This post sort of reminds me of one I made several years ago about Ron Paul. I ran into Congressman Paul in the Commons House Office building in DC while visiting my congressman (Jay Inslee) and told Mr. Paul that if he ran for president, I would support him. He laughed and then punched me in the face while DC Police tazed me repeatedly (I made up that part) but I only meant it as a compliment because I liked him so much but I knew he was not really electable.
Even among his relative popularity (New York Times best seller list, on Jay Leno, huge rallies) it was more about educating people about the role of liberty in their lives and exciting people about things that make this country awesome....like true tolerance, personal freedom and responsibility, and uh...junk like that. But Ron is a congressman. He has never governed. While idealistic and provocative, some of his ideas don't always translate easily into action. People want action, which makes non-intervention a challenge when so much of the action needs to be rolling back the harm that has been done over the years.
Allow me to introduce to you Gary Johnson. Gary Johnson was governor of New Mexico for 8 years. He ran as a Republican in a state that is largely Democrat dominated. He governed in a border state and promoted immigration. He lowered taxes. He left the state government with fewer employees than when he started without firing a single one. He reduced the priority of enforcing silly and expensive drug laws. He's a normal guy that has to force himself to sound like a politician. He angered his own party and was called “America’s most dangerous politician”. He is a libertarian. For me personally I agree with Gary Johnson more than I do Ron Paul on a number of key issues.
Gary Johnson is interested in running for president. He has written a book and started a public advocacy committee which is customary when you're trying to raise your name recognition while pretending you’re not running for president. Sadly, with all the early primaries you have to prepare for the next election before President Obama and his family celebrates their first Christmas in the White House. So it has begun.
I plan to support Governor Gary Johnson for president if he decides to run and I don't care if he is able to win or not. Lots of people run, but only one wins. It’s been shown over and over again that many of those who lose, can make a larger impact than those who win.
I've already stated that I believe President Obama will be re-elected no matter what happens in 2010. For me, the important thing is to put someone on the national stage who can give America confidence in freedom again.
5 comments:
Great post!
According to http://www.JohnsonForAmerica.com, Gary Johnson was also known for:
* Vetoing 750 bills (more than all the vetoes of the other 49 Governors combined).
* Reducing taxes $123 million annually.
* Cutting the rate of government growth in half.
* Eliminating the state’s budget deficit.
* Leaving the state government with 1200 fewer employees (without firing anyone).
* Leaving the state government with all-time high bond ratings.
* Enacting major welfare reform, which cut government welfare spending by 30%.
* Shifting state Medicaid to managed care.
* Bringing the New Mexico state government and the Navajo nation leadership together to finally resolve century-old disputes over water, gaming, and other issues.
* Privatizing half of the prisons in the state.
* Shooting down campaign finance legislation.
* Increasing the percentage of the budget devoted to improving the state’s education system.
* Repealing the Little Davis-Bacon Act, thereby allowing non-unionized labor the ability to be employed in construction of new schools and other public works.
* Overseeing the construction of 500 miles of new, four-lane highway (designed, financed, built, and guaranteed by the private sector).
* Running 100% positive campaigns, never mentioning his opponents once in print or ads.
* Coming from outside of politics with no political machine behind him to beat a former Republican Governor in the Republican primaries and then unseat an incumbent Democrat Governor in the general election by a 10 point victory margin, even at a time when Democrats outnumbered Republicans 2-1 in the state.
without firing a single one?
wow, every single govt employee in NM must really do a good job and is totally honest with taxpayer money.
the Ron Paul revolution was never about paul. it was about the ideas.
that is the difference between this movement and the others.
i'll look into this johnson guy.
I might qualify that...none were fired for the purpose of downsizing government...I think they called it "managed attrition."
and yes Gino...all gov't employees are honest and ethical...you and I both know that!
I know lots of state employees as it's kind of my job (though I'm not one)
so he's a govt worker union patsy,then.
"oh, no. i wont eliminate any of your unnecesary positions. i'll let you retire with the golden handshake when you feel good and ready"
half a loaf...
Well, I don't know how it works in NM, but I can tell you in WA that if our governor wanted to cut out complete agencies (ha ha, remember this is a thought experiment) she couldn't do it if the agency was written into law. Management attrition might be the only backdoor way of doing it.
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