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Subscribe to RSS*** UPDATE *** Gary Johnson -- who failed to file by proxy today while he was campaigning in Arizona -- is taking a red eye to New Hampshire and will file in person first thing in the morning at the State House in Concord.
"The technical term is that we screwed up," Johnson's communications director Joe Hunter told NBC by phone last night.
CONCORD, N.H. -- Longshot presidential candidate Gary Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, likely will not be on the ballot for the New Hampshire Republican primary, all but ending any chance he could have had at the nomination.
Despite a significant amount of time spent in the state, including biking hundreds of miles with his fiancée and son to draw attention to his campaign -- and even renting a home in the state, the staunch libertarian missed the deadline to file by mail or representative, which was today at 4:30 pm ET. Johnson is campaigning in Arizona through the weekend and, according to a spokesman, has no plans to be in New Hampshire tomorrow.
The missed deadline comes as a surprise not just to political watchers, but also the Johnson campaign itself.
"The last I heard it was going to be filed today by a representative," said Joe Hunter, Johnson’s communications director, sounding shocked, in a telephone interview when told the news by NBC. Asked if Johnson will fly to New Hampshire tomorrow, the final day of the filing period, Hunter said no.
Johnson missing the deadline is also surprising, considering he has already filed for the South Carolina primary, with its $35,000 fee, NBC’s Ali Weinberg reports. New Hampshire’s is just $1,000.
This isn’t the first embarrassing misstep by the Johnson campaign in the Granite State. On his most recent campaign swing here, he scheduled a town hall in Concord. But no one except members of the media showed. His campaign blamed that on planned robo-calls not being executed in time.
Trying to show how important New Hampshire was to him in his presidential campaign plans, Johnson rented a home in Manchester.
He has also appeared in two nationally televised debates, and continues to lobby for spots in other upcoming debates.
The Secretary of State's office said Johnson's campaign never reached out to Secretary of State Bill Gardner or indicated it planned to file.
As of today, 24 Republicans and 12 Democrats are on the ballot for the New Hampshire primary.
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Who? lol
Is he sharing Bachmann's 'chief of filing' staffer?
Both appear to be inept...
The traveling freak show just keeps on rolling!
Yeah--rather interesting for such a "long shot" (and perhaps one not so flush with cash) to skip the more cost effective NH R primary at $1000.00 and go for the SC primary at $35,000.00 (or is that some sort of typo?)! No bargain that...a complete waste of money for an unknown with no chance of the nomination! I wonder what the participants get besides a shot at obscurity....perhaps a t-shirt or a baseball cap...?
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
the staunch libertarian missed the deadline to file by mail or representative, which was today at 4:30 pm ET.
The missed deadline comes as a surprise not just to political watchers, but also the Johnson campaign itself
I would like to be a fly in the wall listening to the excuses of the person in charge of filing the documents:
CNN Living
June 09, 2008|By Rosemary Haefner
10 Best excuses for coming late to work
-------------------------------------------------------------
1. While rowing across the river to work, I got lost in the fog.
2. Someone stole all my daffodils.
3. I had to go audition for American Idol.
4. My ex-husband stole my car so I couldn't drive to work.
5. My route to work was shut down by a Presidential motorcade.
6. I have transient amnesia and couldn't remember my job.
7. I was indicted for securities fraud this morning.
8. The line was too long at Starbucks.
9. I was trying to get my gun back from the police.
10. I didn't have money for gas because all of the pawn shops were closed.
Memo to GOP candidates: Try these excuses for being late (They've been tested in real life work situations) http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Business-Intelligence/Worst-Excuses-for-Being-Late-to-Work-826982/
1) Rick Perry: I was mugged and tied to the steering wheel of my car (by Mitt Romney)
2) Pawlenty: My deoderant was frozen to the window sill
3) Johnson: My car door fell off. (Or, in Johnson's case, "my bicycle seat fell off")
4) Romney: It was too windy. I was afraid the filing papers would blow away.
5) Ron Paul: I dreamt I was already at work. ( substitute "already on the ballot")
6) Bachmann: I had to go to the hospital after drinking antifreeze.
7) (Universally useful for all GOP candidates this year) I had an early morning gig as a clown.
8) Cain: A roach crawled in my ear.
9) Gingrich: I saw an elderly lady at a bus stop and I decided to pick her up
10) Backup excuse: My dog swallowed my cell phone.
Big Johnson is out of the race, nothing but little Johnsons left now.
Personally, I like him. Sucessful govenor, sucessfull businessman, marathoner. Left New Mexico financially sound. Not afraid to veto wasteful spending. And definitely not a party man. Besides I'm from New Mexico.
His stance on marijuana should appeal to a number of posters on this vine.
Wrong, the deadline is Friday, Oct. 28. Rick Perry hasn't filed either yet. Both Johnson and Perry will be filing tomorrow, according to their campaigns. Tony Schinella, Concord NH Patch
This story is completely wrong. The filing deadline is tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 28. Rick Perry isn't on the ballot yet either. He's filing tomorrow too.
Gary Johnson just announced on his @GovGaryJohnson Twitter account his intention to file in person tomorrow.
Great!
I will be voting for Governor Gary Johnson for president! End the wars, balance the budget, equal rights for LGBT and legalize marijuana! This guy is exactly who America needs in The White House! The People's President.
I can understand why Rick Perry would find an excuse not to debate, simply put it's because he can't debate. His performance to date have been embarrassing to watch,to say the very least.
Who gave these "writers" their license to spread false rumors - calling Gov. Johnson's campaign inept when they don't know the date of the filing themselves? What a couple of idiots Jo Ling Kent and Domenico Montanaro are, too bad nobody will write a story about them being dumbasses - from the press, its expected.
And yes, the Governor himself tweeted that he was on his way to New Hampshire to register - that sure was hard to follow. When are Jo Ding-a-Ling and Dumbenico going to retract and issue their apology? This is of course the #1 most read recent story on Gov. Johnson - you don't see that it is false until you read the comments - the writers apparently don't have the time to check facts, or to correct their own misstatements.
It is too bad the lazy press have time to get this story wrong, but they don't take the time to learn about the candidates positions, or to even allow a 2-term successful Governor to even participate in the debates because his "angle" is supposedly covered by Ron Paul?
Cain is winning because of the debates, Perry is losing because of them, Romney's handlers are managing his debates - Gary Johnson can't compete for president because the media won't let him. When is someone going to "occupy the media"?
@Corey--might be on to something here. Major known candidates can monopolize the media and leave out lessor knowns.
OK, msnbc--what ya got? Want to do something on Gary Johnson?