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The press can be so cruel.
Following former Gov. Gary Johnson’s appearance at the first Republican presidential debate on Fox News, national political hacks had little love for the Johnson experience.
Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post political blog, The Fix, graded Johnson as a nonstarter:
“If you watched that debate last Thursday, Gary Johnson seemed like he was barely there. He complained about not getting enough questions. When he did get questions he answered them in five or 10 seconds, so there was really no incentive to go back to him,” Cillizza said.
He also said former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, considered more than a long shot, was a much more serious candidate.
Maybe his toughest critic was faux-conservative Comedy Central personality Stephen Colbert, who mocked Johnson for being a little-known candidate while naming the debate participants.
“And this guy, right there, whose name escapes me, even though he’s been on my show, twice, in the last year,” Colbert said.
Even after showing two clips of Johnson being introduced on the show, Colbert joked he still didn’t remember him. Then he added, “well, he seems nice.”
Reprint story -- Email the reporter at solson@abqjournal.com.
