What do y'all think about this move by Gary Johnson? http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ea9c...libertarian-gary-johnson-secures-running-mate I don't know how familiar those outside of the northeast are with Bill (William) Weld, but he's more liberal on social issues such as gay marriage and abortion than some Republican candidates, which makes him a good fit for the Libertarian Party. Those issues where he's liberal are sticking points for many on the right, and if he's perceived to be looser on those issues than Trump or another Republican candidate, that could detract from his appeal of being anyone but Trump or Hillary, and could mean votes for the Republican candidate. I think he could draw votes from Hillary (a former colleague on the Watergate impeachment inquiry) or Sanders, although it depends on how those voters view the candidates overall. It won't matter to those looking to make history by electing the first female president. Some might object to his 'insider' status, being that he graduated from Harvard and Harvard Law, studied at Oxford, has served in various appointed and elected government positions over the years, he and his father have both worked in investment banking, and his ex-wife is a Roosevelt and former Harvard professor. I thought he was a pretty good U.S. Attorney and governor in Massachusetts, but it's important to remember how liberal that state is, and he was able to garner votes from both sides, since his views were popular with those in the middle, and he was elected to and served two terms.
Ugh, it's very disappointing to see a men I voted for in the past, who, although he wasn't in line with all of my beliefs, I respected in the past, come out of the closet with his attack on Donald Trump. I'm sure there are some legitimate arguments to bring forth if one is opposed to Trump, rather than comparing his genuine concern about allowing unvetted immigrants (which is shared by many citizens) into our country, and using his concern to compare him to the Nazis.
I don't know much about Bill Weld specifically, but I don't think that Gary Johnson represents the Libertarian Party well. Most of the people I know who would favor Libertarian views on most issues do not see open borders as a libertarian ideal, or as a sensible policy and, overall, the focus of the Libertarian Party has been on social issues that are already represented within the Democrat Party.
I have heard of Gary Johnson, but don't really know anything about him. It piqued my interest when I heard he was considering asking Bill Weld to be his running mate, because Weld was my governor, and at that time I respected him. I appreciated that he backed law enforcement, which is the field I was working in at the time, and in a liberal state like Mass, the leaders don't always give that sector as much backing as they should. I've learned through Twitter that there are Libertarians and small L libertarians. I fit into the latter somewhat, but not into the former. Perhaps the two of them fit the large L Libertarians (the official party), but don't hold the views some of us consider libertarianish. I think of libertarian views as sort of laissez-faire, leave me alone views, as in I don't care what someone does in their bedroom, but don't want it shoved down my throat. I am also somewhat of a protectionist, though, and believe we need to secure our borders, check those coming in, and also improve the trade balance.