We all know what happened.  It's all over the Internet.  The best part for we Libertarians is just sitting back and watching EVERYONE ELSE NOT KNOW WHAT ALEPPO IS EITHER, whilst they troll Gary for his gaffe.  It also makes it better for our cause that this has actually boosted Johnson's presence in the media and online.  

In making fun of him and trying to discredit him as a candidate, the liberal and conservative corporate-controlled media in fact exposed Gary Johnson to people who didn't used to know who he is.  Now millions are looking him up and discovering that, unlike Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Governor Gary Johnson is neither psychotic, nor an arrogant power-hungry sociopath.

The most personally entertaining part of this mass media episode has been watching the New York Times repeatedly sticking its foot in its mouth while trying to make fun of him.  Gary only needed to make one correction.  The NYT's had to make at least two.  Well done, jackasses.  (Word to the wise; before you decide a target is fair game, you'd best have your ducks in a row).

It's been incredibly refreshing to see how honest and repentant Gary has been over this.  It truly speaks to his character.  Donald Trump has a history of stiffing employees and partners and not paying his bills.  Hillary Clinton has a history of shadiness that makes Dick Nixon look like the Eagle Scout in Norman Rockwell's paintings.  Gary Johnson is apologizing and saying that there's no excuse for not knowing that.

In other words, 'I was misinformed, I feel like I made a big mistake, and I'm sorry.'  

For starters, this is a non-issue.  He knows very well the dynamics of the Syrian Civil War, including the foreign interventions and the ISIS factor.  Better yet, Rare's Jack Hunter points out that Trump didn't know what Brexit was, and Hillary didn't  know the (C) on government documents means CLASSIFIED.  

Nonetheless, seeing Gary's honesty and self-deprecation shows the world how much character he has.  You'd never see Trump or Clinton apologizing for their major screw ups, let alone insignificant gaffes like this one.  That's why Gary's support has increased.

My favorite quote about this so far comes from LP California Vice Chair Brian Thiemer, who says "My candidate forgot what Aleppo is.  Your candidate caused Aleppo."  Most LP members heartily agree, and Jack Hunter can back that up.  In a nutshell, Hillary Clinton not only contributed to the rise of ISIS by stalwartly supporting the 2003 Iraq invasion (which actually bought Al Qaeda into Iraq).  Next, Hillary was the head cheerleader for arming the Syrian rebel militias.  Thousands of those weapons and rebels are now either in the hands of radical Islamists or in the hands of ISIS.  (Thanks for arming ISIS, Hillary!)

Now, Hillary wants a no-fly-zone over Syria so the US government can have an excuse to escalate the current proxy war with Russia in Syria.  Thanks, Hillary, but no thanks. And then of course, Donald Trump so eloquently sums up his foreign policy in two sentences: "Bomb the crap out of them.  I don't care."

How's Gary Johnson doing after that gaffe?  For starters, the reporter who asked that question has come to his defense, The Young Turks saw a benefit for his campaign, and they loved him on The View.  I'm sure the New York Times totally planned on making him more popular.  

People can go ahead and make fun of the good Governor.  He's still my candidate and still worlds above Hillary and Trump in executive experience, in integrity, honesty, and emotional intelligence.

As far as the folks attacking Johnson over this, I'm glad to know they were already a subject matter expert on the City of Aleppo and on the Syrian Civil War, in the dynamics of the various armies and militias fighting over the city, in the details of the refugee crisis, humanitarian relief efforts underway, what important water route near Aleppo that armies have been fighting over for centuries, and where Aleppo is on the map.  We're also assuming they didn't have to Google it at all.

Cheers.