It was a good idea, but in 2000, it didn’t work. Word didn’t spread fast enough, and the internet was still in its infancy. But it’s worth revisiting.

First, consider the size of the #NeverTrump Republican vote. In 2012 Ohio Republicans went 94 percent for Mitt Romney; President Obama received 5 percent of their votes and 1 percent went to “other.” This year, because of Mr. Trump’s candidacy, the percentage of Republicans who have indicated they are voting for Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Johnson or are unsure is 18.2 percent.

The problem is that in many close states, the number of Republicans who say they will vote for Mr. Johnson or stay at home is larger than the difference in support for Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton. Again, in Ohio, if the election were held today, polls predict that Mrs. Clinton would win 6.1 percent of the Republican vote and Mr. Johnson would win 6.2 percent (the additional 5.9 percent is undecided). This could decide the election: The latest Quinnipiac University poll in Ohio has Mr. Trump up by a point, 46 to 45.

Gary Johnson won less than 1 percent of the vote in Ohio in 2012. Has he done anything in four years to improve his lot with Republicans, other than forgetting (or never knowing) about Aleppo, Syria? The only reason for his rise is that so many Republicans back him as a protest vote against Mr. Trump.

At the same time, we hear from many Republican friends in our home states of Louisiana and California, as well as former colleagues here in Washington, that they would vote for Mrs. Clinton if their vote “mattered.” Too bad they are in deep red or deep blue states, in a system where a handful of states will decide the fate for the country.