Gary Johnson

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

He could, but he never was going to be considered as Republican running mate.  Nor do I think the Libertarian Party will turn to him.  If they do, they give up any claim to being more than a joke party.  Not that they aren't a joke party, but I doubt they want to admit it.

Besides, Johnson could cause the Libertarians some ballot issues they likely don't want.  Johnson appeared on the GOP ballot here in South Carolina (losing to Cain Colbert among others) and we have a sore loser law that keeps the loser of one party's primary from appearing on the general election ballot, even as the nominee of another party.  Not certain if that law applies to Presidential candidates, but if it did, the Libertarians would have to place another name in place of his here.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If Johnson had started out running as a Libertarian, I'd agree he wouldn't tarnish the Libertarians if he were their nominee.  As a failed nominee of another party, he does.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If Johnson had started out running as a Libertarian, I'd agree he wouldn't tarnish the Libertarians if he were their nominee.  As a failed nominee of another party, he does.

Did Ron Paul, a then-former Republican who had lost three separate races for the House as well as a Senate primary, tarnish the Libertarian Party in 1988? Not really. He got half a percent of the vote, which was more than David Bergland's total in 1984 and Andre Marrou's in 1992 (both with a third of a percent). Since then, Paul's total has only been matched once, by Harry Browne in 1996.

Paul did not attempt to get the Republican nomination in 1988, which is a crucial difference.  He started off that campaign cycle running as a Libertarian.  He didn't switch after losing the nomination of his first choice party.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Johnson appeared on the GOP ballot here in South Carolina (losing to Cain Colbert among others) and we have a sore loser law that keeps the loser of one party's primary from appearing on the general election ballot, even as the nominee of another party.  Not certain if that law applies to Presidential candidates, but if it did, the Libertarians would have to place another name in place of his here.

Sore loser laws typically do not apply to presidential candidates, so that concern, at least, is probably irrelevant.

This is mostly true, but there still at least a couple of states whose sore loser laws as written seem to apply to presidential candidates. There's good precedent to indicate that such laws wouldn't hold up if challenged in court, but that would require money that the Libertarian party probably doesn't have.

While it hasn't been done to him in South Carolina (that I know of), the Michigan Secretary of State has refused to put him on the ballot and the Libertarians are suing to get him on.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Johnson appeared on the GOP ballot here in South Carolina (losing to Cain Colbert among others) and we have a sore loser law that keeps the loser of one party's primary from appearing on the general election ballot, even as the nominee of another party.  Not certain if that law applies to Presidential candidates, but if it did, the Libertarians would have to place another name in place of his here.

Sore loser laws typically do not apply to presidential candidates, so that concern, at least, is probably irrelevant.

This is mostly true, but there still at least a couple of states whose sore loser laws as written seem to apply to presidential candidates. There's good precedent to indicate that such laws wouldn't hold up if challenged in court, but that would require money that the Libertarian party probably doesn't have.

While it hasn't been done to him in South Carolina (that I know of), the Michigan Secretary of State has refused to put him on the ballot and the Libertarians are suing to get him on.

They have a different Gary E. Johnson on the ballot there

Seriously!? That's hilarious.

Gary E. Johnson of Austin, Texas, is a Libertarian Party higher-up and has consented to be the nominee of the Libertarian Party for President of the United States of Michigan if a lawsuit doesn't work (which it will, since the law hasn't changed from 1980, when the Michigan SoS said their sore loser law didn't apply to Presidential primaries and allowed Anderson to go on the ballot).

Except ballot access lawsuits often don't get settled until after the election.