Johnson: Romney-Martinez would be 'Palin-esque'

Gary Johnson

Politico - Mitt Romney may be able to win New Mexico if he chooses Gov. Susana Martinez as his running mate, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson said. But beyond that, the Republican-turned-Libertarian sees little value in putting his successor on a national ticket. “This is a Sarah Palin-esque kind of choice. She’s served as governor of New Mexico for about the same amount of time,” Johnson said. “I think there were lessons learned [from 2008.]” Martinez, one of the rock-star GOP governors elected in 2010, has been viewed as a politician with national potential due to her reformer's profile and potential appeal to Latino voters. The former county prosecutor has mostly avoided the D.C. spotlight so far. If Johnson has his druthers, it'll stay that way. The former governor said he recently watched the HBO film “Game Change” – and previously read the book – and thought the whole Palin experience reflected terribly on John McCain for choosing an underprepared running mate for political reasons. “I thought it was an incredible indictment” of McCain, Johnson said. UPDATE: A Republican reader emails to point out that -- in addition to whatever other differences Martinez has with Palin -- the New Mexico governor has firmly ruled out running for the vice presidency in 2012. She said just this week: "I'm totally, completely focused on being governor and fulfilling my promises ... It's humbling, but I'm not interested." Read More News New Mexico 

Johnson: Romney-Martinez would be 'Palin-esque'