Gary Johnson could catch presidential race by surprise

By Douglas E. Schoen

With his name slated to be on every state ballot in the country in November, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson is an important voice – bringing bold new ideas to the table that appeal to voters across the political spectrum.

Johnson, a Republican who served as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, is running on a platform that includes slashing government spending to balance the federal budget by 2013, ending wars the U.S. in involved in, and drug reform --  beginning with the legalization of marijuana but extending all the way to the war on drugs, drug policy, relations with Latin America, and even law enforcement policies and priorities-- issues that neither of the two major candidates President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are pursuing right now. 

Having received the Libertarian nomination in Las Vegas last weekend, Johnson must now cross a new threshold to ensure that his voice is heard and give these important initiatives a lot of exposure -- achieving the 15 percent required by the Commission on Presidential Debates to participate.

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Source: Fox News

VIDEO: RNC Launches Third ‘Change Direction’ Television Ad, Hispanic Radio Buy In Southwest

By Matt Sauvage

WASHINGTON –The Republican National Committee (RNC) released its third television ad today as part of a month-long “Change Direction” economic messaging campaign highlighting President Obama’s failed economic leadership.  The RNC will go on offense in the Southwestern states of New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada with a broadcast television buy. Acknowledging the region’s Hispanic population and 11.6 percent unemployment among Hispanics nationally, the ad will be supplemented with a Hispanic radio spot also hitting on the president’s economy.

Even David Axelrod admits the president must win the Southwest, a region Obama won in 2008 but George W. Bush won in 2004, to win reelection. President Obama will be playing defense in the Southwest and across the country because his failed economic policies, and now his insistence on raising taxes, are making the economy worse for job creators and Americans looking for jobs. The third television ad can be viewed here http://bit.ly/p1qK8u. The radio ad in Spanish can be heard here http://bit.ly/oFvEII.

“The RNC is ready to take the fight to the states where President Obama’s economic policies are stifling job creation and putting recovery on hold,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “Each of these states is suffering from high unemployment – 6.9% in New Mexico, 8.7% in Colorado and a staggering 12.1% in Nevada because President Obama has been unable to deliver on promises to turn the economy around. After record spending and deficits, now the president wants to raise taxes on the very people needed to create jobs. Simply put, we cannot afford more of President Obama’s disastrous economic leadership that has put this country on a path to bankruptcy. It is time to change direction.”

Video was included in original RNC press release