Updated Gary Johnson Update

Luftship! Launch the Gary Johnson Trial Balloon!


What a difference 5 hours can make. And the Thursday news cycle fetish. 


I could take complete credit for forcing Gary Johnson to take one more baby step towards actually, officially, really, really announcing his intention to appear in Las Vegas and sweep a swooning LP convention into his oh so Presidential arms like Rhett did with Scarlett. It's not really credible, but I could still say it.


I guess I'll decline the opportunity.


So the current situation has potential Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson making the official announcement on the 28th in Santa Fe in the company of the redoubtable Mark Hinkle, LP National Chairman, and scads of lesser luminaries, minions and underlings. Sounds like a party!


Speculation on why the process is taking so long in this digital age include the need for candidate Johnson to launch and land a trial balloon to see if any heads explode over there in RepublicanLand as the realization sinks in that this Johnson guy might "Nader" Romney come next November. To a lesser degree the same effect might be felt by Rockin' Barry O himself if word actually gets out that Johnson's LP compliant platform includes eliminating the war on drugs, gettin' government out of the marriage bizness and bringing our boys and girls home from WheretheHellisthatStan. Or least from Germany.


The trial balloon seems to working as a quick review of today's news stories on the event number in the 300+  range from traditional print/TV/media outlets. 300 + 1 if you count this blog.
The attendant comment trails provide an interesting read as things haven't gotten quite dire enough for an eruption of "WVS" or "LOTE" posts as yet. Give it time.


Of course, this being a LibertyLand thing, just because Gary announces his intentions does not automatically mean the rank and file Libertarians at the Vegas convention are gonna plop a first round nomination in his lap just for showing up. In the fractious world of participating Libertarian politics he's gonna have to deal with the various and sundry wings that make up the party faithful just like our republican and democrat brothers and sisters do. That means somebody is gonna get screwed to make make somebody else happy. That works in a multi-state selection process spread out over most a year, it's tough to do over two days when every swinging richard or richardette there knows what you told the last guy you spoke to.


And don't forget, there's still plenty-O-time left until May! Just about anything can happen.

Gary Johnson Update

Six days and no announcement?


It's starting to look like Gary Johnson is getting cold feet about renouncing his lengthy period of republicanosity and hooking up with the LP for a crack at the best temp job on the planet. The surge of postings and speculation has pretty much faded and good ol' Gary is continuing to  trudge along on his republican primary treadmill to nowheresville.


Can't say I blame him. Maybe he got a good look at the organization he was fixin' to pitch in with and realized "Hey, they have ballot access in 46 out of 50 states but they got no money." That can be sobering thought for a candidate with aspirations beyond one race not to mention that the republican party can be pretty hard on folks who wander off the reservation for the greener grass of Liberty. Just ask Bob Barr.


I would prefer the LP find a suitable candidate from existing LP stock for next years party with Romney and Obama and we do have more than three candidates working the ropes. Any one of them will pull the 500,000 or so votes the LP always gets in these affairs and do a fine job representing the Libertarian Party and it's platform. 


Granted, none of them are real sizzlers, none of them have held elected office and none of them are millionaires but each of them was Libertarian before it was cool. Except maybe that Bill Still cat, but that'll get sorted out at next years convention.


Speaking of conventions, the Georgia LP is having it's annual soiree in Athens next year on 24-25 February. I mistakenly mentioned in the previous post that it was scheduled for March and that was not an attempt to mislead any Johnson-O-Philes out there. Ya'll still have plenty of time to turn Libertarian if your boy actually decides to make a move.

Holy Crap! Looks Like Republican Gary Johnson is Jumping Ship!!!

Check it out, he doesn't even have to scrub the word "Republican" from his current campaign site!

The words out Kids.

The state of the race in LibertyLand is about to receive a seismic shock when Republican candidate for President, Ex-Gov Gary Johnson announces tomorrow that he's gonna seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party for next years big shindig. OK, maybe not tomorrow, maybe Friday, or next week or next month. Sometime soon for sure.

The guys and gals over at Independent Political Report have the inside skinny on the latest developments and Loads-O-Links to other blogs and sites that are reporting on the situation. It really is the biggest news in LibertyLand at the moment, even overshadowing Libertarian candidate for President Carl Person sacking his campaign manager for not driving the campaign bus in the correct manner.

So the next move for all you Johnson-O-Philes  here in Georgia is:

1. Pony up the annual $25 dollar state of Georgia LP admission fee.

2. Sign the Oath of Non-Initiation of Violence (You do get to slap back with no penalty).

3. Start making plans to pack the state convention in Athens in March and send your delegates to Vegas! 25 true Johnson believers should be sufficient to make that happen.

I'm sure he'll do as good a job as the last republican we nominated!

Turtle Meat is Bringing $65 a pound in China?!!

Have you ever seen one of these up close and personal? Believe me it ain't pretty.


Luke warm off the wire from yesterday's That's Just Peachy comes the news that the state of Georgia has taken steps to regulate the wild turtle trapping craze that been sweeping the soggier parts of our fair state ever since the price of turtles surged in the far east.


It seems that demand for hard shelled reptilian deliciousness  has caused a price spike and opened up a lucrative export market for those Georgians with the skills and abilities to outwit the wily turtle in it's native habitat.


Well kiss the good old days goodbye because as of 25 JAN 2012 the Georgia DNR will adopt a new rules and regulations for commercial wild turtle hunters/trappers/collectors that will have bag limits as a minimum as well as licensing requirements and maybe tags too. It is predictable that the state will come sniffin' around anybody who's found a way to make a little cash on the side.


So instead of growing a new industry here in Georgia that just might help some folks make some ends meet, the state's gonna jump in with both feet into a market that they know nothing about and grab their 30% for your efforts.


Statism, the closest thing to Piracy there is!

Lee Wrights on Individual Rights

Libertarian Lee Wrights on Individual rights.


Cool.


I'll be putting these up as I run across them during the Libertarian Presidential race leading up to next years convention in Vegas. I think Mr. Wrights did a fine job on this one and look forward to some pretty pithy pronouncements on other Libertarian concepts and principals as this series develops.

Gold or Hogs or Systema "D"?

Why not all three?


Video from the guys down at Jager Pro out of Columbus, Georgia. I wonder what the spot price for wild hog was at the Tokyo meat market yesterday? Anywhere close to Big Bluefin Tuna?


Gold is where you find it.