Ron Paul Supporters:Your Candidate is Out of the Race, But That Hardly Means Libertarians Have No One to Vote For
In case you missed it Wednesday, #WhoIsGaryJohnson was trending nationally on Twitter. Since Ron Paul ruled out a third party run, Johnson's popularity has been increasing rapidly. People from all walks of life are stopping to take a moment and see what Gary is about. That's right, I call him Gary. He seems like a regular guy to me. He's not hiding behind a facade of politics and pandering. So why do I still read and hear comments everyday from people saying, "Who is Gary Johnson?"
Well, to be fair, he's getting the Ron Paul treatment from the two major candidates. They don't want to share a stage with him because he can truly share the stage with them. He agrees and disagrees with both parties on major topics. When I say that everyone will benefit from a Gary Johnson win, I mean it. They don't want you to know that if you have a major issue that can be resolved with common sense and, then he probably falls in your favor, regardless of your party affiliation. Let's take a look at some of the issues, shall we?
First, let's see what Gary says to all of you left leaning voters.
"Government should not impose its values upon marriage. It should allow marriage equality, including gay marriage. It should also protect the rights of religious organizations to follow their beliefs."
2. On abortion:
"Life is precious and must be protected. A woman should be allowed to make her own decisions during pregnancy until the point of viability of a fetus."
Immediately, the hard right voters are turned off and the liberals are saying, hey that's one smart fellow! That's right Democrats, Gary Johnson thinks it's a woman's right to choose and that marriage should not be limited to a heterosexual relationship.
So what about a couple of key conservative talking points?
1. On gun rights:
“The government cannot pick and choose which of our constitutional rights it must uphold. That applies to the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms. It means what it says -- and for good reason. Restricting gun rights, whether at the federal, state or local levels, results only in denying rights to law-abiding citizens while leaving criminals, while and those who would do us harm free to do what they do: Break the law.”
"[T]oday, government has created for itself sweeping powers to monitor the private lives of individuals and otherwise intrude upon our daily activities, our households and our businesses. The extent of the government’s reach today would be unrecognizable to the Founders."
Not bad right? Sounds reasonable to me. These unusual stances are exactly why neither party wants to claim him. They are also the very reasons why you must vote for him. In a day and age when Americans everywhere are begging for politicians to work across the aisle and compromise, Gary Johnson is the only candidate for president that openly says to America, "I am a walking talking bi-partisan compromise."
So what about the major issues facing the candidates in this election? Gary held a virtual town hall last night at www.garyjohnson2012.com. I managed to jot down a few notes. I will be paraphrasing him on the following topics.
On the NDAA and internet privacy:
The NDAA allows warrantless search and monitoring. I would never have signed the Act as it was written. There is nothing that I want the government to fix when it comes to the internet. I think citizens have everything to fear from the government.
On unemployment:
I believe that the private sector is a job-creating machine when it is not buried underneath miles of federal regulations. By implementing the Fair Tax, corporate taxes would disappear. I believe that would provide incentive for companies to return from overseas and create jobs right here.
On foreign policy:
I will bring our troops home. We will not go to war without a proper declaration and only in real defense of our national security.
On transparency:
How about a president that will stand in front of you and tell you what is being kept from you? As the SCOTUS says regarding pornography, I can't define it but when I see it, I know what it is. That is how I will know what truly should be kept under wraps. My administration will be the most transparent we have ever seen.
On oil:
We do not get our oil from the Middle East. We have more oil than we can refine at this time, and in 2016 we will be a net exporter of oil.
On quiz taking:
Ask everyone to take the online quiz at www.isidewith.com.
Seriously, he said that. He loves the quiz from the gang at ISideWith.
Finally, Gary Johnson said it best at his most recent Ask Me Anything event on reddit.com in response to this question:
Q: How do you intend to break the mold of bipartisanship? Most of America really believes someone can only be either Republican or Democrat and there are no alternatives.
A: I am more liberal than Obama, and more conservative than Romney. I think most Americans fall into this category. Where are they being represented?
Who Is Gary Johnson?
