Columns, Opinion

JOHNSTON: Why choose the lesser of two evils?

With November just two months away, there’s little time for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump to rev up their camps and take control of the tense election race. Neither has the race in their pocket, and it’s pretty obvious as to why.

People simply don’t like either candidate. Why should they? Trump has a loud mouth he uses to offend people, while failing to deliver anything close to a comprehensive plan for all of the groundbreaking ways he’s going to “Make America Great Again.”

America can’t be led astray by a cocky business guru who has watched firms fail in the hopes of profiting from bankruptcy laws with loopholes utilized by big-time money players. We can’t have a president who inspires fear in a large fraction of the country.

Unfortunately, the democrats have nominated their own blundering politician. Hillary’s been around the block when it comes to politics. She was first lady, then a senator, then the secretary of state. In that time, she’s made many special interest friends, a lot of enemies and a never-ending run for the throne of the United States.

The “special interest friends” aspect of things was made quite apparent with her ridiculous superdelegate count, which cost Bernie Sanders electoral votes and any hope of the nomination in the primaries, infuriating the youth of America.

On the other side, her enemies are trying to take her down through the judicial system in what one may call “EmailGate” in years to come. That debate is not slated to stop any time soon, although she’s done a remarkable job of dancing around the investigation. I suppose her understanding of the law is akin to Donald’s understanding of business ethics.

So, that puts the state of the union in a bit of a pinch. Luckily, there is an alternative. Meet Gary Johnson.

This former governor of New Mexico recently held a rally on the Boston Common last month with his running mate, Bill Weld, who was previously the governor of Massachusetts.

The turnout was far from what Trump and Clinton have been getting, a stark reminder of his anonymity to the general public. Perhaps that’s because many don’t even know the Libertarian Party exists.

Libertarianism, an ideology Gary Johnson subscribes to, is a conservative movement with a socially liberal twist. Although the media and large political parties alike would have you think this compromise is impossible, it really isn’t.

Gary believes that the government should be small and hands-free, allowing for private sector freedom, thus leading to innovation and job creation. Our economy is held back by an enormous government dominated by special interest groups and power-hungry politicians who would rather be re-elected than see economic security.

Additionally, he doesn’t think government should stick its fat nose in your daily lives. For example, should you choose to partake in the marijuana culture, Gary has your back. He wants to legalize the herb, a viewpoint that may attract many of Bernie’s dismayed fans and millennials around the country.

Similarly, a woman’s free choice to decide what she’d like to do with her body, especially in cases of abortion, seems like a fair liberty to Gary. Why should the government be involved with that?

The government should exist to protect its citizens from global harm and allow an economic market to thrive. It should let people to live intellectually, spiritually or however they choose. It should not seek to police the world through military might, nor should it spend endless tax dollars carelessly on projects that many Americans oppose, like a massive wall on our southern border.

Speaking of borders, Gary hails from New Mexico, meaning he has plenty of experience dealing with immigration problems. Like the majority of Americans, he wants to take an approach that incentivizes a path to citizenship rather than jail or deportation.

Many people share Gary’s views but don’t know they can vote that way. Hope comes for the former governor as a traditionally Republican newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, recently endorsed him, after endorsing primarily Republican candidates in the past. With the media in the state it is today, it’s possible for him to gain awareness and grow greatly between now and November.

Most pollsters say he’s currently secured about 10 percent of the vote. He needs 15 percent to be allowed to debate, although many are beginning to petition that rule. If he can debate, he’ll be known by more people, potentially allowing him to steal enough electoral votes from Trump and Clinton so that the winner misses the threshold of 270 electoral votes. This would push the election to the House of Representatives, where they will maybe, just maybe, choose Gary Johnson.

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One Comment

  1. Andrew is the best! He’s cute and smart! Go Andrew!