The Libertarian agenda promotes civil liberties and a small-government agenda
Sept 11, 2016: On Thursday during an interview with MSNBC Garry Johnson Libertarian Party presidential candidate when being asked that, 'if you were elected, what would you do regarding "Aleppo" condition'?
Then there it came an astonishing answer, – Aleppo???
Surprisingly MSNBC interviewer said, are you kidding?
''No'' Johnson replied.
''Aleppo is in Syria…. It's the epic center of the refugee crisis, the MSNBC interviewer said.
Ok got it got it, Jonson said.
The incident also followed its course to the public meeting on Wednesday night in which Democratic Candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican rival Donald trump sought to showcase their national security and defense credentials. Johnson, a former Republican governor of New Mexico, has been trying to turn the two major candidates' low approval ratings to his advantage in the race to win the November 8 election in 2016.
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However, he has just 8.6 support in the current average of opinion polls by website RealClearPolitics in a matchup with Clinton, Trump, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
While the Libertarian Party has long rejected U.S. military intervention abroad, the candidate's failure to recognize one of the most troubled spots in the Middle East drew ridicule and prompted speculation that his campaign was essentially over.
Clinton asked at a news conference about Johnson's remarks, laughed and quipped, "You can look on the map and find Aleppo."
In a statement after the MSNBC interview, Johnson said the mistake showed he was human and explained that, when asked about Aleppo, he was thinking of an acronym and not the Syrian war.
War-torn Aleppo in Syria. Wikimedia Commons
"Can I name every city in Syria? No. Should I have identified Aleppo? Yes. Do I understand its significance? Yes," he said.
In the 2012 presidential election, Johnson set a record for most votes won by a Libertarian candidate- about 1 percent of the popular vote – and was aiming to attract disaffected Republicans and Democrats to sustain steady growth in the party.
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The Libertarian agenda promotes civil liberties and a small-government agenda. Johnson has pledged to cut spending, stick to conservative fiscal policies and legalize marijuana.
Appearing on ABC's talk show "The View" later, Johnson reacted mildly to suggestions the gaffe would kill his campaign. "I guess people will have to make that judgment," he said.
– by Aakash Mandyal with inputs from VOA