Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton. These are the two candidates that the major political parties in the United States have deemed fit to lead the country as Commander-in-Chief. I know that I must not be alone when I say, neither of these two people are fit to lead our country.

Luckily enough, there is a third choice.

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is the Libertarian Party nominee for President. He and his running mate, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, offer a real alternative to the tickets offered by the Republicans and Democrats in 2016.

Here are 5 Reasons why you should consider voting for Gary Johnson and Bill Weld in 2016:

1. Gary Johnson is not Donald Trump

This may seem obvious, but I want to point this out. Gary Johnson is not Donald Trump. Unlike Donald Trump, Gary Johnson is a successful businessman. Johnson built his construction company, Big J Enterprises, from the ground up. Starting as a door-to-door handyman in 1976, grew to be a multi-million dollar business. Johnson made his fortune out of hard work, while Trump inherited much of his wealth and simply built upon that, with business networks already in place for him.

Unlike Trump, Johnson opposes torture (or, "enhanced interrogation techniques".) Unlike Trump, Johnson supports Free Trade and does not want to spoil our economy with a 45% tariff on imports from China. Unlike Trump, Johnson does not want to spend taxpayer money to build a 2,000-mile long wall across the American-Mexican border, and does not to deport of 11 million people. Unlike Donald Trump, Gary Johnson has never called a judge's ability to serve into question based on his race. Unlike Donald Trump, Gary Johnson never started a fraudulent University under his own name to make money. Unlike Donald Trump, Gary Johnson does not support eminent domain, and has never tried to force an elderly woman out of her house to build a casino.

It may be obvious, but Gary Johnson is not Donald Trump, and that's a very good reason to vote for him.

2. Gary Johnson is not Hillary Clinton

This may also be obvious, but I also want to point this out. Gary Johnson is not Hillary Clinton. Unlike Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson is a successful and honest politician. Johnson built his campaign for Governor of New Mexico based on policy and integrity. During his two gubernatorial campaigns, Johnson refused to attack his opponents in the state primaries and the general election but rather built his campaign around his merits as a candidate. Johnson did not build his entire political career based on the success of his spouse or his gender. Johnson built his career based upon his policies and beliefs.

Unlike Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson has not been under investigation by numerous federal agencies for mishandling top secret information. Unlike Clinton, Johnson did not support the Iraq War, the invasion of Libya, or President Obama's continuing drone strike program. Unlike Clinton, Johnson did not oppose gay marriage during the 2000's, and has been an advocate for equality throughout his career. Unlike Clinton, Johnson does not head a foundation that has been accused of fraud and embezzlement by numerous sources. Unlike Clinton, Johnson did not collude with his party to undermine his primary opponents and did not refer to Mexicans as "Taco Voters" in emails with his party.

This may also be obvious, but Gary Johnson is not Hillary Clinton, and that's a very good reason to vote for him.

3. The Johnson/Weld ticket has the most combined executive experience

As is well known, Donald Trump is not a career politician. He has never served elected office, although he has long considered a run for President. Trump's running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence of Indiana, has served his current position since 2013. This means that the Trump/Pence ticket has a grand total of less than three years of executive experience.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is a career politician. While she has held a number of positions in politics, such as New York Senator from 2000-2012, First Lady of the United States from 1993-2001 and U.S. Secretary of State from 2009-2013, Clinton has never been elected to an executive position. While she undoubtedly has political experience, she has never had to balance a budget, approve or veto bills or manage the agencies and departments within a state.

Her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, served as Lieutenant Governor of the state from 2001-2005, and as Governor from 2006 to 2010, and now serves as a US Senator from Virginia. This brings the Clinton/Kaine ticket to a total of 8 years of executive experience.

Gary Johnson served as Governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, making him the only Presidential candidate with any elected executive experience. His running mate, Former Governor Bill Weld, served his state of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997, stepping down to be nominated as the US Ambassador to Mexico. It is also important to note that Weld was re-elected in 1994 by the largest margin in state history. This gives the Johnson/Weld ticket a total of 14 years of elected executive experience. From a business standpoint, this makes Johnson and Weld the most qualified to serve of anyone currently running.

4. Gary Johnson and Bill Weld are popular with Democrats and Republicans

Johnson and Weld served as the Governors of New Mexico and Massachusetts, respectively. They both ran as Republicans and won their races in deeply blue states. Not only this, but both were re-elected by wide margins, and left office with high popularity ratings.

While this may seem unimportant, it shows that Johnson and Weld would be able to work with both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. For the last several years, there has been nothing short of political gridlock between the President and Congress. This was true under George W. Bush, and it is true now, under President Obama. A Johnson presidency would look to change this, and would look for cooperation between both sides of the aisle.

5. The Johnson/Weld ticket is viable to win

One of the arguments I hear most often against voting for a third party candidate is that "there's no way he could win!" But for Johnson and Weld, this is not true. Johnson has a very viable path to the White House.

This path starts with being included in the Presidential debates. To be included in these debates, a candidate needs to reach a level of 15% support across a selected 6 polls. In numerous polls, Johnson has polled at between 10% and 14%, close to the 15% threshold. Being included in the debates would be a huge boost to Johnson, as it would give him the exposure he needs to be considered a viable candidate by the American people. This could give him the momentum he needs to win the election

Beyond this, even if he did not win the election outright, Johnson could still win. Johnson has consistently polled well in a number of Libertarian-leaning states, including Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Montana. If the vote is split three ways, and no candidate reaches the required 270 votes to claim the Presidency, the decision is left to Congress. The Republican-led Congress would never choose Hillary Clinton, and many members would oppose Donald Trump as well. Johnson, as the "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" candidate could likely be seen as the compromise candidate, and may be chosen as the winner of the election.

Conclusion

Gary Johnson is a real contender for the Presidency. His ticket is the most qualified, both he and Weld are widely popular, and would work across party lines to make progress. Furthermore, Gary Johnson is not Donald Trump, and Gary Johnson is not Hillary Clinton.

Vote your conscience this November, and consider Gary Johnson for President of the United States.