Libertarians Look to Attract Unhappy Voters
CUOMO: It's certainly not news that people are not completely satisfied with the current choices for president and more and more people are saying, boy, I'm open to an alternative, I'm open to a third party. Well, the libertarian ticket believes that's what they represent, a third way. Their nominees, they already have their convention are two former governors. New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and his running mate, foreign Massachusetts Governor William Weld. We had a town hall with them last night. They covered over a dozen major issues. Here's some of the highlights.</s>GARY JOHNSON, LIBERTARIAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Most Americans are libertarian. It's just that they don't know it.</s>CUOMO (voice-over): Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson flanked by his running mate, William Weld, looking to connect with voters who are looking for an alternative to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Johnson is equally reluctant to choose. (on camera): If you had to say that one of these is more qualified than the other --</s>JOHNSON: Bring back waterboarding or worse it's not going to --</s>CUOMO: You're not going to give an answer?</s>JOHNSON: No, I'm not going to give in to voting for one or the other.</s>WILLIAM WELD, LIBERTARIAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I would.</s>CUOMO: Thank you. (on camera): Weld favoring Clinton.</s>WELD: I think Mrs. Clinton, no matter what you think about economic policies, is very well qualified to be president of the United States. I would not say the same of Mr. Trump, with all respect.</s>CUOMO (voice-over): Johnson shared his running mate's negative assessment of Trump.</s>JOHNSON: The issues that I have with Trump starting with immigration, starting with free trade, going on and on and on, killing the families of Muslim terrorists, really it's what's coming out of his mouth that I have issues with.</s>CUOMO: Johnson, a vocal supporter of legalizing marijuana, was forced to face questions about his position on drugs. Her family is struggling to care for her son, left disabled by first time drug abuse and overdose.</s>JOHNSON: This is heart breaking, but what you're pointing out is that prohibition really is what -- is what your son succumbed to.</s>CUOMO: Johnson pivoted to a series of harm prevention programs including needle exchanges and safe injection zones. His response to the emotional question challenged.</s>MAUREEN MORELLA, ASKED ABOUT DRUG ADDICTION: When they go to your pretty little places with the pretty little needles, we're still going to have street people out selling heroin --</s>JOHNSON: Exactly.</s>MORELLA: -- because they're going to get their one dose and it's not enough, so you're keeping people addicted.</s>CUOMO: And in the wake of the Orlando massacre, a survivor bringing the gun control debate center stage.</s>JEANNETTE MCCOY, ORLANDO SHOOTING SURVIVOR: You said America would be safer if it was easier to buy guns and if more people carried them especially out in public, but last week when I went out dancing with my friends, unfortunately, I ended up in the middle of the worst mass shootings in our nation's history.</s>CUOMO: Johnson explaining that he doesn't advocate rolling back existing gun laws, instead that he would look for law enforcement solutions.</s>JOHNSON: The FBI came in contact with this guy three times. What transpired? Why wasn't this guy deprived of his guns?</s>CUOMO: The optimistic duo hoping to gain momentum as a viable alternative to Republicans and Democrats.</s>JOHNSON: The two-party system is a two party dinosaur and they're about to come in contact with the comet here.</s>CUOMO: I'll tell you, what a shock to hear a political discussion in this election where it wasn't, what's my answer? Well, the other person stinks. That's my answer. So, people got a lot of information. Let's weigh in on where these potions will stack up in terms of the state of play. Let's bring back the panel, Mark Preston, David Gregory, Nia-Malika Henderson. Your take, Mr. Executive Editor?</s>MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Listen, I think that what's interesting is these are two governors, two former Republican governors, OK, who are now the Libertarian Party's flag bearers heading into November. However, last night they seemed to try to be appealing to Democrats in many ways in some of their positions. We saw William Weld go out there and say he would support Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Now, a lot of people do not like Donald Trump and a lot of Republicans don't like Donald Trump, but I do think it was interesting, to your point, they offered a different vision and certainly a toned down rhetoric than what we've seen over the last 48 hours between the two major candidates.</s>CAMEROTA: And, David, given that so many people say they want an alternative this year, they don't want to vote for either of the two leading candidates, why aren't these guys getting more traction?</s>DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's very difficult, because there's a sense of who can win whether the third party is a viable alternative and where they fit in an increasingly ideologically polarized political world that we're in. They don't fit neatly on either way. I mean, I agree with Mark that in this year when you've had such a support for Bernie Sanders, there may be opportunity for Democrats to appeal to and on some social issues they might, but they're more natural I think inclined to be a safe harbor for Republicans who don't like Donald Trump given some of their views on fiscal matters, taxes and all the rest. I think the traction question is the important one though, because they've had an initial burst of some good polling that they need to get to 15 percent in order to be considered for the debate stage in the fall. And that becomes very important if you're going to get a large enough share of the vote to have a real impact. Hard to s them being anything other than a spoiler impact.</s>CUOMO: They see that as well. They see their challenges. They have exposure problems, a little bit of a circular issue there. They can't get to 15 percent because they don't get exposure media because they don't get to 15 percent. That was one of the motivations last night. People say they want a third way, so we show it to them and let's see how they feel about it. But what do you make of that, Nia-Malika Henderson, that they were okay, certainly Gary Johnson was okay with being a spoiler in this election? I said if it turns out that what you really do is help Trump or help Clinton, but not really help yourself to win are you okay with that, he said absolutely.</s>NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, and that was pretty fascinating. I mean, they're fine with being essentially a Ross Perot figure. If you look back in 2012, Gary Johnson was able to get on the bath ballot in 48 states. He got about 1.2 million votes. In New Mexico, which is where he was the former governor, he got about 5 percent of the votes. In states like that and this is going to be a really close election, will they really have some traction even if it amounts to 5 or 6 or 7 percent and could end up being that spoiler role? But you know, I felt last night it was refreshing to see this third party option. You sort of -- every election cycle you hear this idea that Americans are ready for a third party, but to see these two folks out there really trying to gain some traction and get their message out there I think it's a good thing that they did and a good thing you did in interviewing them.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes, and it was refreshing because clearly they were taking positions that were not poll tested.</s>CUOMO: Thirteen issues. I've done these town halls before. The idea of getting through this many issues and deeply getting into it, at one point Johnson told me I was getting too into the weeds on taxes, because we have gotten into like his structuring of a fair tax and a consumption and what's the right percentage and what does it mean, and how do you do with the upset on revenues. That's the kind of conversation you should want Americans to have. But the bottom line is, doesn't resonate like you stink. The media picks up on it on a way that they don't pick up on the consumption.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes, and their positions are harder to sort of battle, because he is outside the mainstream on drug legalization and gun control. I mean, you know, they just have interesting positions.</s>PRESTON: They do. I tell you what? I think they certainly offered a different way forward than what we've seen from the other two candidates certainly so far. I would say I think he struggled on the drug issue. But no question about it and to leave it on this, the questions were great. The fact the first question was from somebody who was at the biggest mass shooting and part of that was an amazing moment I think in our political history and it really is a continuation of these town halls and how effective they are.</s>CAMEROTA: Panel, thank you.</s>CUOMO: I can share that because I did not come up with the questions. Mark is right. They were very, very strong last night. Now, we've got another rare opportunity for you today. What usually happens, you have a town hall, you have the debate and everybody goes into spin mode. Gary Johnson, the governor is coming back on today so we can follow up on these issues we're saying where he made some progress but also raised some questions. So, he'll be on and we'll go at it.</s>CAMEROTA: All right. Meanwhile, another big story we're following, voters are heading to the polls right now in the U.K. They're deciding whether Britain should stay in the European Union or leave. It's a historic position. The stakes are very high for everyone. So, we have a live report next.