Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson: 'What is Aleppo?'

a reply to: tothetenthpower

If I were on his team, I'd spin this by pushing that he's simply too concerned with American problems. I'd try to use this as a "We don't need to be concerned with random cities on other continents anyway" argument.

Because to be blunt, most people in America couldn't give 2 craps about Aleppo, couldn't point it out on an unlabeled map, and couldn't tell anything about the history or culture of the city. And anyone, including Gary Johnson, can do a quick google search to get "up to speed" on that info (assuming they cared enough to look).

And even the things most people "know" about the ISIS situation in Aleppo is the stuff they've heard from talk radio, mainstream media, or from establishment candidates. So it's not like people here or in the rest of the public have a way to fact check the narratives we're hearing, anyway.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Seems that the NYT has a even bigger problem with what is Aleppo .NYT Ridiculing Of Gary Johnson Failed With Four(!) Major Mistakes www.moonofalabama.org... I would think that they are hardly qualified to point out someone else's ignorance when they have a staff to make sure they get it correct the first ,second,third or fourth time . NYT is just shooting blanks ,as usual .

Yes, the fact that Gary Johnson did not know what or where Aleppo is, or why someone would be asking about it, is not good. He should be embarrassed.

However.

If that's the worst thing you can say about him, he's miles ahead of the Republican and Democratic nominees.

I hate to say this because it brings back the Sarah Palin ghost, but the way Barnicle asked that question was pure gotcha. He was TOLD to take Johnson down with a certain question; look at the body posture of Mika next to him.

Why is a question like that not asked of Trump, with that body language and the instantaneous 'you're kidding?' response?

Because they treat him with the kind of kid gloves you'd treat the class bully if you ran into him alone in the bathroom, that's why.

I thought Johnson handled a very bad situation admirably and honestly which is more than I can say for Trump or Hillary, ever.

You could ask Trump that question NOW, hours after it broke, and he'd have no clue and would babble a response, and not be called on it. And Hillary would give a stock answer that nobody would listen to.

For all the people that are saying this is an inexcusable lack of knowledge, grab a microphone and a camera and go out on the street and start asking random people about Alleppo. Hell, they can't even answer who the current VP is.

Weld is the foreign policy wonk in that ticket. Johnson is more concerned with national issues.

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
a reply to: tothetenthpower

Seems that the NYT has a even bigger problem with what is Aleppo .NYT Ridiculing Of Gary Johnson Failed With Four(!) Major Mistakes www.moonofalabama.org... I would think that they are hardly qualified to point out someone else's ignorance when they have a staff to make sure they get it correct the first ,second,third or fourth time . NYT is just shooting blanks ,as usual .

Exactly. An in a written format with plenty of time to research, fact check and verify, not first thing in the morning when you've been jetting around the country for the last year and sleeping in hotels, and without the aid of a phalanx of advisors and prior exposure to all those classified documents that you didn't bother to secure...

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Meh, we have so much global chaos that its hard to keep on top of it and he will be updated on it anyways.

Perhaps he is more concerned about what is happening in the US than in other places.

I don't see this as big issue for me especially coming from a libertarian. Libertarians are not known to dictate and get involved in foreign policies.

From what I have seen , dictating and getting involved in foreign policies as of late has not been working out to well for humanity and the spread of peace .

a reply to: tothetenthpower

I think that voters should have to take the same test, and answer basic questions about the stance of their preferred candidate to show that they're not just voting for a color or letter, but actually on issues that matter.

But, alas, we can barely mandate that people prove they are who they say that they are in order to cast a vote--there's no chance in hell that we could actually mandate that they're voting intelligently.

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
If I were on his team, I'd spin this by pushing that he's simply too concerned with American problems. I'd try to use this as a "We don't need to be concerned with random cities on other continents anyway" argument.

That's not exactly spin--that's pretty much the truth, and I agree with it to the point that it doesn't directly affect us at the moment, and there are sooooo many more problems within America's borders that should be the content discussed by our candidates.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Most American's won't know where or what it is either - so why the fuss?

Its not like he's said anything more stupid than either of the other two candidates, is it?

originally posted by: SlapMonkey

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
If I were on his team, I'd spin this by pushing that he's simply too concerned with American problems. I'd try to use this as a "We don't need to be concerned with random cities on other continents anyway" argument.

That's not exactly spin--that's pretty much the truth, and I agree with it to the point that it doesn't directly affect us at the moment, and there are sooooo many more problems within America's borders that should be the content discussed by our candidates.

The whole point with "spin" is how a situation is presented. It's the difference between being called "experienced" or being called "a part of the establishment". Both phrases may be technically correct, but they have completely different connotations.

For example, our current lawmakers in Congress has barely passed any laws nor confirmed many federal appointments. So are they lazy obstructionists that won't do their jobs or are they preventing big govt from continuing its ways? Both phrases are technically correct, but they have completely different connotations.

So in short, I'd try to present this mistake as the honest mistake of a candidate who cares more about everyday Americans than he cares our current military adventurism. I'm not sure if that would work in a normal presidential election cycle. But this race is so abnormal that it would've been worth a shot.

More and more factions are trying to find fault with Johnson for the smallest things and it will probably get worse the closer we get to the election. It isn't because they think he will beat out the two crooks of the two party system.The reason they are attacking him is because those factions feel entitled to the votes he will receive.

His 7% following could easily decide the election and most of the people know he doesn't have a chance at winning, What will happen is the next election there will be three parties that will get funding which means there is an actual competition of ideals. This election is an all time low for the US, Neither Trump nor Clinton should be anywhere near holding the highest seat in America.

Wow... after all Trump has said and after all Clinton has done the media is roasting Johnson for this?

Pulease. Most Americans don't know what Aleppo is. I sure as hell didn't. At least he can own up to his ignorance and mistakes unlike Trump and Clinton. It just shows the liberal media thinks he's a threat and are grasping at straws to try to make it seem he is unqualified to be President. If people think this disqualifies him from being president then take another look at Hillary and Trump. Hillary = emails, arming ISIS, Benghazi Trump = Wants to Deport 11 Million Immigrants, Ban Muslims from entering the country, talk about bombing ISIS families, etc. Johnson = didn't know what Aleppo was.

Is Johnson perfect? No. But he sure as hell beats the other two.

a reply to: luthier

Really?

Most people here likely label me a right wing idiot and even I know where and what Aleppo is. For one thing, it's pretty common knowledge by now to anyone who pays a modicum of attention to the news that civilians there were just subjected to attack by chlorine gas. You know ... someone in Syria is using chemical weapons in Aleppo.

It doesn't take any specialized intel to have some kind of basic position on that.

I am guessing most of us here do.

a reply to: Grimpachi

It's not a small thing though.

They just started using chemical weapons again in Aleppo. It was all over the news this week.

Maybe someone needs to ask Johnson what his news sources are like they asked Sarah Palin?

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Overblown.
MOST people don't know Aleppo was the 5th Marx Brother.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: luthier

Really?

Most people here likely label me a right wing idiot and even I know where and what Aleppo is. For one thing, it's pretty common knowledge by now to anyone who pays a modicum of attention to the news that civilians there were just subjected to attack by chlorine gas. You know ... someone in Syria is using chemical weapons in Aleppo.

It doesn't take any specialized intel to have some kind of basic position on that.

I am guessing most of us here do.

This guy is running for POTUS!

He doesn't know what or where Aleppo is. lol.

Good thing he's only at 9%, imagine Trump giving that reply.

Anyway, he takes voters from hillary and they want him out, hence the response but it's still pretty lame that he has no clue.

So I still don't know does he not know what Aleppo is or did he have a momentry laps in memory (a brain fart)?

Was he not able to answer the question once it was explained to him? Or did he answer it?

Why are we so ruled by sound bites in this country?

If they had simply asked about the situation in Syria it wouldn't be a sound bite.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

Well its in line with Lib isolationalisim.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
If they had simply asked about the situation in Syria it wouldn't be a sound bite.

Yes, but the most newsworthy developments in Syria happened in Aleppo.

If you ask only about Syria, there are a number of topics that could be addressed, but I would guess the reporter assumed that Gary was aware that chemical weapons were being used again as it was a fairly hot news topic.

www.cnn.com...

www.washingtonpost.com... 91781754_story.html

www.bbc.com...

www.aljazeera.com...

Both the Al Jazeera and WaPo articles were from two days ago.