'We really need to reboot the campaign in New Hampshire,' Gary Johnson said. Flailing in N.H., Johnson blasts RNC

Time’s running out before the New Hampshire primary for Gary Johnson, the long-shot Republican presidential candidate who recently lost his five campaign workers in the state.

“We really need to reboot the campaign in New Hampshire. It really wasn’t working in New Hampshire,” the former New Mexico governor told POLITICO. “We’re doing the best we can. It’s not for lack of work.”


Johnson also blasted the Republican National Committee for what he saw as a failure to ensure that GOP primary debates are fair and inclusive. Of the 10 so far, Johnson’s only been on stage for two — most recently one in late September.

“I have been a Republican my entire life, but I feel like the Republican party has left me,” he said. “Reince Priebus, I don’t think you’re listening, but come on man!”

Asked by POLITICO what the RNC’s role should be, Johnson said, “They could step up and they could be very, very highly publicized on telling the United States what’s happening here, saying that they’re going to boycott the debates as philosophically, Republicans should decide who their candidates should be, not CNN.”

Johnson was in Washington for a town hall, held in downtown Washington in the building that houses the University of California’s Washington Center. After 30-minute speech, he took questions from the 50 mostly college students who attended in person, as well as those who video chatted in, on environmental policy, national security and immigration.

He said he does not support building a fence along the U.S. border with Mexico, calling it “an incredible waste of money.” Instead, Johnson favors easing the process for immigrants to obtain work visas.

He also said if he had been president during the Sept. 11 attacks he would not have created the Homeland Security department, saying Americans are no safer because of it.

Johnson, a favorite of poker players, also defended online gaming.

“We now have 10 million Americans that are denied their passion,” Johnson said. “Who are they protecting when they ban you from going online and enjoying the passions that you have?”

For all his policy positions, Johnson acknowledged he would likely be unable to win his party’s nomination without getting included in the remaining primary debates.

“Right now, the reality of what has happened, the exclusion that has happened has had a very real effect,” he said. “That effect is that I’m not even a candidate in this race. That’s the perception. People don’t even know who I am.”

“Getting into all of the remaining debates is key,” he added. “But that’s not going to happen because I’m not included in the polls.”