OLYMPIA — A new effort taking root in Washington and around the country aims to get Republicans who are repulsed by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump to back Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson.
Launched last week, the goal is to boost Johnson’s national profile — and polling numbers — to get him alongside Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the presidential debates this fall, organizers said.
They contend Johnson and his running mate, William Weld, comprise the strongest Republican ticket. Both served two terms as Republican governors: Johnson in New Mexico and Weld in Massachusetts.
“I cannot vote for Donald Trump. It is untenable. And I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton.” said Liz Mair, spokeswoman for Republicans for JohnsonWeld.
“But I believe strongly in voting as a civic obligation. We think this constitutes a viable option,” said Mair, a Seattle native now living in Virginia who was at the forefront of the #NeverTrump campaign during the primaries.
Cyrus Krohn, of Issaquah, a New Media veteran who has worked for two GOP presidents and the Republican National Committee, said Trump’s demonstrated lack of understanding of national and international affairs turned him off. But he still wanted to help choose the nation’s next leader and this undertaking provides the chance.
“This is an opportunity to do something,” said Krohn, a digital political strategist who is currently executive producer of Cheezburger.com.
Those leading the group bring a wealth of experience as architects of policy and managers of Republican campaigns. Initially, their strategy is to use Facebook, Twitter and other Internet platforms to generate buzz about this fledgling undertaking.
In time, they’ll devise a digital ground game to contact and motivate voters which is essentially what the RNC asked Krohn to do in the 2008 election to aid GOP nominee John McCain.
“We can work to help turn out people for Gary Johnson in states where he has a chance to finish first or second,” Mair said. That would have a “major impact” on American politics, she said.
Mair and Krohn hope the intentions of Republicans for Johnson-Weld resonates with stalwart Republicans such as Mary Lane Strow, a former Whidbey Island resident now living in Olympia.
Strow’s professional career includes stints as communications director for several GOP candidates, most notably in 2004 for Dino Rossi in his quest for governor. She said she’s learned of the group on Facebook after she’d decided to vote for Johnson.
“I am not a Libertarian but I am absolutely appalled by Donald Trump,” she said. “For me and for a lot of people he has shown a shocking lack of knowledge of what’s happening in this country and around the world.”
She said she doesn’t agree with all of Johnson’s views but hopes he can earn a spot in the nationally televised presidential debates this fall. Johnson will need to receive at least 15 percent support in five national polls to be eligible. He was at 12 percent in a CNN poll conducted July 29-31.
“I would like to see him going mano-a-mano with both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton,” she said. “I think he could really take the wind out of Donald Trump’s sails.”
Bryan Myrick of Bothell, a GOP consultant and publisher of NWDailyMarker.com, said he disagrees with many of Johnson’s policies. But it may be the best means of registering his dislike of the choices put forth by the Republican and Democratic parties.
“For somebody who can’t vote for Trump, I’ve definitely looked at it as a statement, not as an endorsement of all of his policies,” he said. “Nobody’s thinking he has a shot to win. Most look at it as a protest vote.”
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dospueblos
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