Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, who started turning heads when he came in third in this year’s CPAC straw poll, has become the first major Republican candidate to officially jump into the 2012 presidential race. He announced his candidacy on the steps of the New Hampshire state capitol this morning, saying:
Let’s talk about America.
Today’s mess didn’t just happen. We elected it — one senator, member of Congress and president at a time. Our leaders in Washington, DC, have ‘led’ America to record unemployment, a devalued currency, banking scandals, the mortgage crisis, drug crisis, economic crisis, loss of our nation’s industrial might – and a long list of other reminders our nation is way off course. Why am I telling you this? Because America is better than this. And because I can help fix it.I’m a fix-it man.Before I was governor of New Mexico, I started a one-man fix-it business that I grew into an American dream with more than a thousand employees. My formula for success was simple. I showed up on time, did what I said what I’d do, and knew what I was doing. I did the same thing as governor, exactly. Within two terms, I’d eliminated New Mexico’s budget deficit and cut the rate of state government growth in half while reducing the state workforce by over 10%, without laying off a single qualified state worker. Saying no to waste, corruption and political games is easier than you think. During my two terms I vetoed 750 pieces of bad, unnecessary and wasteful legislation, and used the line-item veto to save millions of dollars. I was called “Governor Veto,” and accepted that nickname proudly.America needs a ‘President Veto’ right now – someone who will say ‘no’ to insane spending and stop the madness that has become Washington. That’s why I am here today to announce that I’m running for President of the United States. And I don’t do so lightly. President Obama is about to raise and spend $1 billion in a reelection campaign to keep America on the track it’s already on. I would ask: How much more of this track can we stand? How much more financial stress can we handle? How high do taxes have to go? How much deficit is too much? How much more of the Bill of Rights do we have to lose before we say not just no, but HELL NO?It’s time to put one of our own in the White House. I have the qualifications, the ability and the know-how to do the job. I also have a track record. I’ll do what I say I’ll do. I look at the rest of the field running for president, and that song by The Who comes to mind. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. You know the one. We ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again.’ What’s the definition of insanity? It is to keep doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcome.I’m ready for a different America. I’m ready for the day when a person can build a good life on a decent income, and we can take our government at its word – when people have more to smile about. I’m ready for peace and prosperity and some American dreaming. I’m ready for America to be AMERICA again. Our current president will not lead us there. None of the professional Washington set will. We have to get there on our own.I’m here in New Hampshire today because I can – and will — do a better job for you as president. I’m optimistic about our chances. Winning freedom is what America does.We’ve got this.
While the media has given him much of his air time on account of his pro-marijuana legalization views, his new website, GaryJohnson2012.com, shows a far more rounded libertarian-conservative campaign, emphasizing budget issues, the debt, entitlements, taxes, monetary policy, and school choice. On his website, he dubs himself “The People’s President,” with the motto, “When Gary Johnson goes to Washington, everyone does.”
Gary has given every indication of making New Hampshire the tip of his electoral spear, commenting on Twitter post-announcement: “I love retail politics, and I won’t be out-worked in New Hampshire.” Gary showed no indication of worrying about his like-minded political ally, Ron Paul, also wading into the race, commenting that he’s looking forward to having two people championing libertarian principles in the debates.
If you’re not too familiar with who Governor Johnson is, check out this supporter-created video that the Governor posted on the front page of his campaign website:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boHvCmRm3SQ[/youtube]
April 21st, 2011 at 10:17 am
I donated this morning, but I really wish he’d pick a picture of himself to put front and center on his page that doesn’t look like he’s constipated.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:30 am
“When Gary Johnson goes to Washington, everyone does.”
Hey, I like that saying!
April 21st, 2011 at 10:30 am
He had an opportunity to be a serious candidate until he painted himself as the pot guy as his first impression.
There were a number of writers on this job who took him seriously a year ago. Now, this post will probably garner few additional comments, and Gary has himself to blame.
There may be time to turn it around, but a first impression is typically impossible to shed.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:38 am
Breaking: Atlas Shrugged movie expands from 299 theaters to 428 for this weekend:
http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/theaters
Limited only by copies of the movie available. Soon coming to 1000 theaters!
April 21st, 2011 at 10:39 am
His website lists a grand total of four issues: the deficit, economy/taxes, education, and legalizing drugs. The first two are really kind of the same issue.
So that’s Johnson’s three legged stool: the economy, education, and pot.
Color me severely underwhelmed. Maybe Gary’s hoping if everyone is smoking pot we won’t care as much about the other issues.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:43 am
We’re still awaiting the first major candidate.
If Daniels doesn’t run, I would be attracted to Johnson, but I doubt I would give him serious consideration — I’m not going to waste my time with someone who can’t win.
Shut up about pot, Gary!
April 21st, 2011 at 10:49 am
I consider Pawlenty and Romney as already in since about a month ago.
And don’t know why they do not have the guts to just officially announce it like Johnson. Do they think they’re fooling anybody?
April 21st, 2011 at 10:55 am
So the answers to America’s problems are to get high? No thanks.
April 21st, 2011 at 10:59 am
Matt,
Johnson just released his website. It’s obviously going to be fleshed out more and more in the coming weeks. Four issue pages isn’t bad to start with, considering the competition:
Newt Gingrich’s 2012 website lists zero issue positions.
Herman Cain’s 2012 website lists zero issue positions.
Rick Santorum’s 2012 website lists zero issue positions.
Mitt Romney’s 2012 website lists zero issue positions–just a picture of his face.
Tim Pawlenty’s 2012 website lists five issue positions–well, technically, he just lists five issues…and then gives a bunch of links to articles where voters can try to glean where Pawlenty stands on the issues.
Not only is Johnson the only candidate with the balls to just come out with it and make it official, he’s also the only candidate with the balls to actually post real issue position statements online.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:08 am
Josiah,
I agree with most of what you said. However, TPAW’s website has what his positions are on the Budget Deal, and even more importantly now on the Debt Ceiling, right there in black N white.
Romney gives us nothing on these two issues, one issue is behind us and the other issue ,the Debt Ceiling, is closing in on us fast.
Romney…where are you on the Debt Ceiling issue?
Mitt..where are you???
April 21st, 2011 at 11:11 am
“So the answers to America’s problems are to get high? No thanks.”
BINGO!
Gary Johnson is the last person I’d vote for for President – and that includes Barack Obama. We have many problems in this country, and our drug policies have not been as successful as we would like.
But anyone who believes the answer is to make it easier, cheaper, safer, and more appealing to get stoned senseless has no business anywhere near the White House.
Marijuana used somewhat responsibly MIGHT be safer than alcohol used recklessly – but the effects of moderate use of alcohol are no worse than those of moderate use of marijuana. Further, while we all know LOTS of people who might have one or two drinks to relax or participate in a social environment (that is to say, they don’t drink to get blackout drunk), I have yet to meet a recreational pot user who does it for any reason OTHER than to get high.
Sure, there are some people who go about normal, responsible, contributing lives who happen to smoke pot – but by and large, my experience with people who smoke pot is that they are far from the model citizen. It wasn’t the stoners in my high school at the top of the honor roll.
The more time more people spend getting high – no matter what drug it is – the worse off our country, our society, and our families will be.
and you can’t legalize pot without eventually being forced to legalize hard drugs.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:14 am
Wait until the debates start, the pot thing will be the only thing they ask Gary, if they ask him any questions at all.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:20 am
First in, first out.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:20 am
TPAW’s position on the Debt Ceiling…..like it or don’t like it but there it is.
http://www.timpawlenty.com/articles/pawlenty-argues-against-raising-the-debt-ceiling
Hey Mitt,
What is your position?
Hey Romney supporters, what is your guys position on the raising of the Debt Ceiling?
I’m waiting…just like I did on the Budget Deal Compromise.
Waiting.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:23 am
Matthew Kilburn,
Including Ron Paul, even?
April 21st, 2011 at 11:25 am
By the way – the fact that Johnson skipped the exploratory phase and announced and put positions on his site right awat indicated nothing except that he is not that serious of a candidate.
The reason candidates go into the exploratory phase first (during which time they rarely post positions on the web) is to allow them to build up an organization before a formal announcement that gives them lots of good press and is followed by a major campaign tour.
Johnson is in this to argue for a few select positions – including that we should turn a blind eye to millions more Americans getting stoned rather than being productive citizens – not to win the Presidency.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:26 am
“Including Ron Paul, even?”
Ron Paul’s isolationism is a dangerous policy for America at a time when you have rising powers – including china and russia – hungry to carve out their own considerable spheres of power that would likely be very hostile to our values and our interests.
If America pulls back from the world, who do you think fills the void?
April 21st, 2011 at 11:33 am
I can just see Gov. Romney or Huckabee giving a detailed answer in a debate and then being cut off by the moderator….”sorry Govenor, but we have to ask Gary Johnson a question about pot.”
This man does nothing to help the increasing circus (read: Trump) like feel the early primary process is taking. And you know how the media just loves sideshows
April 21st, 2011 at 11:38 am
Alvin,
Oh, I’m sure the establishment’s pet candidates, like Romney and Huckabee, will be waxing sooo eloquent and in such great detail about the real issues of the day, and not just giving 30-second canned responses that only vaguely swing at the questions the moderator asks them (like they usually do).
April 21st, 2011 at 11:42 am
Respectfully, I think you guys are missing the point on the pot thing. Yes, he wants to legalize marijuana. He also wants to balance the budget through massive spending cuts and give us that humble foreign policy we were promised years ago. In short, he wants to give us small government — and with hundreds of vetoes to his name, he has a record of fighting for this, even saying “no” to his own party.
The GOP has zero credibility with swing voters when it comes to fiscal discipline… for good reason. We’re not going to change this by nominating another cookie-cutter Republican.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:43 am
“Oh, I’m sure the establishment’s pet candidates, like Romney and Huckabee, will be waxing sooo eloquent and in such great detail about the real issues of the day, and not just giving 30-second canned responses that only vaguely swing at the questions the moderator asks them (like they usually do).”
Those 30 second swings (which are really all the debates and the average attention span are fit for anyway) are infinately better than an hour long speech about how we need more people to start using weed.
We have a drug problem in this country. Our current policies have not worked as well as they should. But Johnson’s policies do not begin from the sole acceptable starting point of “how do we stop/prevent drug use”…and that is all we need to know that his ideas belong on the top of the trash heap.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:46 am
“he wants to give us small government”
Small government in general is good, but when it means abandoning millions of Americans to selfish, consuming, and destructive drug use and turning over our hard-won influence in the world to anti-american, anti-democracy, anti-freedom nations like china and russia…well, thats a few steps too far.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:46 am
19,
LOL, fair enough
I guess I am projecting my hopes for a more substantial debate process this time! I can hope, right?!
April 21st, 2011 at 11:55 am
BenR (20): I totally agree with you. The important issue is small government. Which is why he needs to shut up about pot, so that the real message will be listened to.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:00 pm
If Johnson talks about being the Governor of a purpleish-blue state (executive experience and all) and discusses shrinking the size of government, rather than pot or being an isolationist in foreign affairs, then he could be taken more seriously as a candidate/
April 21st, 2011 at 12:06 pm
#22 Our marijuana policy and our wars in the middle east have been a waste of resources. Sadly, I don’t think our military action has given us any significant influence over china and russia. And marijuana prohibition only turns a self-destructive habit into a source of power and wealth for organized crime. I’ve never used pot, but I have been affected by the black market crime our policy has produced…
Most importantly — the public is going to balk if we propose massive budget cuts that only touch Democrats’ favorite programs.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Matthew Kilburn,
Gary Johnson has never told people to “use more weed.” In fact, he’s said in a hundred different places, that he advocates a “Don’t Do Drugs” policy. He just thinks that, if you do do drugs, taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay to prosecute you and incarcerate you for doing something harmless in the privacy of your own home, when there’s so many pressing (REAL) crimes out there that need the attention of law enforcement resources.
April 21st, 2011 at 12:46 pm
As #25 Jonathan said – if Johnson focuses on bread & butter issues that all Republicans can relate to, with his track record – he could get some legs. That said, pro-life voters WILL be skeptical of Johnson. He needs to be clearer on that issue for pro-life voters, i.e. would he support attempts to defund Planned Parenthood? Would he appoint Judges who’d overturn Roe (He says he would here)? Would he re-institute the Mexico City policy? Would he veto other pro-life legislation? These are questions pro-life voters will ask, and I don’t blame them. I just wonder how he’ll respond.
April 21st, 2011 at 1:10 pm
#27: Don’t bother with Kilburn. He has zero ability to comprehend the difference between “legal” and “moral.”
April 21st, 2011 at 4:38 pm
That’s funny, Metro. Your moral compass is so screwed up you couldn’t make it out the front door relying on it.
April 21st, 2011 at 6:53 pm
He should have announced on 4/20. That would have been much more interesting.
April 21st, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Stephen,
Perhaps by your standards, but I have a feeling Metro’s “moral compass” is the least screwed up of anyone on this thread.
April 22nd, 2011 at 1:19 am
Come to think of it, your moral compass is screwed up as well, Josiah. This is why I never trust a Libertarian.
April 22nd, 2011 at 9:35 am
Actually, I don’t even have a moral compass.
The concept of “universal morality” isn’t even cognitively coherent.
April 22nd, 2011 at 5:42 pm
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