Johnson Admits 'Aleppo' Remark was a Mistake, Espouses Honesty

Gary Johnson is achieving something that Libertarian candidates for president never get: non-Libertarians are paying attention to him.

With that increased attention comes the kind of scrutiny most Libertarians in the past haven’t had to deal with. So when Johnson had his “Rick Perry” moment about Aleppo, it was news.

Johnson was a guest earlier today on ABC’s “The View” and responded to the gaffe in a way that most presidential candidates wouldn’t: with a sincere admission of his mistake. No blame on anybody else. No “out of context” nonsense. Just a good, old-fashioned “I screwed up.”

Here’s a quick clip from the ABC News Twitter feed:

Gary Johnson on @TheView: If people see Aleppo gaffe as disqualifying, “so be it.” https://t.co/wvHS2KCRi2

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 8, 2016

I have known Johnson for a few years and can say that his devotion to being honest isn’t a newfound convenience to try and get out of this mess. He does place a higher premium on it than, say, his two biggest rivals in this race. He also prioritizes admitting one’s mistakes. This post from Entrepreneur.com last month highlights Johnson’s four tips for success in business (he’s an extraordinarily successful businessman), and two of them are “Always Tell the Truth” and “Always Admit Your Mistakes.” Love him or hate him, he at least has some guiding principles and does stick to them. It doesn’t look like he’ll be abandoning the off-the-cuff honest approach anytime soon either:

“I’d let the gun go off” –@GovGaryJohnson this AM when asked who he’d vote for (Trump/Clinton) if a gun was to his head (h/t @politiCOHEN_)

— Gabby Morrongiello (@gabriellahope_) September 8, 2016