Election 2016

"Voting Your Heart, Swinging an Election?": Nick Gillespie Talks Gary Johnson on KCRW

Did you know that libertarians are racists who hide behind criminal-justice reform, ending the drug war, lobbying for open borders, & non-interventionism?

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Earlier today, I was on one the best radio programs in the country—Warren Olney's To The Point on KCRW—talking about the role of third-party candidates in the 2016 election.

It's a lively and informative conversation. And it gets downright hilarious at the end when one of the guests, a former Bernie Sanders supporter who is now all in for Hillary Clinton, accuses libertarians and Gary Johnson supporters of being racists: "I think what we're seeing in the quote 'rise' of Gary Johnson," argues Melissa Byrne, "is mostly white men who lean toward being fairly racist are looking for a safe place and they're finding that in Gary Johnson." Because, well, you know that nothing is more racist that calling for criminal justice reform, an end to the drug war, opening up the borders to immigrants, and a stop to indiscriminate bombing of developing nations.

Here's the write-up for the show. Listen by clicking on the image or going here.

To The Point
KCRW

For millions of voters, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton present an agonizing choice between the lesser of two evils. Libertarian Gary Johnson offers an alternative for fiscal conservatives who won't vote for Trump but can't stand Hillary. The Green Party's Jill Stein speaks to disappointed and angry supporters of Bernie Sanders. But third-party candidates always pose a moral quandary: can they be anything but spoilers? Do they take votes away from the least of the perceived "evils" and help to elect the worst? We look at this year's competition for the Republicans and the Democrats.

Guests:
Brian Ertz, environmental attorney (@ertzbe)
Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg BusinessWeek (@josheidelson)
Melissa Byrne, Bernie Sanders campaign (@mcbyrne)
Patrick Murray, Monmouth Polling Institute (@PollsterPatrick)
Nick Gillespie, Reason.com and Reason TV (@nickgillespie)