Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson fishes for votes at Republican National Convention

An unexpected guest showed up at the Republican National Convention this week. Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson hit up the Tampa during the GOP’s presidential nominating convention in an attempt to persuade disgruntled Ron Paul supporters to vote for him over GOP nominee Mitt Romney in the 2012 general election.

Johnson volunteers passed out Johnson literature outside Paul’s six-hour “We are the Future Rally” on Sunday at the University of South Florida.

The former New Mexico Governor did not make an appearance at the Paul event in person, but he did speak at the unaffiliated P.A.U.L. Festival on Saturday. The three-day P.A.U.L Festival was sponsored by the Libertarian Party and was also held in Tampa at the Tampa fairgrounds’ Ford Amphitheater.

He also made a stop at the American Conservative Union’s “Nuestra Noche” party late Monday night, casually chatting up reporters and other party attendees.

Joe Hunter, Johnson’s press secretary, said in an email to Red Alert Politics that the former Republican was in Tampa at the invitation of the P.A.U.L. fest organizers.

“Other than a brief visit to the ACU party Monday night, he did not attend nor try to attend any convention activities,” Hunter said.

At the party Johnson told guests he was heading to Naples on Tuesday to campaign. A source familiar with Johnson’s schedule confirmed that he left Tampa on Tuesday.

By /// August 29, 2012
Francesca Chambers About Francesca Chambers

Francesca is the Editor of Red Alert Politics - an online publication written by and for young conservatives. Red Alert Politics is a product of Clarity Media Group, the parent company of The Washington Examiner and The Weekly Standard. She is also a contributor to The Washington Examiner.

Francesca is a veteran of several political campaigns and political organizations. She has also worked in new media and communications at The Leadership Institute, at the Republican National Committee and on Capitol Hill. She has been featured as a speaker at Leadership Institute, Cato Institute, Americans for Prosperity's "Defending the American Dream Summit," the State Policy Network's annual conference and CPAC, in addition to appearing as a regular guest on the "Big Picture" with Thom Hartmann on Russia Today.

She has also appeared on ABC's "Nightline", PBS' 'NewsHour', PBS' "To the Contrary", MSNBC, CNN, on TheBlazeTV (aka Glenn Beck TV) and had radio segments on Take Action News with David Shuster, NPR and "The Michael Koolidge Show."

In 2012 she was named to the DC GOP's first ever "35 under 35" list.

Francesca graduated from the University of Kansas with BAs in Political Science and Journalism. At KU she was an editor of the University Daily Kansan and an active member of Student Senate.

Comments

  1. L.A. says:
    August 30, 2012 at 11:17 am

    After the shenanigans the Republicans pulled in Pennsylvania and Iowa trying to foist bogus lawsuits to get petitions for Gary Johnson on the ballot this November invalidated, and now in Oklahoma, there are a lot of disgruntled Gary Johnson supporters right now with the Republican Party as well.

    Reply

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