Maybe it is because he’s the new kid on the block and Ron Paul has the loyalty of most freedom-oriented GOPers, but I’m a bit surprised that Gov. Gary Jonson has not attracted more support.
Here’s a video, newly released, featuring an interview with Glenn Reynolds (aka, Instapundit).
The people who read this blog are probably his target audience. Do you like Gary Johnson, or not? And why?
I do like Gary Johnson. He seems to come from a very honest, down-to-earth, no-nonsense perspective. The Economist article says he’s so level-headed he almost seems libertarian by coincidence. I love the things he says about how the wars have gone on too long and must end, that the deficit is a genuine issue that must be handled by budget cuts and not tax hikes. Better yet I believe he would actually make an honest effort to repair these situations if he were in office.
780ish vetoes in his time as governor… he walks the small government talk.
Gary is great. I like that both him and Ron are out there. Gary is more the consequentialist libertarian and Ron is more the deontological libertarian. Gary also has more governing experience. I think that the media blackout of Gary has doomed his chances though. At this point I’m hoping for Ron to win and to pick Gary as a running mate, although they have major differences on abortion so I don’t know if Ron would pick him.
He’s my first choice for the GOP nomination. He understands budgets, has executive experience, and looks at governing not as a way to get control and recognition, but as a way to build a better, more free nation.
Gary, Ron, I support them both. The more voices the better for now. I wish Gary had better financing so he could been more active before NH. Ron and Gary together on a ticket and elected? Wow, what a dream!
Gary Johnson I prefer over Ron Paul for what I consider his better credentials, private & public executive experience.
I like Johnson, he has solid executive experience, but I still see some problems with him. This article sums it up well: http://www.libertarianstandard.com/2011/05/25/somin-on-gary-johnson-and-ron-paul-a-reply/
1. Openness to “humanitarian wars”
2. Iffy-ness on the Federal Reserve
3. Support for keeping Guantanomo Bay open.
Also, I’ve read that he is only in support of legalizing marijuana. Why not all drugs?
Despite all of these, I think he’s still a solid candidate. I hope he runs again and the media doesn’t completely ignore him.
I wonder if the media is afraid to have two small government, individual liberty and freedom candidates on the stage together. It might actually legitimize that message. But that’s exactly what we need. If Gov Johnson could do for the country what he did for New Mexico in his two terms as governor, we would be much closer to recovering from the decades of corruption. As Gov Johnson has stated “Today’s mess didn’t just happen. We elected it – one senator, member of Congress and president at a time”. I think it’s time for us to fix the mess.
Governor Johnson is the most fiscally conservative candidate in the field. He’s the only candidate that wants to implement the “FairTax” and the only candidate that promises to submit a balanced budget in his first year in office. The mainstream media has instilled a blackout on his campaign because of his social views. They know in a match up with Obama there would be mass defections of Democrats and Independents and therefore would ruin the upcoming narrative of 2012, which will be Obama vs the “Republican Right-Wing Nut Job.”
[…] See the article here: Gary Johnson, Freedom, and the GOP « International Liberty […]
It’s a lousy job and we need someone that can do it better than we’ve had. Governor Johnson would be a breath of fresh air. Solid little “r” republican and without the baggage of the annoying accolytes that Ron Paul brings. Nothing wrong with being annoying, but his followers tend to make Ron Paul not be taken seriously.
He has been trying to get traction in the left-wing progressive network and paper media. They won’t give him the time of day, since he would be adored by most Americans. We need to give him visibility via the net. Send him to your list and advocate that your list does the same.
[…] I’m also surprised that Gary Johnson didn’t attract more support. And I’m baffled that the GOP establishment kept him out of the debates. That decision drove […]