The Libertarian Party, with its focus on small government, "actually represents most people in this country, but they just don't know that they're Libertarian," the party's presidential nominee, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, said on Monday, rejecting a question from a Fox News anchor over whether his 10 percent ranking in the nation's polls is because he favors legalizing marijuana.
"Oh, no way," Johnson told Fox News'
"Fox & Friends" program. "I'm fiscally conservative. I'm the small government guy. If you want small government, I've really got a proven record, and Bill Weld was also nominated this weekend as my vice presidential candidate.
"So we are two governors that have curved in heavily blue states as Republicans. We're small government guys, but we're also socially liberal. And I think that's the makeup of most people in this country."
Johnson netted about 1 percent of the popular vote in 2012 as the Libertarian nominee, but is now polling at 10 percent, according to a Fox News poll, most likely reflecting the unfavorable rankings Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have among voters.
Johnson said that he is a viable alternative because Libertarians are "kind of the best of both parties or at least what parties are supposed to be about."
"Aren't Republicans supposed to be about small government?" Johnson said. "Aren't Democrats supposed to be about civil liberties, people being able to make choices in their own lives as long as those choices doesn't adversely affect others?"
Further, Americans are skeptical when it comes to the nation's military actions overseas, he said.
"We have boots on the ground, we're dropping bombs, we're flying drones that are killing thousands of innocent people," Johnson told the program. "And of the day it's having the unintended consequence of making the world less safe than more safe. You know what?
"We've got 69 treaties with foreign countries where we are obligated to defend their borders, and these are treaties that were not negotiated by Congress. They were negotiated by the president and the military. Involve Congress in all this. They've abdicated their responsibility."
Meanwhile, Johnson pointed out that he and Weld, a former Massachusetts governor, are two former Republican governors who were serving in heavily blue states, and that they have "strengths that complement each other," which could also serve to attract voters.
"Shouldn't we be able to make decisions in our own lives, always come down on the side of choice when it comes to individual freedom and liberty?" he said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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