Gary Johnson wants to "shout from the rooftops" that Colorado can change the world
Election day is rapidly approaching and it couldn't be clearer in Colorado where residents are bombarded with nonstop ads and weekly traffic jams due to Obama and Romney rallies. But those two aren't the only presidential candidates showing the state some love. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian pick, stopped here Friday -- and shared with us his predictions for November 6 and his hopes for the state's marijuana amendment. 
Gary Johnson.
Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico, is continuing to campaign across the country in the final weeks of the election, even though he has faced significant barriers in getting widespread attention, most recently with his exclusion from the national debates. This sparked some protest and dissent in Denver, setting for the first presidential debate of the season.
As a third-party candidate, much coverage of Johnson's campaign has focused on how he could potentially siphon votes away from the Republican and Democratic candidates, and what that could mean in the key swing states that will decide the election. 
Sam Levin Gary Johnson in Denver earlier this summer.
Colorado has special significance in these analyses, given that Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, is on the ballot -- and ending marijuana prohibition has been a central part of Johnson's campaign. The stakes are even higher given that a very small margin of voters will decide whether Colorado goes red or blue -- which could arguably play a significant role in who wins the election.
On Friday, we chatted with Johnson on the phone about what kind of impact he expects to have on election day, the future of the Libertarian Party in presidential races, and why he thinks legalizing marijuana could be a game-changer for Colorado.
Westword: We met back in June in Colorado, before the campaign season really kicked into full gear. Now, weeks before election day, is this where you expected you would be in terms of your traction and progress in this race?
Gary Johnson: Well, I was hoping that I'd be in the debates...but I have nothing to complain about. We'll see what happens on election day. Relative to the amount of money that we've [raised]...I think that we will by far show the best bang for the buck...meaning if you do a cost analysis on the outcome, we would be paying the least amount for our votes.
WW: I've written a bit about some of the local Libertarian Party protests of the debate. How frustrating has it been for you personally to be kept out of the debates?
GJ: I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy, that's me.... But the Presidential Debate Commission is made up of Democrats and Republicans with absolutely no desire to see a third party on the stage. So it really does not surprise me. We have filed suit, but I don't think anything is going to come out of it.
WW: And what did you think of the debates?
GJ: It was much ado about nothing.... Romney and Obama are debating who is going to spend more money on Medicare, when Medicare has to be slashed.... It's not sustainable in any way, shape or form. If we think we are going to address the national debt without dramatically reforming Medicare, [there's no hope]."
WW: In what areas of the two debates so far have you most wanted to interject your platform? Where do you think you'd offer a perspective that was different from both Obama and Romney?
GJ: I would be advocating a balanced budget now. The two of them are really talking about tax policies -- this deduction, that deduction. Look, I'm advocating eliminating income tax, corporate tax...and abolishing the IRS and replacing all of it with one federal consumption tax. I think that's the answer when it comes to tens of millions of jobs. I constantly wanted to be shouting that during the debates.... And I just find it amazing that in these three debates, not one word addressed drug policy. Not one word. And that's because of me, I think. There is somebody out there that wants to legalize marijuana, so they just want to stay away from the issue completely.... And the...Libya [debate], who said this when...look, we shouldn't have had any personel in the embassy. It's not a show of weakness. It's just a show of being smart. Why put ourselves up as targets in an area that is just looking for targets?
WW: Was it a surprise to you that there was no discussion on drug policy?
GJ: Normally, we would have the "who is going to be tougher on drugs" discussion going on, but not one word...not one word.
WW: At this point in the race, if you had to make your best prediction... what percentage of votes do you think you'll get?
GJ: I hope that at the end of the day, we're recognized for having far exceeded expectations. I could see us potentially far exceeding expectations and [still] getting panned for what is not a good showing.... The best a Libertarian candidate for president has done is 1 percent of the general election vote, which is, I think, surprising.... I just would've thought it to be higher..... It would be a shame if we ended up getting 6 percent and somehow got panned for not showing up. That would be a hit out of the park.
WW: If you don't win, what do you hope you will have accomplished with your campaign?
GJ: If I get over 5 percent of the vote, that makes a big difference for the next cycle for Libertarians. If I were to show at 5 percent, I don't know [how] Libertarians would not be qualified in the ballots in every state next cycle.... If we are recognized as far exceeding expectations and recognized for bringing issues that neither of the other parties are talking about, then potentially the world changes a little bit. Maybe drug policy becomes a political safe ground to talk about. Balancing the budget. Whoever votes for me is shouting a bunch of things -- let's stop with military interventions.... Let's reform our tax system in a really dramatic way.... Let's end the drug wars.
Continue for the rest of our interview with Gary Johnson.
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