Gary Johnson has made it official. The Republican presidential candidate who got no respect has announced he will now seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party.

Johnson made the announcement Wednesday morning in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he served as the state's Republican governor from 1995 to 2003.

"This was both a difficult decision - and an easy one," Johnson said. "I have a lot of Republican history, and a lot of Republican supporters. But in the final analysis...I am a Libertarian - that is someone who is fiscally very conservative but holds freedom-based positions on the issues that govern our personal behavior."

The disparity between Johnson's positions on fiscal and social issues may have doomed his bid for the Republican nomination from the start. While favoring a balanced budget, ending Healthcare Reform and eliminating corporate taxes, he also supports gay marriage, a woman's right to choose and marijuana legalization. The latter positions did not seem to sit well with many in the GOP. (read more)

Colorado's nine electoral votes will not only be in play in the 2012 presidential election, by all accounts they may be essential for victory.

"The winning of a state like Colorado is going to be absolutely critical and will be to some extent a metaphor for the entire country," political analyst Floyd Ciruli maintains. "If you can't win in particular the Unaffiliated voter in Colorado, that independent voter, you probably can't carry a whole host of states in this country."

Republican strategist Karl Rove put it more bluntly in a speech at a Colorado Springs GOP fundraiser in June when he said, "In 2012, as goes Colorado, so goes the nation."

"Colorado is incredibly important," agrees Colorado Democratic Chair Rick Palacio. President Obama won Colorado in 2008 by nine points. I'm convinced that he's going to do it the same way again."

Obama strategist David Axelrod has said the President must hold Colorado, and possibly Nevada and New Mexico which he also won in 2008, in order to win a second term. (read more)

Presidential candidate Gary Johnson doesn't understand his exclusion from the second GOP presidential debate, scheduled for June 13 in New Hampshire.

In an appearance Sunday on Fox News' America's Election Headquarters Johnson said, "I'm a believer in the system, but I have to tell you right now I'm not so much a believer in the system."

The New Hampshire debate is sponsored by CNN, the New Hampshire Union Leader and WMUR. Seven announced and unannounced candidates will participate. They include former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, businessman Herman Cain, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty who all participated in the first GOP debate which aired on Fox News in May. Johnson, who appeared at the Fox News debate, was not invited to participate in New Hampshire.

In addition to the those named above, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will also be on stage for the June 13 debate. (read more)

The second GOP presidential debate will not include one of the candidates who participated in the first. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson will not be allowed to participate in the June 13 debate in New Hampshire hosted by CNN, the New Hampshire Union Leader and WMUR.

The seven hopefuls on stage that night will include former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, businessman Herman Cain, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, all of whom participated in the first debate of the season in Greenville, S.C . which aired on Fox News on May 5. (read more)

The number of officially announced candidates for the GOP nomination continues to grow, but the one who announced first will be absent from the campaign trail this week. Gary Johnson tells Fox News he will instead be on a week-long cycling trip in the mountains of California.

"We will ride anywhere from 50 to 70 miles each day on our bicycles for one week straight. The riding here is just about as good as it gets - amazing back roads and hilly terrain," Johnson says.

Cycling? In the middle of a presidential campaign?

"This might very well be my last chance to take a break in this endeavor," Johnson explains. "I also did this same event last year, which was the longest break that I took in 2010. Everyone needs to recharge their batteries, and I'm going to come out of this week with some serious energy."

Most people, not to mention other presidential candidates, would not view riding up to 70 miles a day as relaxation. But extreme sports are part of the former New Mexico governor's makeup. He completed the Iron Man competition five times in years past and has run over 30 marathons. (read more)

UPDATE: Whoops! Just two days after endorsing GOP candidate and marijuana legalization proponent Gary Johnson, Willie Nelson changed his mind. Steve, on The Teapot Party blog, explains what happened.

"Yesterday, both the Teapot Party and Gary Johnson 2012 sent out press releases announcing the endorsement. The media immediately jumped on it, with Politico, Fox and Raw Story leading the coverage. We were on a roll. But not so fast. I sent the press release and coverage links to Nelson. His response took me by surprise: ‘My position is it too early for me to endorse anyone. And I think everyone should vote their own conscience.' I wrote back reminding him that he had approved the endorsement. ‘I know I said that,' Nelson replied. ‘But I think I will wait and see where he stands on other things. My bad. Sorry.'"

Perhaps when Nelson made the endorsement he was either "Crazy," or, dare I say it, smoking something funny?

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When Fox News and the South Carolina GOP hold the first Republican presidential debate Thursday, two of the five participants will be libertarian-leaning Republicans: Congressman Ron Paul and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.

Paul and Johnson generally agree on the issues, championing civil liberties and the idea that government has grown far too big, is involved in far too many things, and does most of them poorly.

Both favor drastic cuts in government spending, lowering taxes, repealing last year's healthcare reform legislation, eliminating the Department of Education and both also oppose legislation defining marriage as between a man and woman

They oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, U.S. involvement in Libya, the War on Drugs, the Patriot Act and the border fence.

But the pair parts ways on abortion. Paul opposes it, believing that life begins at conception. Johnson supports a woman's right to choose, though he opposes government funding to support abortion.

The presence of two GOP candidates with such similar philosophies has prompted the libertarian blogosphere to question which man to support. (read more)

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson became the first candidate to formally announce his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination today. Others have announced creation of exploratory committees which essentially means they have already decided to run. Johnson decided to skip that formality and jump right into the campaign.

Johnson made the announcement on the steps of the state Capitol building in Concord, New Hampshire.

"America needs someone who will say no to the insane spending and stop the madness that has become Washington, have the qualifications, the ability and the know-how to do the job."

Johnson is well known for his libertarian advocacy of limited government and the preservation of individual freedoms. Johnson served as Governor from 1994-2002, gaining national notice by vetoing over 700 bills.

As a candidate for President he is calling for a balanced budget tomorrow, and an end to U.S. involvement in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan. He also advocates solving the immigration issue by creating a better temporary work visa program and doing away with the border fence. (read more)

After the 2008 election there were six Democratic governors in the West (excluding the west coast states and Texas). Now there are only two, John Hickenlooper in Colorado and Brian Schweitzer in Montana.

Schweitzer, the popular Democratic Governor of Montana will step down at the end of his second term in 2012 because of term limits. With no Democrats in the state who can match his popularity and electability, this seat is considered a toss-up at best, meaning that after 2012, Colorado's Hickenlooper may be the lone Democratic governor in the inner West.

But before the GOP becomes overconfident, it should remember that historically, independent minded westerners swing back and forth. In Colorado for example, about a third of registered voters are registered as unaffiliated. And significant numbers of those registered Republican or Democrat have shown a willingness to cross over.

Hickenlooper, a former Denver mayor, avoided the red tide sweeping the West and the nation in 2010, garnering 51 percent of the vote. Though popular in heavily Democratic Denver, his victory was far from assured until Colorado Republicans nominated little known businessman and Tea Party favorite Dan Maes, who had never before run for office. (read more)

A source close to former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson confirmed to Fox News that the will announce his intention to seek the GOP presidential nomination on the steps of the New Hampshire state Capitol in Concord at 9 a.m. April 21st. Johnson will not create an exploratory committee but launch right into the campaign.

If Johnson meets the requirements, the same source has confirmed to Fox News the soon-to-be candidate's desire to participate in the first GOP presidential debate in South Carolina on May 5. That debate will be hosted by the South Carolina GOP and Fox News Channel.

Gary Johnson, a former Governor of New Mexico, is known as a libertarian with a small government philosophy. He vetoed more than 700 pieces of legislation during his two terms as governor.