Gary Johnson woos ‘burned’ Sanders supporters

by TheHill.com - 07/12/16 1:17 PM ET

Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson on Tuesday dismissed Bernie Sanders’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton while calling on Sanders supporters to back him.

“If you’re still ‘feeling the Bern’ — and feeling burned, because the Clinton machine rolled over your ideals — there is another option,” Johnson says in a video message posted to Facebook.

{mosads}”The Libertarian Party nominee will be on the ballot in all 50 states,” Johnson said. “Don’t let your voice go unheard. We can still fight for a future to believe in.”

A Pew Research Center survey released last week found Johnson with 11 percent support, behind Clinton, at 45 percent, and Trump, at 36 percent. Other national polls since then have found his support ranging between 5 percent and 9 percent.

Candidates are competing to recruit Sanders’s supporters following his exit from the race Tuesday, which he announced during a joint campaign appearance with Clinton in New Hampshire where he endorsed her.

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, accused Sanders of having “abandoned his supporters,” mentioning several issues Sanders criticized Clinton on in the primary, including her vote for the Iraq War and ties to Wall Street.

Bernie sanders has abandoned his supporters by endorsing pro-war pro-TPP pro-Wall Street Crooked Hillary Clinton.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2016

“Unlike Hillary Clinton, I never supported bombing Libya, I never supported the Iraq War, I’ve always stood up for drug policy and criminal justice reform,” Johnson said in his video.

A major hurdle Johnson faces against Trump and Clinton is simply gaining name recognition going up against a celebrity businessman and former secretary of State.

His plea to Sanders supporters in concluding his video: “Please Google Gary Johnson.”