Dana Ferguson

dferguson@argusleader.com

Libertarian vice presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld said Wednesday that he hopes South Dakota Republicans will break with their party's nominee and vote for Gary Johnson.

The former Republican on a campaign stop in Sioux Falls said voters disenchanted with the two major-party candidates should back the Libertarian ticket as a means of supporting small government, free trade and liberal positions on social issues.

In an Augustana University classroom, Weld spoke with about 50 students and local supporters about his background and Johnson's qualifications for the office. He also appealed to Republicans frustrated with their options.

"It’s a little bit unorthodox to say that people should reject the monopoly of the Republicans and the Democrats but I think its time has come," Weld said. "I just think the argument for the two-party system this year is showing signs of age rather badly and particularly on the Republican side."

The appeal came just over a week after prominent South Dakota GOP leaders called on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to step down and allow Indiana Gov. Mike Pence to become the party's candidate.

The leaders later said they'd still vote for Trump in hopes of blocking Democrat Hillary Clinton's path to the White House. They also said Trump would be more likely to appoint Supreme Court justices with conservative values.

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Weld said he was frustrated that the leaders didn't denounce Trump after video recordings emerged showing him making lewd remarks about women. He said the the nominee seemed to be a step away from the goals party leaders set up following Mitt Romney's loss to Barack Obama in 2012.

"I don't know why any Republican would vote for Donald Trump," he said.

A lifelong Republican voter, Dennis Breske, a Sioux Falls real estate broker, said Wednesday that he struggled with the decision but felt inclined to support Johnson.

“I just have a hard time voting for the other two candidates," he said. "I just don’t like our choice."

Terry Dickman, 57, of Sioux Falls said he plans to support Johnson and Weld on the ballot. The registered Republican said he's frustrated that voters feel their only options are Clinton and Trump.

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“The idea of lesser of two evils, that idea still leaves you with with an evil choice, and there is a third option that’s not evil and it leads you with a smaller government, socially inclusive," Dickman said.

Weld also made an appeal to millennial voters Wednesday by talking about his desire to use government regulations to combat climate change, a position that typically hasn't been supported among Libertarians.

“You can’t just rely on the market because the economies of scale, the amounts of money required to prevent environmental degradation is so huge that a business that has a duty to make a profit or an individual is just not going to come up with that kind of money,” Weld said.

Weld is set to visit Rapid City and Spearfish Thursday for a Q & A at Black Hills State University.

Follow Dana Ferguson @bydanaferguson, call (605) 370-2493 or email dferguson@argusleader.com

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