GOP moves to keep Gary Johnson off the ballot

Yet another obvious attempt by the GOP to silence conservatives!! With Ron Paul successfully shut out of the race, the GOP is now aiming at its next target – Gary Johnson.

In recent weeks, with the full support and legal assistance of the Republican Party, Johnson’s ballot status has been challenged in Michigan, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, Iowa and now Ohio.

Ron Nielson, senior advisor to Gov. Johnson, said in a statement released Friday, “The national Republican Party may not want to publicly acknowledge the presence of a true fiscal conservative in this race, but they are certainly taking Gov. Johnson seriously enough to engage in a concerted campaign to get his name off ballots in key states before voters even get a chance to vote.

“In states across the nation, Republican operatives, lawyers, and in some cases, elected officials, are filing frivolous challenges to Governor Johnson’s ballot status. They know that even if their challenges fail, fending them off is a drain on our resources and a distraction from the real issues in this campaign. We don’t have hundreds of millions of dollars to throw around, nor do we have the Republicans’ endless supply of lawyers.
“We have dealt with many challenges in this campaign from the major parties, who clearly don’t want voters to have a viable third option in this election, but this attack on voting rights and democracy is over the top.

Johnson

This is just more proof that the GOP seeks to marginalize conservatives. This attack against Johnson seems more like a Chicago-style election stunt Obama would pull rather than something from the GOP. I’ve never been so disappointed in the party I once called my own.

What say you, Johnson supporters? Where is the outrage?

I’ve never been so disappointed in the party I once called my own.

So when did you finally open your eyes? Personally I dumped the republican party and joined the independents when that failure Reagan was in office. It was clear even back then the right turned it's back on the people in favor of wall street. When the DNC is over with that's when the screaming and lawsuits will begin.

reply to post by seabag


I personally hope that things get even worse than they appear to be. No one is really acting against it in enough of a way to change things.... Yeah civil disobedience is a great philosophy but it just doesn't work. Hopefully the Paul campaign and the Johnson campaign, old Nader supporters etc. can finally band together under one philosophy of liberty and fair politics and finally get something done. I have no problem as a Ron Paul supporter to say that Johnson is treated unfairly.

I just hope that the GOP keeps pushing until it breaks people. Something has to get done eventually.

The more this corruption keeps being exposed, the sooner we get a revolution. The GOP is sure doing a good job at making it obvious now. It's time for all sensible republicans to leave the GOP. There's nothing we can do for the truly blind, but if we want this country back, we better start doing something about it!

I will vote Gary Johnson, because hes NOT the other two.

Romney knows he needs every little vote he can get his hands on, to beat Obama.

reply to post by seabag


So areare you still going to vote Romney seabag? Even after finally becoming aware of how corrupt the romney gop has been this cycle. Romney has a big part in this, it's the only we he can compensate for his moderate/liberal record, get rid of the real conservatives.

reply to post by Wookiep


Between this thread and the one I linked in the OP, there is no disputing the fact that the GOP has made the decision to rid itself of conservatives. The neocons from the Bush administration have remained strong and the tea party at the national level has been successfully high-jacked. They are not even hiding their tactics at this point!

Disgraceful! There is no liberty when good people are kept from having a voice!

reply to post by Wookiep


You would think that at this point in time there would be enough evidence, enough man power, and enough resources to seriously change something, no? There will come a day when it is too late, but right now it is not too late. I wish people would see that...

Oh well right? I am in college now and I have already talked to the Republican and Democrat club leaders on campus. Of course neither one really wants me to join as a libertarian, but from what I have heard from some of the people in the clubs is that their candidate is based almost exclusively on social issues and to counter the other party. We are talking about Colorado School of Mines here... and still people have no clue.

Whatever though, I heard that a libertarian club is in the works. Maybe then the truth will find its way in this place.

Well, I don't know about the other states but Iowa will keep Johnson on the ticket. I can almost guarantee.

We have a very large group of people that support both Johnson and RP. They will be working hard to keep him on the Iowa ballot and if I am not mistaken, RP supporters have taken over a large portion of the Iowa GOP.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow

So areare you still going to vote Romney seabag? Even after finally becoming aware of how corrupt the romney gop has been this cycle. Romney has a big part in this, it's the only we he can compensate for his moderate/liberal record, get rid of the real conservatives.

Good question, bud!

I want to vote for Johnson because he most closely shares my views out of the candidates left. However, if the GOP is successful in getting Johnson off the ballot in several states there is no sense voting for him; it would be impossible for him to win at that point. In that case I would vote for Romney because I still believe he is at least slightly better for the economy than Obama.

You must understand that I am a small business owner and I must vote for who will help ME and our economy the most…therefore I must hold my nose because I likely won’t have a business if Obama is re-elected.

reply to post by PhysicsAdept


Start the political revolution there and expose the lies and corruption to the students of CSM! I have total confidence that you are the right man for the job!

Unrelated, but still related to the general topic of the OP: Your party is changing

I saw Jon Huntsman on CNN this morning talking about how the GOP has changed and how he has a plan to reconstruct it for the purpose of becoming more inclusive and eliminating the fringe. The republicans screwed the pooch by not running Huntsman or Paul. I guess I can say to the GOP: Enjoy your monied interest, overt racism, fiscal irresponsibility, "democracy" by the blade, "all American" mindset, and ignorant ways. The party is going to collapse by 2018, I can see it coming. This is a new age of politics emerging and the GOP just couldn't keep up with the social and cognitive differences of the newer generations.

The Boomers, once again (just like the economy), were the death of something big. Tsk Tsk, boomers...must you ruin everything.

reply to post by seabag
The object of a race is to win. Honestly, why would the GOP do anything to hurt their own chances?

I'd expect the same thing from the DNC if the Green Party were running a serious candidate.

Where's the outrage....mine goes off every day over this. I heard about this last week and thought I would have an aneurism!

I became a Libertarian in 2008. I had always had the basic principles of Libertarianism in my heart, but I had been a Republican because I was "programmed" there was only two choices.

In 2008, the McCain/Palin ticket just made my jaw bounce off the floor..."What are they doing? Do they think we are so stupid that we cannot see the VP choice was an offensive step at trying to balance the strength the Democrats had with the minority driven Clinton/Obama possibilities."

If we do not vote Gary Johnson, my personal feelings are that we are in for a world of hurtin'. The fact the the GOP is trying to remove any and all possible threats to Romney is a tell-tale signal. They know Gary is fiscally conservative and socially liberal...which I think...is what America is supposed to be...just my opinion...but apparently a growing opinion.

The GOP has behaved like school yard bullies. Their actions toward Ron Paul and now the Libertarian and Constitutionalists parties are despicable. I don't know how anyone who hopes for the prosperity of America can vote for the war mongers of the GOP or the nanny state/police state of the Democrats. It is madness to me.

reply to post by TheOneElectric

The party is going to collapse by 2018, I can see it coming.

It already has. What many people are not talking about is that RP supporters did something this election cycle that no one expected.

They cleaned up their act and have been able to take positions within state organizations. They are no longer the "hippy Republicans" that screamed Ron Paul chants from the sidewalks of America.

They played the game, put on a suit and tie and put themselves into the thick of it.

Now just think how 2016 will go?

reply to post by beezzer

The object of a race is to win. Honestly, why would the GOP do anything to hurt their own chances?

I'd expect the same thing from the DNC if the Green Party were running a serious candidate.

I hope I’m misunderstanding you!

Are you basically saying “the dems would do it so GOP should too”? Following that logic, why doesn’t the GOP just stick people outside polling places (like the dems did with the black panthers) and tell everyone voting that it’s either “Romney or a beating”?

I know they want their guy to win but what gives them the authority to decide who can run and who we can vote for??

reply to post by buster2010

So when did you finally open your eyes? Personally I dumped the republican party and joined the independents when that failure Reagan was in office. It was clear even back then the right turned it's back on the people in favor of wall street. When the DNC is over with that's when the screaming and lawsuits will begin.

My eyes have been open for a long time. I have recently come to the conclusion that the conservative movement is not going to be able to retake the GOP. What pushed me over the edge is this Johnson issue and this travesty of justice last week….



These acts have proven to me that conservatives have lost our battle for the GOP and its time to engage the GOP from a different platform...a new party.

Originally posted by seabag


I know they want their guy to win but what gives them the authority to decide who can run and who we can vote for??

They can't and they don't. But they will do anything to win.

Despite what some may say, the winner is not pre-decided. The GOP will use any and all dirty tricks to insure their victory.

It's a race.

I'm not giving them a pass.

Just stating fact.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Don't get me wrong here, I do believe it's crumbling...but so is the Global Economy and most people are /relatively/ fine (not eating each other...bathsalts lol). What I am referring to is an all out party collapse. The foundations have been almost destroyed at this point; however, the proper external pressures have not been applied. Before I continue, I'd like to say that (with no attempt to be overly "special') there is no proper way to describe my politics. I am very far left, even socially...but there are elements in the social left that disappoint me due to the inherent and inane vapidness of the issues. I won't go into detail, just know that I have some sense of rationality. With that said, I do believe the changing and rational social climate will act as one of three external death blows to the GOP. The second will be health care. I don't know why no one listened before hand when some of the more analytical liberals on this site explained that Affordable Health Care Bill was not just a tax to justify the beginnings of a national health care system, but its inherent goal is to bleed the insurance corporations dry. A single payer system will be in place before 2022 and talks of such will come around 2016. That will be number two. Number 3, number three is going to be a doozy.

Imagine if you will, the entire libertarian base OFFICIALLY breaking away from the Republican party. Can you even conceptualize the chaos...I can not.

When is it ever a good idea to keep people off the ballots, unless you want to consolidate your own power. Almost, anyone should be allowed to be on the ballots, people will vote for the best candidate period. All of this pushing to keep people off the ballot or obstruct them in some way is...well frankly, un-American, un-Democratic and wrong.