Gary Johnson has setup a link on his website where he openly states that he supports legalizing online poker and if you vote for him, he will support your freedom.  The page on his website tells poker players that they are getting a raw deal and that he will support our freedom to play poker online if he is elected president.  Beside that promise, there are three buttons shaped like poker chips that requests that you donate to his campaign.  This sounds great, but how likely is Johnson to get the Republican nomination to run for president?

Issues that Will Separate Him From Republicans

While poker players might like his stance on poker, the fact of the matter is that he stands against several key principles that will alienate Republican votes.  First, he is pro-choice.  For many Republicans, that is a huge point of contention.  Next, he is pro-gay marriage.  Again, something that many Republicans feel strongly against.  Finally, he is pro-marijuana.  While the potheads will rally, the Republicans will run.

While Johnson is saying all the right things when it is coming to jobs, etc, the fact is that Republicans are going to look at the moral issues surrounding his campaign and they will crucify him for those stands.  Granted, not all Republicans will, but I can guarantee you that Johnson would have no chance in my home state of Virginia.

What is His Plan for Legalization?

Before we all jump on board the Johnson for President bandwagon, we need to ask what is his plan for supporting our freedom to play online poker.  It is one thing to say he supports it, but there hasn’t been a plan revealed on how.

Does he have an online poker bill in place?  Does he have suggestions on how the industry should be regulated?  Does he have answers for the concerns surrounding the issue from lotteries, horseracing, and Indian tribes?  Or is this just another talking point to try and draw in votes from a sector of the voting population that is commonly ignored.

Fundraising Ploy?

Ultimately, this looks like a glorified fundraising ploy to me without a lot of initial substance.  Promising to protect our freedoms is one thing, but I would like to know how he intends to do so before I would even consider putting up money.  Of course, odds are I wouldn’t put up money for Johnson as his views on many issues seem more liberal than conservative, and we already have a liberal in office.  Republicans as a whole will not be on board, and I think that poker player should think about folding this hand as well.

Tags: Bandwagon, Bet, Fact Of The Matter, Horseracing, Indian Tribes, Lotteries, Marijuana, Moral Issues, Online Poker, Point Of Contention, Poker Chips, poker players, Potheads, Pro Choice, Pro Gay Marriage, Raw Deal, Republican Nomination, Republican Votes, Republicans, State Of Virginia

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 29th, 2011 at 2:17 pm and is filed under Poker News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.