Lately, libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson has been generating a lot of buzzes, even polling as high as 10 percent in some national polls. Lately, Johnson has been actively trying to recruit disaffected Bernie voters who are desperately looking to vote for someone else than Clinton. His specific claim is that he agrees “73 percent” with Bernie. His main pitch is that he is “socially liberal and fiscally conservative." But that is being beyond dishonest.

Maybe it’s a testament to how batshit inane this election cycle is. Maybe it’s a testament to how little social media actually informs voters. But apparently this needs to be said.

A microscopic government libertarian is not at all similar to a big-government social democrat. These are diametrically opposed ideologies with radically different visions for America. If you’re voting on the issues instead of personality, the difference between Johnson and any progressive candidate is astoundingly large.

Yes, they do agree on some issues. They both believe in legalizing marijuana and steering clear of any foreign interventionist military policy. But this omits the underlying philosophy behind their decisions.

He goes on to describe himself as pro-choice. Remind me, is overturning Roe v. Wade and leaving the protection of abortion rights to the states a pro-choice position? What about refusing to make insurers cover birth control? I didn’t think so. But that’s the hands-off libertarian approach for you.

It really comes down to the term “socially liberal and fiscally conservative." But that label is misleading; candidates like Johnson are only socially liberal in the sense that they don’t want the government to infringe on civil rights. It’s a “you do what you do” kind of philosophy.

Progressive values of social justice don’t work like that, though. Look at Affirmative Action. Look at the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Look at the EPA. It isn’t enough for the government to not obstruct civil rights; it has to promote them as well, even if this goes against “small government” principles.

Here’s a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt:

“The liberal party insists that the government has the definite duty to use all its power and resources to meet new social problems with new social controls — to ensure to the average person the right to his own economic and political life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

I highlight “all its power and resources." That doesn’t sound like fiscal conservatism to me. Even if you are personally for social justice, your advocacy doesn’t mean shit if you don’t want to back it up with anything substantial. Being personally pro-choice doesn’t matter if you’re going to let right-wing crusaders legislate against reproductive choice.

If you’re a libertarian, by all means support Johnson. If you’re a Republican with a working frontal lobe, by all means support Johnson.

But if you’re a progressive, especially one that supported Bernie Sanders, Johnson isn’t the candidate you want to support. Johnson’s worldview is quite simply incompatible with progressivism. Any attempt to brand his brand of libertarianism as “Bernie lite” is dishonest and profoundly shitty.

For the love of god, don’t vote based on respectability or likability. Especially when it goes against the political principals you supposedly hold dear.