Utah lawmaker defects from GOP, endorses Gary Johnson

[RJ Liberty]

Utah may be turning gold this year, as Trump has seemingly lost the campaign there after multiple polls show underwhelming numbers (29%) now support the GOP, and a recent poll shows Gary Johnson's numbers surging in the state. And now, major GOP party officials in Utah and elsewhere are breaking with the party.

It's just been officially announced today that three-term Utah state senator Mark Madsen is defecting to the LP, ditching the GOP and endorsing Governor Gary Johnson.



He credits his move to a slow-boil change in the Republican Party — where he said "the scales tipped" away from those who espouse the strict civil liberties of Thomas Jefferson and toward those who favor the progressivism of Theodore Roosevelt — and his frustrations as a legislator in Utah, which he sees as "an island of progressive, restrictive law in the middle of the Intermountain West" and where he often found himself at odds with members of the Republican Party.


State GOP legislation has led to a population that is "less free," he said.


Madsen said a turning point came when he received calls from people in his former neighborhood complaining that the Utah County Sheriff's Office threatened to arrest them if they didn't evacuate their homes because of a growing wildfire.


His research found that every other state in the region allowed citizens to remain with their property. Once Utah law enforcement spoke in opposition, he said, it didn't matter. His was the only vote for the bill in committee.


When the issue of Medicaid expansion was raised in the Senate Republican Caucus, Madsen said he was one of a few who voiced opposition to expanding a "government entitlement program" that he said is "going bankrupt."



The current direction of the Republican Party sometimes "makes me want to cry," he said, "because I've invested a lot in that party."


Libertarian National Committee Chairman Nicholas Sarwark said Madsen's move is part of an "accelerating movement" that includes state legislators in Nevada and Nebraska and is the result of a widening rift in the GOP establishment.

More here (http://www.sltrib.com/home/4155418-155/utah-state-senator-bolts-republican-party).

[Ender]

Utah may be seeing more of this- let us hope.

[RJ Liberty]

Utah may be seeing more of this- let us hope.

Yep. The Deseret News says other GOP officials in Utah are also considering making the switch (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865658606/In-our-opinion-The-GOP-convention-2-a-Utah-perspective.html?pg=all). We shall see what happens...

[RJ Liberty]

Several news sites, including the Los Angeles Times, are now showing this map, with Utah in gold:

http://marijuanapolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Johnson-Takes-Utah-250x200.png
Some sites are going even further. A blog called The Libertarian Vindicator (https://libertarianvindicator.com/2016/07/20/161-electoral-votes-a-real-possibility-for-gary-johnson/) is now showing this map:

https://libertarianvindicator.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/capture4.png

Their reasoning, they say, is this:


Gary Johnson would play well out in the western part of the United States. That is Libertarian territory based on the lifestyle of many westerners, and Johnson being a Governor in that region gives him big a boost in name recognition.

In his home state of New Mexico, the most recent poll had the Governor at 14%. He will play well in this state that is typically a Democratic state, but with the disconnect that many voters have over Trump and Clinton, the former governor is poised to have a great showing. If there is one state he can win it is New Mexico. That same goes for Utah were a recent poll showed the Governor polling at 16% against Trump and Clinton.


As for Colorado. The legalization of marijuana has been a successful venture for the state and a recent poll conducted shows that Governor Johnson is polling at 13%. Colorado is the birthplace of the Libertarian Party and has a strong Libertarian presence with about 30,000 registered Libertarians in the state. Washington state (which hasn’t had a poll) gets put into this category as well because of marijuana legalization.

As for Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida, a recent Ballotpedia (https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_battleground_poll,_2016)poll put these states into play for the Governor. They also coincide with some of the Real Clear Politics polling I have seen that show lower numbers, but going up with every poll that comes out in recent weeks.


As for Virginia, two big polls by Fox New and NBC put Governor Johnson at 10%. The Libertarian Party should play very well in Virginia being close to DC, and with many that live there not wanting to see either Trump or Clinton as President, he could be in position for a good showing.

I don't think all these states will go gold, but it's interesting that nearly all of the gold states on this map are states that have Johnson polling at 10% or higher already. Still, they show Wisconsin as blue when Johnson is comfortably at 16% there, and North Carolina and Maine also unchanged.

[CPUd]

A couple state legislators in MT recently said they were going to vote for Johnson.

[RJ Liberty]

A couple state legislators in MT recently said they were going to vote for Johnson.

Yep. Trump seems to be nearly as unpopular in Montana as he is in Utah. The legislators are State Rep. Daniel Zolnikov (R-Billings) and State Rep. Nicholas Schwaderer (R-Mineral County) (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?498491-Reason-Gary-Johnson-Endorsed-by-Two-More-GOP-State-Reps).

[William Tell]

Endorsing is one thing, switching parties is another. The big question is whether any of these legislators who switch parties win reelection.

[RJ Liberty]

That's a good point. In the case of Mark Madsen, he's not planning to run for election again. So he'll just finish out his term as a Libertarian.

[cindy25]

Johnson not on the ballot in Ohio

[LibertyEagle]

The neocons seem to be going Johnson. Anything they can do to help Hillary get elected...

[robmpreston]

The neocons seem to be going Johnson. Anything they can do to help Hillary get elected...

Haha, you're so pathetic. Funny to see you turn into one of the people we used to rally against...

[jllundqu]

Several news sites, including the Los Angeles Times, are now showing this map, with Utah in gold:

http://marijuanapolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Johnson-Takes-Utah-250x200.png
Some sites are going even further. A blog called The Libertarian Vindicator (https://libertarianvindicator.com/2016/07/20/161-electoral-votes-a-real-possibility-for-gary-johnson/) is now showing this map:

https://libertarianvindicator.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/capture4.png

Their reasoning, they say, is this:



I don't think all these states will go gold, but it's interesting that nearly all of the gold states on this map are states that have Johnson polling at 10% or higher already. Still, they show Wisconsin as blue when Johnson is comfortably at 16% there, and North Carolina and Maine also unchanged.

I would agree that an actual Libertarian could win those states, but not Johnson. Johnson/Weld support funding planned parenthood, gay marriage, EPA regs, etc etc..... if Johnson actually ran as a libertarian and not a democrat in libertarian clothing trying to siphon angry Bernie supporters, he could have a chance, but not this election....

[RJ Liberty]

I would agree that an actual Libertarian could win those states, but not Johnson.

That is just not what polls in Utah are showing:

http://redalertpolitics.com/2016/07/25/poll-gary-johnson-just-3-behind-trump-utah-one-state-needs/ (http://redalertpolitics.com/2016/07/25/poll-gary-johnson-just-3-behind-trump-utah-one-state-needs/)

http://i.imgur.com/6K2Z75U.png

[Danke]

Haha, you're so pathetic. Funny to see you turn into one of the people we used to rally against...

She is pathetic too, and a liar.

You are a class act.