| As of deadline
time for this ad (noon Friday) the three
media sponsors of
Monday's Republican presidential debate
are still trying to
exclude Governor Gary Johnson, claiming
the governor has
not met their strict polling criteria. This claim is FALSE, and the Governor has proven he has met the sponsor's polling criteria. And SHAME on the sponsors for stonewalling and refusing to give any explanation as to why the governor has been excluded. The criteria as set by the debate sponsors is straightforward and simple- a candidate must have received at least 2% in three national polls that were released in May. Governor Johnson has met the polling criteria! And that is precisely what Governor Johnson did in the three polls below, which were certified by debate sponsors. • A CNN Opinion Research Corporation Poll from May 27 shows Governor Johnson at 2% • A Gallup Poll from May 26 shows Johnson at 3%. • A May 4 Quinnipiac Poll shows Johnson at 1%. For reasons known only to them, the debate sponsors simply refuse to acknowledge the inescapable fact that those three poll results add up to 6%, which is a 2% average. (For more info on the polling data visit www.kerrywelsh.com.) Voters and news media should demand answers! So if Governor Gary Johnson is not on stage Monday night then the voters of New Hampshire and members of the unbiased news media should demand an explanation why. Hopefully by the time this ad is published on Sunday, the sponsors will have admitted their honest math mistakes when compiling the poll results, and they will have invited Governor Gary Johnson to the debate. And if Governor Johnson does not appear, then New Hampshire voters will have been cheated out of an opportunity to hear from the most fiscally conservative and successful state governor in modern US history. Governor Johnson inherited a deficit and left office with a $ 1 billion surplus By any standards Governor Johnson's stewardship of the New Mexico state budget was nothing short of remarkable. The billion-dollar surplus he created equalled a whopping $500 per resident. In a state the size of, say, Minnesota, the surplus would be $2.5 billion. Massachusetts would have been in the black by $3.2 billion. Both of those states currently have huge deficits, so it's apparent neither state has had a true fiscal conservative in the governor's office. How was Governor Johnson able to create such a surplus? It was simple- from 1994 to 2003 he vetoed over 750 bills- more than all the other 49 governors combined. |
Governor Johnson also cut
taxes 14 times without a
single increase. Had he been
governor of almost any
other state, Gary Johnson would be a
household name.
But the national media doesn't get out to
New Mexico
much, so Americans- and the news media- still
know
precious little about the man still known endearingly
back
home as 'Governor Veto.' New Hamphire voters should be outraged Governor Johnson's exclusion is an affront to the intelligent and independent-minded voters of the 'Live Free or Die' state, who should be outraged when the 'media elites' try to dictate which candidates are or aren't legitimate- particularly when such a candidate has been elected to the second-highest executive office in the land. Ironically, this situation is 'deja vu all over again' for the fellow who had the gumption (some pundits called it 'naivety') to run for governor as a complete political novice with a 0% public name recognition. Indeed, private citizen Gary Johnson had never run for so much as local dog-catcher when he put his hat in the governor's race. But New Mexicans are an inclusive bunch, and they not only welcomed Johnson into the race, they even-gasp!- allowed him on stage to debate against the 'legitimate' candidates. Which wasn't surprising at the time, as the history of American politics has traditionally been one of inclusion. In 1975 the obscure Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter was at 1% in early polls. In 1991 an Arkansas Governor by the name of Bill Clinton was at 2%. Both were allowed in the candidate debates due to their stature as state governors. It's unlikely either would have become President had the Union Leader, CNN and WMUR been in charge. Johnson of course went on to surprise his better-known opponents in the Republican primary, then toppled the incumbent Democratic govemor-- no small feat in a state that registers 2-1 Democrat. Governor Johnson was term-limited in 2003, and while he quietly and happily returned to private life, he hasn't exactly been 'resting' on his laurels. The Governor has conquered many challenges from Mt. Everest to Mt. Washington Far from it, Governor Gary Johnson has been taking on personal quests far more challenging than mere politics. In recent years the governor has climbed Mt. Everest and finished several grueling 'Iron Man' Triathlons. Earlier this year the expert snow skier set out to conquer one of the Granite State's toughest challenges- a notorious ski run on Mt. Washington known as 'Tuckerman Ravine' - which he handily accomplished despite icy, white-out conditions. If you think Governor Johnson has earned a place in the debate, let the media know it! CNN (404) 827-1500, Union Leader (603) 668-4321, WMUR (603) 669-9999. For if Governor Gary Johnson isn't on stage Monday it will be a sad day for democracy in New Hampshire indeed. |