Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson visited South Bend on Wednesday afternoon to address a political science class at Indiana University South Bend and to publicly endorse Joe Ruiz, the Libertarian candidate for Indianas 2nd District seat in the House of Representatives.

Johnson has campaigned on his desire to break a two-party system in American politics, and he reaffirmed this idea Wednesday. As a third-party candidate, he has little chance to win the election and trails his opponents, Democrat President Barack Obama and Republican former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, significantly in polls.

But he is hopeful enough voters will cast ballots for the Libertarian ticket to make him the 45th president of the United States.

Im just hoping that enough people waste their vote on me, Johnson said. If enough people do that, Im the next President of the United States, and Im making a vow that no one will be disappointed by actually electing a leader that will get up and lead what needs to be a raging debate and discussion in this country about all the issues that we face.

The former two-term governor of New Mexico announced in April 2011 he was running for the presidency as a Republican before deciding to seek the Libertarian nomination in Dec. 2011. On May 5, he won the Libertarian Partys official nomination.

Johnson said he can provide an honest assessment to college students of the national challenges that will impact their futures, unlike Obama and Romney.

[I can bring] the truth that we are really in deep trouble in this country and to get out of all this deep trouble, its going to involve mutual sacrifice on the part of all of us, Johnson said. But weve got to engage in this, and right now, young people are being unfairly handed a bill thats never going to get paid.

Johnson said his plan to slash government programs, including Medicare, makes him a viable choice over Obama and Romney. As president, Johnson would repeal the Affordable Care Act and place more control over health care policies in the hands of individual state governments.

Two weeks ago, Obama and Romney are arguing over whos going to spend more money on Medicare, when Medicare has to be slashed, Johnson said. Medicare is a program that you and I put $30,000 into, and we receive a $100,000 benefit. Nothing about Medicare is sustainable. Nothing. And that is indicative of a lot of other government programs.

Just two days after Obama and Romney debated foreign policy, Johnson said his policies abroad also distinguish him from the two front-runners.

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Libertarian speaks at IUSB