The Libertarian Party gets a big opportunity, and fumbles

You could argue this was the year every major and minor party fumbled with their selection of presidential nominees. The flaws of Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have been argued at length. The Green Party nominated Jill Stein, the vaccination skeptic who fears WiFi signals harm children’s brains and who wants to put Ed Snowden in her cabinet.

And then there’s Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson. In a year with two phenomenally unpopular major party nominees, he’s just failed to break through in a significant way. In the last 11 national polls he’s at 4, 8, 5, 4, 3, 4, 3, 6, 6, 4 and 5 percent.

Here is Johnson’s total in the last three polls in New Mexico, his home state, all conducted in November: 11, 11, 6.

For contrast, here’s how independent conservative Evan McMullin is performing in the last five polls in his home state – and noting that Trump has led every poll: 21, 24, 24, 28, 28.