VIDEO: Gary Johnson Will Join TV Debate

As reported yesterday by Howard Kurtz in the Daily Beast, Gary Johnson is poised to get some national street cred as he joins the Sept. 22 FOX News televised debate:

"Gary Johnson, the Republican presidential candidate who has labored in obscurity, is about to get his moment in the spotlight—for one night, at least.

Johnson will be included in Thursday’s Fox News debate in Orlando, the first time he will share a stage with his eight rivals—over the objections of the Florida Republican Party.

The former New Mexico governor won the right to participate, according to Fox sources, by cracking 1 percent in the latest five national polls in which he was included—Fox News, CNN, McClatchy-Marist, ABC, and Quinnipiac—which was the criterion the network had set for inclusion."

It's no secret that historically candidates on the left and right have mostly been anxious to put a majority of their eggs into New Hampshire's campaign trail basket, due to our first-in-the-nation Primary.

While Michele Bachmann, for example, has been criticized for her lack of presence here, Johnson has so far spent conspicuously more time in New Hampshire than any of the other candidate, visiting the Granite State 54 times over the past nine months, according to online candidate tracker P2012.

Johnson said he understands overnight success in New Hampshire is really a matter of hard work on the campaign trail. Will it turn out to be his "Advance to Go" card? [see video of Johnson at the Sept. 18 GOP Steak Out.]

Johnson will be back in a few weeks for a six-day, 458-mile bike ride across the state on Oct. 5-11, 2011. His “Ride for Freedom” will begin in Milford and end in Manchester, with stops along the way to talk with residents and participate in town hall meetings.

Whether Johnson can come from behind and win the hearts and minds of America at this stage of the race remains to be seen, but he deserves an A for effort, at least in New Hampshire's book.

See Gary Johnson's official reaction to being invited to the (TV)party(debate) here.