USA TODAY

Letter to the editor:

Excluding Gary Johnson in presidential polls is a large disservice to the American people. In an election year where so many left-and right-wing voters are torn over their candidates, a strong Libertarian nominee should be given equal opportunity to get his voice and ideas out there. Many people already support a lot of what Johnson stands for but don’t know it because of the small amount of news coverage he has been given. People I have spoken with in my community are turned off by Johnson because he is a Libertarian, and they associate that with “kookiness.” This is something that could be mitigated in debates and news media interviews. His run as governor of New Mexico, his openness and honesty are large factors in why I will be campaigning, donating and voting for Gary Johnson to be our 45th president.

Bryce Sparling; Douglasville, Ga.

Facebook comments are edited for clarity, length and grammar:

Gary Johnson has my vote. I don't even have to think twice about this one. If we don't like the two main party choices, why not give the Libertarian a shot? I don't see what we have to lose — it's not like Johnson is going to have a Libertarian House or Senate to stamp his agenda. For the first time in years, we would actually have a president who might be able to work with Congress from a position of strength because he wouldn't be beholden to either party.

— Kevin Bastian

I am a registered Libertarian. I have been for years but never voted for its candidates because of their inability to win. But this year it’s different. When Donald Trump became the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, I decided that from now on I will vote with my conscience and not the lesser of two evils.

— Greg Bailey

It always seems to me the Libertarian candidates are the only ones who are capable of critical thinking, while the other candidates focus on sound bites that they believe will resonate with whatever group they are trying to win over.

— Alex Wymore

Policing the USA

Twitter comments are edited for clarity, length and grammar:

We asked our followers what Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson would have to do to get their vote.

Get some celebrity endorsements so the news media might actually pay attention.

— @ChileRick

I would like to see him in debates. At this point, I'm so tired of this two-party monopoly.

— @Christi33309365

There is nothing that would make me vote against Donald Trump.

— @eddie7695

Nothing. Voting for a third party, or not voting, only aids the entities that need to be defeated. It's a wasted vote.

— @jgarcia3

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