Gary Johnson Excluded From Big GOP Debate in New Hampshire

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson can’t seem to catch a break in the Republican race for the White House.

The unorthodox Republican candidate learned today that he has been excluded from a prime-time lineup of GOP contenders who will debate at St. Anselm College on June 13. Most of the big names — Romney, Pawlenty, Newt – are in. Johnson, whose performance at a debate in South Carolina earlier this month was widely panned, is out. He’s not happy about it.

“I respect the right of CNN and the other sponsors of the June 13 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary debate to apply their own criteria and invite who they choose,” Johnson said in a statement this morning. “It is, however, unfortunate that a significant segment of the Republican Party, and more importantly, millions of independent voters who might be Republican voters, will not have a voice on the stage in Manchester.

“What will be missing is the voice of those who hold an undiluted view of individual liberty – those who believe that individual rights extend to women who face choices about abortion,  Americans who happen to be gay, and those who don’t place other asterisks on freedom,” Johnson added. “Likewise, there will be no voice for the growing number of Americans who see the hypocrisy and failure of drug laws that condone alcohol at White House Dinners while incarcerating millions of Americans, including our kids, who choose to smoke pot.

I wish the participants in the debate well.  And I sympathize with the millions of  Americans whose beliefs will not be on display in Manchester on June 13.”

According to Doug Minor, a spokesman for St. Anselm, Johnson didn’t meet the criteria set by the event’s sponsors:

“Saint Anselm College is providing venues for the June 13 debate and related activities, but we did not determine who would be invited to appear in the debate. That was a decision reached by the medial sponsors, CNN, WMUR, and the New Hampshire Union Leader.

“They determined that the definition of a candidate was a person who was taking substantive steps towards a presidential run and had reached a minimum threshold in national or state polls.”

Johnson said he does look forward to participating in a July 10 debate in Las Vegas, sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform and the Daily Caller.