Hunter Thompson's Flashbacks

In his campaign blog—they didn't call it a blog back then, but that's what it was—Libertarian presidential nominee Harry Browne described a September 1996 encounter with Hunter Thompson in Colorado:

11:30pm: I meet with Hunter S. Thompson, the famous "gonzo journalist," together with an editor from Rolling Stone magazine. Thompson has had run-ins over the years with the authorities over drugs and his gun collection. We talk for about 90 minutes. Thompson says he can't vote for Dole or Clinton, but from habit he'd like to find someone to vote for. He says he knows he's a libertarian at heart. At some point, he says he's still not sure what the reasons are that he should vote for me. I say, "I'll give you three quick reasons: the DEA, the BATF, and the CIA." He laughs. Later I tell him of my plans to pardon all non-violent drug offenders and gun-control offenders, and he loves the idea. I don't know what will come of the meeting, but it appears that both men want to help the campaign. Thompson says he wants to arrange a meeting in Aspen with his friend, the author and humorist P.J. O'Rourke, who is arriving tomorrow. But O'Rourke arrives after I leave for Denver.

Thompson ended up voting for Nader. Maybe Browne should have stuck around.