establishment cred that Ventura has. He refuses to attack any of the other candidates on anything but strictly policy grounds.
While that overly-polite style is appealing to many in the milquetoast Orange Line LNC faction, many grassroots libertarians prefer Ventura’s take-no-prisoners style when it comes to the criminal class running the country.
I heard Rocky Anderson might run for the LP nom.
Jesse Ventura? Really? Why? Is his conspiracy TV show being cancelled?
Well, the Politico reporter at least got comment from Benedict and Hinkle, but I don’t see anything in their comments that supports the headline that Johnson is behind Ventura in internal popularity.