2/2/24

Weld joins Racicot, Todd Whitman in Trump disqualification. Whither Johnson?

Democratic then-Representative from New Mexico's First District, now-Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham worked with Republican-now-Libertarian former Gov. Gary Johnson to legalize cannabis for some patients but Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, signed it into law in 2007. 

Having won 9.34% of the 2016 vote in New Mexico Johnson still enjoys pretty good support in the state and some analysts say Johnson's name on the ballot in Colorado won that state for Hillary Clinton. Confident Secretary Clinton would win New Mexico in 2016 Johnson got my early vote for president at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds despite this blog's view he was out of his depth in 2016, often seemed poorly advised on current events and even lost in the weeds during the campaign. 

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) backed Johnson in the 2018 NM Senate race

Born in Minot, North Dakota Johnson also suffered through several Aberdeen, South Dakota winters as a kid. Both having fled the Republican Party Johnson and his running mate former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, campaigned in South Dakota during the tainted, likely illegitimate 2016 election. Weld talked in Spearditch as part of his whirlwind tour and Gov. Johnson did very well in Lawrence County and 7.9% was the best in the whole state.
Former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot is again breaking with Republican leadership, signing onto a court filing supporting efforts to keep former President Donald Trump off the ballot in 2024. Racicot joined two other former Republican governors from the 1990s – Bill Weld of Massachusetts and Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey – in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, as justices consider whether the state of Colorado can remove Trump from the ballot. They said Trump violated his oath through actions that were “elevating his own political interests over the governmental stability secured by the peaceful transition of power.” [Racicot splits with GOP leaders, backs removing Trump from ballot]
With a bust of Senator Mike Mansfield sitting on a nearby table before a full house of 1,100 mostly progressive attendees Gov. Racicot posed questions to Republican former Wyoming US Representative Liz Cheney at the 40th Anniversary of the Mansfield Dialogues at the University of Montana's Dennison Theater. 

Even calling him a "pussy" Governor Johnson knew Donald Trump was a fascist in 2016 but has since told supporters he's finished with politics despite winning 3.3% of the national vote that year so these days he's based in Santa Fe where he skis, rides his bike and says he no longer smokes. In 2019 a poll at his non-profit, Our America Initiative, 52% of 1,972 respondents voted to impeach Trump. As recently as 2023 he said he'd support Robert Kennedy, Jr. if Bobby ran as a Libertarian.
“Do I agree with Eastman in any way? No,” Johnson said. “Did Trump encourage the violence on January 6th? It sure appears that way to me.” [Ex-Gov. Johnson questions demonstrators against Eastman]
Trump's demise is not yet settled so Gary Johnson has the opportunity to join with his former running mate, Bill Weld and help bankrupt the Republican Party

Learn more at NPR.

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