Another Downer Report From the Gary Johnson Presidential Campaign

Time.com has yet another one of those political human interest pieces about the rough and tumble campaign life of former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.

Sympathetic, as were Outside Online and GQ's pieces, it's also more of a downer due to its "there's no Easter Bunny" political metaphor and its focus on less of the socially liberal, mountain climbing GOP candidate, cool!, less on the scrappy, sane guy that is doing this for the challenge, and more fully on the total disinterest of most of America (and the media) with Johnson. Turns out that's kind of frustrating for the guy.

A highlighted campaign stop ain't pretty:

[Johnson's] aide, steps inside to announce that a glitch prevented the robocalls advertising the appearance from going out. Nobody is coming. Johnson looks crestfallen…With the press assembled before the candidate, Slattery suggests a Q & A. The first question is how this indignity makes Johnson feel.

"It sucks. It absolutely sucks," Johnson says, his voice cracking slightly. "There's no rhyme or reason to it. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would not be at the table. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I wouldn't have a place on the stage. I wouldn't in my wildest dreams would have expected to not be listed on the polls that are being done nationally for President of the United States."

Johnson also has some weird support in his corner, according to The Hill:

Fellow presidential contender New Gingrich sided with Johnson on the issue, and wants Johnson included even earlier, at the next debate taking place Tuesday in New Hampshire. Gingrich tweeted: "Fairness requires Gov. Johnson to be included in tomorrow's debate. I encourage Wash Post/Bloomberg to invite him."

Gingrich's poll numbers really don't give him much clout, but it's a magnanimous gesture all the same. In general, Johnson's people are trying to social media like crazy so as to give their guy a fighting chance at an invite to the October 18 debate.

Their argument is that if Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum, who have recently polled in the single digits — sometimes behind Johnson — are included, then Johnson should be as well.

Indeed.

Check out Reason's extensive Gary Johnson archive, including the Freedom Fest Reason.tv interview below. Also be sure to catch the staff's live-tweeting of the sadly Johnson-less Tuesday debate.