Gary Johnson makes headway in race

With the conclusion of the first presidential debate, many believe that America will turn into a Trumptopia or a Clinton world. What many voters overlook though is that there is a third option, and this third party candidate is actually a lot bigger than the American public thinks. His name is Gary Johnson.

From New Mexico businessman, to governor, to presidential candidate, Johnson is sweeping the independent voters by storm. Already claiming 10 percent of voters, his polls steadily rise as he poses as an alternative to Trump and Clinton. But heres the problem: it may be too late for Johnson to pull ahead.

In an interview with Anderson Cooper in August, Johnson said, “We’re reaching 25 million people now, social media wise. And we’re raising money, and of course that gives us the ability to push that out, and so all the analytics look really good.”

Analytically, Johnson does look good. In a report done by the Albuquerque Journal, Johnson holds 42 percent of independent voters in that area, but nationally, Johnson only holds about 8 percent of voters, and this is where the problems start.

As Johnson serves as an alternate to Trump or Clinton, not many people know about him. Johnson was short of the 15 percent mark to be in the debates, and he did not receive the chance to be in the debate that would boost his public awareness.

At a rally in Burlington, Johnson said, “I do believe we represent the majority of Americans. I think the Majority of Americans, I think 60 percent of Americans are all about being fiscally conservative, socially inclusive.”

As a libertarian, Johnson believes government should stay out of business and lowering taxes, yet he shares many social views with liberals, and this is what causes some to turn away from Johnson.

Looking at his opponent, Donald Trump, has an authoritarian view which exploits people’s fears or outsiders and social changes and pulls them into a feeling of security. Vox explains this social behavior as “when authoritarians feel threatened, they look for strongman leaders.”

Johnson does not seem to inherit any of these traits. He is not a strong authoritarian figure, nor does he instill fear of foreigners into his voters. Johnson approaches America as an entrepreneur, cutting wasteful spending and lowering taxes; this is where he gets his support.

Though Johnson may have views on issues that appeal to some Americans, he is not well recognized in the race. His campaign finances are only five percent of Donald Trump’s and two percent of Hillary Clinton’s. This puts him at a huge disadvantage because he does not have the financing to be as active and promotive as his opponents in the election.

Nonetheless, many see Johnson as the alternative for Trump versus Clinton, and this does bring him a small, fair amount of voters. Johnson is one of the most successful 3rd party candidates since Ross Perot, but the fact is, Johnson is too small of a candidate to be the next president of the United States unless he becomes more widely known to the American population.