A majority of the 2016 presidential election has been nothing less than a battle. From the beginning, there were 16 Republican nominees and four Democrat nominees. There has been name-calling and numerous accusations made between the candidates. If you talk with nearly anyone about the type of election we’ve been watching for the past couple of months, the conversation will most likely involve how much negative energy there has been thrown around – especially now between Clinton and Trump. The race has now come down to the two major party candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Millennials, such as myself, might be thinking, “This is what we get for our first chance at voting?” There are pros and cons to each candidate, but if you thought that those are your only two options, you thought wrong.
It’s possible that you might not have heard about Gary Johnson in relation to anyone else running for presidency besides Clinton and Trump. That sounds about right, because most of the time you don’t hear about a third-party candidate until toward the end of an election. Libertarian Gary Johnson is our third-party candidate running for the President of the United States. A libertarian is a person who believes that people should be allowed to do and say what they want without any interference from government. Johnson has eight years of experience with leadership and politics from serving as the former Governor of New Mexico.
In nearly all of his interviews, he makes it a point to inform people that he is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Being aware of the head-to-head race between the two major party candidates, Johnson does not fool around. He is very to the point about the issues he is most concerned about. He may leave voters with more questions than answers, but he is known, as a former governor, to keep his word.
As a Libertarian, Gary Johnson strongly supports individual freedom – meaning that the government should do its best to stay out of issues such as the utilization of marijuana, abortion and same-sex marriage. He believes that people should have the ability to make their own decisions and that the government should help the public rather than hinder them with their involvement among those issues. In relation to taxes, he believes in cutting them, not raising them. In some of his previous interviews, he has mentioned that he agrees with nearly 75 percent of what Bernie Sander says and supports him in relation to being pro-choice, pro same-sex marriage, discontinuing with military interventions and legalizing marijuana. He already has 12 percent of the nation’s support. From everything he’s shared about himself and his views, he just wants everyone to live a free life.
I prompt the people who would like to know more about this third-party candidate to research more on their own. Gary Johnson has a website that gives information about his campaign. Another research tool to take into consideration is watching his interviews. By doing so, you will see his straightforwardness about the issues he is most concerned about. It is entirely your choice when choosing who you want to vote for, but the most important thing is to make your voice heard and vote regardless.
