The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

By garnering over 5% of the popular vote in Oklahoma in the latest election, the Libertarian Party and candidates will be recognized for another two years in the state.  It's a small movement but it is gaining ground.

In 2012, votes for Johnson were almost double what they were for Barr in '08 with 1.2 millon.  This year they more than tripled that amount with over 4 million even with the media largely ignoring Johnson and Weld unless they could get a sound bite out of either one of them which made them look bad.

http://www.kjrh.com/news/state/oklahoma-libertarian-party-remains-recognized

It will be interesting to see if the Libertarian Party can continue to build on this or if the growth in their share of votes was simply voters who couldn't stomach Trump or Clinton and voters in every state had the option finally to vote Libertarian.

If a viable third party is going to emerge, it's not going to happen overnight.  I think with a few policy tweaks this is a party which has potential to keep growing.

What is going to have to happen, as I've stated many times before, is to get people from the Lib party to win downballot tickets instead of getting the country's attention by being the third party Presidential candidate every four years.  It doesn't work that way.

And Hoss, as I keep stating, you cannot win down-ballot tickets if you can’t even get on state ballots.  Right here is proof of how that happens.  There were two other Libertarian down-ballot choices in my precinct.  Since the Libertarians made 5% in Oklahoma, now perhaps they can attract some real talent to run.  But you have to be willing to step out and support that change.  I got tired of talking about it, I’m hoping others are as well.  The growth this election cycle is encouraging.

I wasn't stating otherwise.  I know of the requirement.  But put some effort into stumping and make people believe in you to get those votes required.  I'm guessing it's not the same requirement in all states.

Johnson had a pretty good system set up for that between email and social media.  I was getting emails at least once a day with updates, reminders, requests for donations, and volunteering time on my phone.  You can stump all you want in public, if the media isn’t giving you an ear, and you can’t get on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN et al as little more than a curiosity in the race most people won’t know you exist or will forget about you pretty quick.

They might need a better PR machine.  They might need a better platform. I really don’t know at this point as this was the first election they finally appealed to my sensibilities.  I intend to find out what else they need to appeal to people who are feeling more and more marginalized by the two party system and see if I can help.  In another six months I’ll be in a better position to do that.

I was pretty prepared to vote for him but in the end some of the crazy stuff he said gave me pause.

However, this nugget was hilarious:

And yes I realize it's over a year old.  Still funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pzoJVnPblI

Gary Johnson was a total nit wit....

But not sexist, racist or xenophobic.