At U.S. News & World Report, Kenneth Walsh writes that Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party candidate for president, believes he can win the White House in 2016. Walsh writes:
Johnson is pulling out all the stops – taking out ads and making as many media appearance as he can – to gain attention in order to vault himself into the debate. He says it’s “game over” if he fails, and he’s correct about that. It would be virtually impossible for him to win the presidency if he isn’t in the debate.
But rolling up national numbers isn’t his only goal. Strategists for both major parties say Johnson could have an impact on the race in key states where he might draw enough support from Clinton or Trump to influence the outcome. They include Colorado, New Hampshire and Utah. And he is hoping to build the Libertarian Party into a long-term force around the country. This makes Johnson’s candidacy important to the nation’s political future.
A former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, Johnson describes himself as a fiscal conservative, a social liberal and a non-interventionist in foreign policy.
He has another attribute that could matter. Johnson says he is likable while Clinton and Trump are not and this could make him more formidable than is generally realized.
