Gary Johnson - 'a Zen kind of guy' - talks liberty at CPAC

Red Dirt Report ^ | February 11, 2011 | Andrew W. Griffin

[SoonerStorm09]

OKLAHOMA CITY – Could the United States soon have it’s third president with the last name "Johnson"?

Yeah, things didn’t go so well for Andrew Johnson (impeached in 1868) or Lyndon Johnson (left in disgrace 100 years later in 1968) but a growing number of Republicans, conservatives, libertarians and independents are coming around to the “more freedom, less government” message former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has to offer.

Well, while Gov. Johnson (who served from 1995 to 2003) may be a long shot and hasn’t even officially announced his plans to run to run for president, his message of cutting government spending, ending drug prohibition and offering more liberty are really resonating in today’s Tea Party atmosphere.

Johnson, much like fellow libertarian Ron Paul, argues that the current level of spending by the government is unsustainable.

And speaking in a 15-minute slot at CPAC this morning (he was nearly shut out but added at the last minute, much to the chagrin of social conservatives), your Red Dirt Reporter tuned into C-SPAN 2 and took notes during Johnson’s all-too brief speech. It was enlightening and important, particularly at a conservative event where a lot of the candidates are not talking specifically about how they would slash government.

[SunkenCiv]

...while Gov. Johnson (who served from 1995 to 2003) may be a long shot and hasn't even officially announced his plans... his message of cutting government spending, ending drug prohibition and offering more liberty are really resonating in today's Tea Party atmosphere. Johnson, much like fellow libertarian Ron Paul...

[Huck]

I rememeber this guy from when he was governor. I like him, which of course means he has NO chance.

[Fred Hayek]

Gary Johnson was a good governor. He also had to work around Roundhouse Speaker Raymond Sanchez and Senate Leader Manny Aragon (a.k.a. Manny Arrogant). Both were poster children for term limits (and Democrats, of course), and the latter went to prison on corruption charges. On the national level, I have my reservations. He seem a bit extreme isolationist like Ron Paul.

[SoDak]

This is a guy I could easily support.

[Huck]

He seem a bit extreme isolationist .

Which is fine by me but it won't sell with the GOP nationally. The socons and the neocons both demand interventionist foreign policy.

[CedarDave]

NM list PING! Click on the flag to go to the Free Republic New Mexico message page.

(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for anyone to use. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)

[leapfrog0202]

I moved to NM after he was out of office, but do know he left a budget surplus and folks think he did a great job.

My issue with him is his stance on drugs. I do not believe that this nation needs legalized drugs. I listened to him interviewed on the Jim Villanucci show on 770 KKOB in Albuquerque and wasn’t too impressed. He gave fairly short shrift to folks that called and didn’t agree with him and the host was really taking his side which I thought wasn’t right.

Not sure he could sell it on a national stage....