United Liberty

Gary Johnson, Honorary Chairman of the Our America Initiative and former Governor of New Mexico, is getting some press. ABC News notes that he is taking on the status-quo in his own party:

“All the other candidates— all the other suspects …  if you put a piece of cardboard over their caricature and did some voiceover on what it is they were saying, they would all sound alike,” said Johnson.

So how does Johnson, who was recently in New Hampshire and is headed back soon, differ from the mainline Republican candidates who are weighing a presidential run?

He wants all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. He thinks the U.S. should never have gone into Iraq. And he thinks it’s time for the U.S. to begin treating marijuana the same way it does tobacco and alcohol.
[…]
One area where Johnson could find common cause with conservatives is on the issue of spending: during his eight years as governor from 1994-2002, Johnson held down spending by vetoing 750 bills — more than all the vetoes of the other 49 governors combined. Conservatives might also like his stance on taxes: similar to Steve Forbes, the Republican he backed for president in 2000, Johnson would like the U.S. to adopt a flat tax.

Citing a Monday story in USA Today which reported that a rash of retirements in 2009 is pushing Social Security to the brink, Johnson, a 57-year old marathon runner who has scaled Mt. Everest, said the retirement age needs to be raised perhaps to 70 or 72.

“This is the reality, we’re broke,” said Johnson.  “We’re broke.”

Jesse Benton, Senior VP of Campaign for Liberty, recently discussed the presidential prospect of Ron Paul in 2012 with Kurt Wallace of Liberty Pulse.

Here is what Benton told Liberty Pulse:

If the answer had to be made today, it would be “no,” but he is considering it very strongly and there is a decent likelyhood that he will. A lot of it depends on things going on in his personal life and also what’s going on in the country.

So, everyone out there that wants him to run, and I am one of them, I encourage them to politely but energetically let him know you’d really like to see it happen.

There you have it. The next presidential is just around the corner and there is likely to be a few candidates that the liberty movement may be able to get behind, such as Gary Johnson or Joe Scarborough.

What do you think?

Our friends over at the Cato Institute recently talked with former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson about the Our America Initiative. You can take a listen to it below or stream it here. And in case you missed it, you can listen to UL’s own podcast with Gov. Johnson here.

In a press release through the Our America Initiative, Gary Johnson is taking aim at those making foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan:

Gary Johnson, former Republican Governor of New Mexico, and Honorary Chairman of OUR America Initiative joins with all Americans in thanking the troops for their service and efforts. “I want to send our well wishes to those men and women in the armed services that protect our liberties and freedoms” said Johnson.

Johnson supports a strong defense for the protection of all Americans. Governor Johnson became one the highest-ranking Republicans to speak out early against the war in Iraq, calling the engagement an unjust cause. “The war in Iraq was an unneeded involvement by the U.S., he stated. “ I look forward to the time when our troops will be returning home.”

Governor Johnson has also been a strong advocate of the war on terrorism but has been critical of the war in Afghanistan. “Our efforts should be directed towards protecting U.S. citizens and our allies from terrorism.  We are at war with Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. I am very concerned about the direction and focus of our continued involvement in Afghanistan,” Johnson said.

You can read the full release here.

The Politico wonders whether Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico and Honory Chairman of the Our America Initiative, could be the next Ron Paul:

He said he’s uncertain about what exactly they stand for out of fear that he “may not get that right.” But without prompting, the former governor brings up the hot-button issue of immigration — an issue on which he takes a far less restrictive view than many on the populist right.

Word about Johnson is already circulating among grass-roots activists. A handful of draft-style websites have popped up to urge him to consider a presidential bid. And some tea party leaders say they like what they see.

Citing the five limited-government principles that adorn the side of the Tea Party Express buses, Joe Wierzbicki, a national coordinator for the Tea Party Express group, noted that Johnson is in agreement with the group on those issues and had a record to back it up.

“He championed personal liberty and a smaller, less intrusive government, and we applaud both his record and his efforts to continue his fight at the national level,” said Wierzbicki, adding that Johnson has “generated a lot of excitement in the Ron Paul constitutionalist and libertarian sect, which is furious about the policies of both Bush and Obama and the Congress of the last three sessions.”

I’ve said it before, Gary Johnson would be my pick for president in 2012. The Cato Institute wrote about him in their bi-annual Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors just before his final term ended:

In a press release today, Gary Johnson, former New Mexico governor and honorary chairman of the recently launched Our America Initiative, weighed in on the health care reform. He had this to say:

There seems to be enormous pressure to resolve this matter quickly regardless of the ramifications. The proposed health care plan could have long lasting detrimental consequences to our economic health.  We don’t need more of a deficit –we need less of one.  I urge the Senate to take the time needed to seriously review these potential concerns and not rush to pass this faulty plan.

He further commented, stating that, along with most of us in the liberty movement, his support lies with free-market reforms that promote private sector management of health care.  As many agree, the system is in need of repair, he noted that reform should focus on “affordability, portability, and control by the individual rather than government or an employer.”

To hear more from Gov. Johnson about economic issues, check out this video from the Our American Initiative.

Someone tell this guy to run for President already:

Ron Paul isn’t saying yes to another run for the White House, but he’s not saying no either:

It’s “too early” to say whether Rep. Ron Paul will run again for president, the Texas Republican said Saturday.

The libertarian congressman told a crowd in Iowa, the starting point for a presidential campaign, that he is simply focused on reelection to the House.

“It’s not on my mind, it’s too early, and I will be filing for my congressional seat,” Paul said in an interview with IowaPolitics.com.

“I don’t have any plans made,” he said.

If the first for liberty is going to be a campaign of ideas and not a cult of personality, then it has to move beyond devotion to one man.

So no, I don’t think Ron Paul should run in 2012. He wouldn’t win and, quite honestly, he’d be too old to be President even if he did.

Instead, it’s time to start looking at other candidates, like Gary Johnson.