In the state-by-state race for the presidency, Romney’s prospects would brighten considerably if he could win New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado, politically divided states that Obama won in the 2008 election.
Winning one of those states would reduce the pressure on Romney to win larger, hotly contested states such as Ohio and Virginia.
For Romney, it is a tall order. New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado have experienced significant growth in Latino voters and a decline in white, working-class voters in recent years, a trend that generally favors Obama.
By the election, Johnson’s campaign could become a headache for Romney in those three states.
Nearly anonymous nationwide, Johnson is popular in his home state. A survey of New Mexico voters in May, taken by Patriot Majority USA, a Democratic group, found Johnson polling at 12 percent there, compared with Obama’s 48 percent and Romney’s 35 percent.
Read More: Could Libertarian Johnson hurt Romney in the West?
And just for good measure, here is a separate article by the Ventura County Reporter. It includes an interview of Judge Jim Gray
Johnson’s running mate for the Libertarian Party, Judge James Gray, will be speaking in Ventura County this week. In May, the Libertarian Party nominated Gray as its vice presidential candidate. A retired superior court judge with a history of decorated service in the U.S. Navy, Gray was a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in 1998 and a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in 2004. He is known for his advocacy on rethinking the country’s drug laws.
Read More: Libertarians Hit the Ground Running
Which is why the the poll numbers inevitably drop before the election. Unfortunate.
conservatives are if anything more scared of Obama
Yea but lefties are scared of Mitt Romney. They will fall in line, like they always do.
This is insidious propaganda to turn TEA Partiers and Conservatives against Libertarians.
Gary Johnson stands to gain more votes from disenfranchised Democrats than Republicans, because lefties should be more pissed off by the thing Obama has done than the TEA Party is.
Colorado’s marijuana initiative could make for interesting synergy.
Excellent news.
Of course Johnson’s positions on social issues “take” votes from the left far more than the right.
Hopefully he will spoil matters for both Democrats and Republicans in all three Western states.
I would add Utah, where the Johnson campaign is centered.