Thank You From Gov. Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson 2012

Friends,

The first words I must say to you are THANK YOU.

We made history Tuesday. Thanks to you and thousands of other supporters of real liberty, my running mate, Judge Jim Gray, and I received more votes than any other Libertarian candidates for President and Vice-President in history. Even with the closeness of the contest between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, when all the votes are counted, we will most likely have received 1.2 million votes!

That’s 1.2 million Americans who heard us and voted on the basis of principle over politics. And they did so despite the fact that Romney and Obama spent at least a thousand times more on TV and radio advertising than we did.

Given the outcome Tuesday, which returned the status quo to not only the White House, but also the Congress, we even have supporters already talking proudly of being part of the new “1%” who refused to accept that status quo.

Even more important than Tuesday’s results, with your support, we have built a grassroots organization nationwide that is truly the foundation for carrying our message of individual freedom, small government and non-intervention forward in a big way. Tuesday was not the end. It is the beginning.

We have identified hundreds of thousands of liberty–minded Americans. We have connected with more than a million people on Google+, 300,000 fans on Facebook, and more than 100,000 followers on Twitter. And over the past few days–before and after Tuesday, “Who is Gary Johnson?” was one of the most “searched” phrases on the Internet.

NONE of that has happened without your help. Your time, your energy, and your contributions have placed Liberty squarely on the national stage, and with all signs pointing to a continuation of big government, small liberty policies in Washington DC, the NEED for Liberty to be on that stage will never be greater than in the months ahead.

I am taking a couple of days to recharge my batteries in New Mexico and, frankly, attend to some chores at home — and then I will be picking up the bullhorn again. We already have major national interviews scheduled for next week, and fully intend to use the foundation we have built to make sure we are heard in the critical policy debates that are already raging in the wake of Tuesday’s election.

The “fiscal cliff”, Internet regulation, and of course, events in the Middle East are all going to be dealt with in the weeks ahead – by the status quo government that was reelected Tuesday. It is critical that we not sit on the sidelines.

To make sure we ARE heard going forward, there is much we need to do. We have to pay the final bills for all the work we did leading up to the election. We have a tremendous amount of data collection and list organization to do. We need to update our website and social media pages. And of course, I will be traveling the country to give voice to Liberty. All those tasks, and many more, require funding.

I really want you to be a part of what we will be doing over the next few weeks, and I hope you will go to GaryJohnson2012.com and help make sure we have the funding we need. What we have accomplished with the amount of money we have spent – compared to the so-called “major” party candidates – is nothing short of remarkable. And we are committed to carrying this work forward until the status quo strangle-hold is broken.

Tuesday’s election created a great opportunity for us. Being part of the “1%” that didn’t settle for the lesser of evils or the renewal of the status quo is soon to be a badge we can wear with pride, and more importantly, the foundation for a movement that America desperately needs.

You’ve been with me this far, and I sincerely hope I have earned your support as we look ahead. We have a lot of work to do, and I need your help.

Please go to GaryJohnson2012.com today and make the contribution that will let us take advantage of the amazing opportunities we have created!

Words cannot capture my gratitude for all you have done, for your friendship, and for your dedication to a cause that is REALLY important. We have an exciting future – so let’s get to it!

Sincerely,

Gov. Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson Breaks The 1 Million Vote Mark And The Future Looks Bright For Libertarianism

With the final totals still undecided, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson has so far tallied 1,139,562 votes, good for nearly 1% of the national tally and breaking the previous high of 1980 candidate Ed Clark who received 921,128 or 1.06% of that elections votes.

Now, I was hoping for better as I predicted he would finish with 4%, but given that he was outspent 667-1 by his opponents, who also received 1000 times more media coverage, 1% is not a bad result.

What's even more encouraging is that this election defeat should be the death knell for the neocon/socon wing of the GOP and usher in a new movement toward the libertarian ideals of social tolerance in conjunction with fiscal conservatism.

The movement toward sane fiscal and foreign policy was started by the Ron Paul r3VOLution and turned into the Tea Party but was quickly co-opted by the GOP establishment and soon turned into nothing more than extension of the old guard GOP.

Well now we get to begin again and and get back to the roots of the movement. This time though we need to work the outside the two party paradigm to exert the pressure needed to move our nation in the right direction.

With our friends in the Ron Paul camp who want to work within the GOP to affect change, we libertarians need to also affect change within the Libertarian Party to have it more focused and less fractured by Left and Right Libertarians.

Gary Johnson's positive message of fiscal conservatism and social tolerance needs to be the guiding principle of this new LP. With Governor Johnson as our standard bearer, we can grow the seeds he planted in this election into a new tree of liberty.

United with a common goal we can be that irate, tireless minority that Samuel Adams spoke about and bring an end to the two party stranglehold on our Republic.

The days of the sunshine patriots has passed and we need to work towards rebuilding our fractured nation. The time for division and rhetoric is gone; time and again we have seen that path is a dead end. We need to educate our fellow Americans that there is a better path and that is through smaller government, personal responsibility and acceptance of our differences.

We also need to stand united against Leviathan and it's minions; taking the fight to them and never backing down. We need to, once and for all, shake the mindset that our only choice is the lesser of two evils. Evil is evil and in the end, it is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from it's government regardless of what the snake oil salesmen want us to believe.

The time has come for the next American Revolution and we are the new American Patriots. Let us build together for 2016 and beyond.

Libertas inaestimabilis res est

Via Memeorandum

Gary Johnson At 3% In Final CNN/ORC National Poll

Hot off the interwebz, the latest CNN/ORC Poll has Gary Johnson at 3% among registered voters and 2% among likely voters.

Now while this would fall short of the 5% that the former New Mexico Governor is hoping for, if it holds it would mean somewhere north of 2.5 million votes for the Libertarian Party candidate.

Sadly, because of the media blackout on the Johnson campaign, most Americans will probably hear Gary Johnson's name for the first time on election night when the results are tallied. Little did they know that there was an actual fiscally conservative, socially tolerant candidate on the ballot that will turn out to be the X Factor in the election.

Q Suppose that the Presidential candidates on the ballot in your state included Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's candidate, Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate, Gary Johnson as the Libertarian party candidate, and Jill Stein as the Green party candidate, who would you be more likely to vote for? (IF UNSURE) As of today, who do you lean more toward? (RANDOM ORDER)

Likely Voters Obama Romney Johnson Stein None No Opinion Nov 2-4, 2012 48% 48% 2% 1% * 1% Sept 28-30, 2012 47% 44% 4% 3% 1% 1% Sept 7-9, 2012 51% 43% 3% 1% 1% 1%
Registered Voters Obama Romney Johnson Stein None No Opinion Nov 2-4, 2012 48% 46% 3% 1% 1% 1% Sept 28-30, 2012 47% 43% 4% 3% 2% * Sept 7-9, 2012 50% 41% 4% 2% 1% *

Via Memeorandum

Gary Johnson At 2% In NewsmaxZogby US Nationwide Tracking Poll

JZ Analytics 11/1-11/3

Mitt Romney......... 47%
Barack Obama.... 45%
Gary Johnson....... 2%
Jill Stein............. 1%
Virgil Goode...... <1%

If this is any barometer of how well Gary Johnson finishes, 2% based on 2008 turnout equates to roughly 2,626,000 votes.

Not bad for a candidate running on a shoestring with scant coverage from the lamestream mediots.

Gary Johnson At 5% In CNN/ORC Ohio Poll

With only four days to go before the election, Gary Johnson is still polling well, at 5%, in the Buckeye State according to the latest CNN/ORC Poll.

Barack Obama..... 47%
Mitt Romney...... 44%
Gary Johnson...... 5%
Jill Stein........ 1%
Virgil Goode..... <1%

With over 5.7 million votes cast in the 2008 election, if this trend continues Governor Johnson has a a chance to win 286,000 votes if he stays at this level of support. Also, given his polling numbers across the nation, he should shatter the highest vote total received in a Presidential election by a Libertarian Party candidate which was 921,128 in 1980 by then candidate Ed Clark.

We must do our best in these last few days to get the word out about Gary Johnson and push him over the 5% mark nationally.

Via Memeorandum

Washington Times Opinion - A Suggestion For Republicans: Consider Gary Johnson

Washington Times

This is not an election of Romney vs. Obama. This is anti-Obama vs. anti-Romney. No one really likes either candidate. No one is inspired by either of them. As a Republican, clearly Obama is not on your team, but neither is Romney. Certainly not our team leader.

Both Romney and Obama will drive full speed towards the cliff. The only difference is Obama will drive a little faster, but it's a negligible difference, and certainly not one worth spending energy on.

Our only hope to prevent a bleak dystopian scenario from unfolding is to send a powerful NO!! in the face of the forces that are pushing us there.

Fortunately, we do have a Presidential Candidate running that actually stands for limited government principles: Gary Johnson. And he's got a track record to back it up.

As a two term Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson vetoed 750 bills, which was about 1/3rd of all bills requiring his signature. He held the line on preventing his legislature's intentions for government's size, reach, and cost to grow, and that's how he was able to cut taxes 14 times while leaving New Mexico with a balanced budget and a healthy growing economy.

Most importantly, Gary Johnson is ideologically principled to protecting your life and liberty. Gary Johnson stands for everything the Tea Party represents. He is the ideal Tea Party candidate. His slogan is Live Free. He doesn't just speak it, he's backs it up, and he's taken some very bold stands that has caused him to be pushed out of the Republican Party by the mainstream establishment that has been running things.

It is that same mainstream establishment that led the Republican Party to its death in 2008. It was the Republican fight AGAINST the mainstream establishment that brought the wave of excitement to sweep up in 2010. It is that entrenched mainstream establishment that has to go if our country has any chance. Gary Johnson is the vehicle to help you accomplish that.

Read the rest here.

Gary Johnson At 5% In New CNN/ORC Colorado Poll

With less than a week before the election, Gary Johnson is still holding his own in Colorado in the latest CNN/ORC Poll.

Think about this for a moment, in 2008 almost 2.3 million people went to the polls in The Centennial State and if Governor Johnson pulls 4% he will come close to the 92,000 vote mark, having received nearly 53,000 more votes there than all of the 2008 3rd party candidates combined.

Not too shabby.

Q Suppose that the Presidential candidates on the ballot in your state included Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's candidate, Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate, Gary Johnson as the Libertarian party candidate, Jill Stein as the Green party candidate and Virgil Goode as the Constitution Party candidate who would you be more likely to vote for? - (IF UNSURE) As of today, who do you lean more toward? (RANDOM ORDER)

October 26-31 Obama Romney Johnson Stein Goode None No Opinion Likely Voters 48% 47% 4% 1% * * * Registered Voters 51% 41% 5% 1% 1% 1% 1%
* less than 1%

Gary Johnson At 5% In Latest Albuquerque Journal New Mexico Poll

Albuquerque Journal

President Barack Obama has held on to his lead over Republican Mitt Romney in the presidential contest in New Mexico, running 9 points ahead of the former Massachusetts governor in a Journal Poll concluded 12 days before the Nov. 6 election.

The Democratic president had 50 percent support in the statewide survey of likely voters and those who had already voted, compared with 41 percent backing Romney.

Obama picked up 1 percentage point and Romney gained 2 points in the Oct. 23-25 Journal Poll, compared with the Journal Poll conducted Oct. 9-11.

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson had support of 5 percent of likely New Mexico voters in the latest Journal Poll, compared with 6 percent in the previous survey.

Johnson factor

Johnson, who was a Republican during his two terms as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, took slightly more support from Republicans – 5 percent of whom said they would vote for him – than from Democrats, 2 percent of whom expressed support for him in the Journal Poll.

Independent voters were Johnson’s largest bloc of support, with 12 percent of these voters saying they preferred him over Romney or Obama.

Chattanooga Times Free Press Endorses Gary Johnson For President

Chattanooga Times Free Press

For more than 80 years, the Free Press editorial page has been a voice for free market economic philosophies, personal responsibility and limited, responsible government. Endorsing the presidential candidate who most thoroughly represents those values has been an important function of the Free Press editorial page for nearly as long.

For most of those election cycles, we have endorsed Republican candidates for president. The GOP candidate, even when flawed, generally provided the best platform for ensuring that the United States remained on a path of limited, constitutional government and free market economic policies.

This election, however, the Republican Party nominee has failed to demonstrate a consistent commitment to conservative principles. As a result of his failure to provide clear methods for reducing the size and scope of the federal government, unwillingness to address structural flaws with entitlement programs, reliance on government to intervene in issues best left to families and individuals, and sporadic support of the Constitution and America's founding principles, Mitt Romney is too flawed to earn the Free Press' endorsement.

Romney may be less eager to tax, spend, attack personal freedoms and disregard the constitutional limits on government than his Democratic opponent, President Barack Obama, but only slightly.

To the extent that Romney offers an alternative to Obama, the difference is in degree, not in kind.

As a result, the Free Press editorial page endorses Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson for President of the United States.

Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, has more administrative experience than Romney, who served just a single term as Massachusetts governor.

While serving as governor, Johnson slashed New Mexico's gas tax, fought to reduce the state's income tax and championed school choice. Romney, on the other hand, implemented a myriad of new fees on Massachusetts taxpayers and famously enacted a compulsory health insurance scheme which became the framework for Obamacare.

Unlike Obama, Johnson understands that government spending, unsustainable bailouts and stimulus schemes only lead to more unemployment, a higher national debt, a weakened dollar and a less stable economy.

Johnson's platform includes presenting a balanced budget to Congress every year he's in office, completely overhauling America's ridiculous federal tax structure, and fundamentally restructuring entitlement programs to allow Americans more choice in health care and a greater opportunity to retire with dignity.

The former small business owner pledges to work to overturn Obamacare and encourage health care coverage through the free market by removing the arbitrary limits that inhibit competition among health insurers and prevent customers from receiving the best available health insurance plans and rates.

Johnson also seeks to limit military intervention abroad and overturn the restrictions on liberties at home that were created as a result of the overreaction to 9/11 and America's bungled War on Terror.

The threads that bind Johnson's policy platform are the beliefs that markets work better than governments and that people are more suitable and equipped than elected officials and bureaucrats to make the decisions that impact their lives and the lives of their family. As a result, Johnson promotes entrepreneurship and privatization, allowing parents the opportunity to choose which school their children attend and minimizing the amount of hard-earned dollars the federal government takes from taxpayers.

Some may argue that voting for a minor party candidate is a waste of a vote. While Johnson won't win on Nov. 6, the more votes Johnson receives, the more the Republican and Democratic parties are forced to consider adopting his policies. Voting for Johnson is the most effective way to inject the ideas of liberty and limited government into the political mainstream.

Others claim that it is wise to vote for the lesser of two evils. The problem with that, however, is that voting for evil only leads to more evil. A vote is an affirmation that a candidate is on the right track, but Barack Obama and Mitt Romney clearly aren't when it comes to limiting government, promoting individual liberty and protecting free market economic principles. Voting for bad policies and unprincipled people will only ensure that parties will give voters more of the same bad choices in the future.

With the founding principles and the economic future of our nation at stake, Gary Johnson offers the best plan to restore the values of limited government, personal freedom and free markets that made America the greatest country in the world.

Gary Johnson Halloween Mask

If you want to be really scary for Halloween you can print Obama and Romney cut out masks, but for those of us who prefer Treats to Tricks the Gary Johnson Grassroots blog has created a Gary Johnson cut out mask.

Click on the image to open the image in it's own window and then you can print the full size image on 8.5x11 piece of paper, cut it out, put some string through it and you are all set for Halloween.

You can accessorize the mask in a number of ways.

• Wear a construction belt if you want to be American Businessman Gary Johnson. 
• Wear a suit and carry an oversized pen to be Governor Gary "Veto" Johnson. 
• Wear biker/running shorts to be Iron Man Gary Johnson.
• Wear a winter jacket, crampons, ice pick to be Mt Everest Summiting Gary Johnson
• Bring your dog and a shovel to show how Gary Johnson's neighbor's dogs can create more shovel ready jobs than the current administration.
• How do you plan on accessorizing your Gary Johnson mask?

Gary Johnson Files Another Suit Against The Commission on Presidential Debates

Gary Johnson 2012

Citing survey data showing former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson has in fact achieved the narrow criteria required for inclusion in the Monday debate, earning more than 40 percent of the vote in “head-to-head” polls against President Barack Obama, the Libertarian Party nominee’s campaign today filed a complaint in Federal Court in the District of Columbia maintaining that Johnson has, in fact, met the Commission on Presidential Debates’ criteria for inclusion. The complaint asks the Court to compel the CPD to include Johnson.

“The CPD requirements say Johnson ‘must register support of at least 15 percent of the vote in five recent polls,’” Johnson campaign counsel Alicia Dearn said in a statement. “Nowhere does it say those polls must include three candidates. Indeed, the polls used by the CPD to exclude Johnson test only two candidates even though Gov. Johnson is on the ballot in 48 states. We argue that Gov. Johnson has met the specific and narrow criteria laid out by the CPD.

“Included in the two-party ‘deal’ struck by the Republicans and Democrats are the criteria by which candidates are invited to participate. As a two-term governor who is on more than enough states’ ballots to be elected in the Electoral College, the decision to exclude Gov. Johnson can only be based upon the CPD’s self-determined polling criterion — using polls that are ‘head-to-head’ surveys between Romney and Obama. Who decided that? The CPD rules do not specify the number of candidates to be tested in the poll. Using their own methodology, polls that ask voters’ preferences between the President and Gov. Johnson are equally valid, and as we have demonstrated, will show more than enough support for Gov. Johnson to meet the CPD’s arbitrary 15 percent requirement. The same would clearly be the result when Gov. Johnson is surveyed against only Gov. Romney. Nowhere does it say that only the Republican and the Democrat should be pitted against one another,” Dearn said.

“It must be repeated that the official-sounding Commission on Presidential Debates is not official at all. It is a private organization created by the Republican and Democratic Parties for the clear and admitted purpose of controlling the presidential debate process. Everything from the schedule to the participants to the water glasses on stage are determined by way of an MOU between the two parties, to the exclusion of everyone else.

Two debates have already happened, and have excluded Gov. Johnson. We can’t change that — no matter how unfair. However, the CPD has one last opportunity to do the right thing for Monday night’s debate, which we have asked them to do via a letter transmitted Thursday. However, we are not holding our breath for an answer, and have asked the Federal Court to help them do the right thing. Also, we make it clear in our complaint that this issue does not end Monday night, and that it is not just about Gov. Johnson. We are also asking for a permanent injunction to require that the CPD’s criteria be changed for future elections to correct the organization’s fundamental unfairness.

“The American people need to understand that the presidential debates are televised productions of the Republican and Democratic Parties. Nothing more. And those productions are designed to exclude alternative voices and ignore the simple fact that one-third of the electorate does not belong to their exclusive clubs.”

A copy of the Johnson campaign’s complaint and letter to the CPD are available here.

Gary Johnson At 3% In Latest CNN/ORC Florida Poll

CNN/ORC Poll

Q Suppose that the Presidential candidates on the ballot in your state included Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's candidate, Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate, Gary Johnson as the Libertarian party candidate, Jill Stein as the Green party candidate and Virgil Goode as the Constitution Party candidate who would you be more likely to vote for? - (IF UNSURE) As of today, who do you lean more toward? (RANDOM ORDER)

October 17-18 Obama Romney Johnson Stein Goode None No Opinion Likely Voters 47% 48% 2% * 1% * * Registered Voters 49% 42% 3% 1% 1% 1% 2%
* less than 1%

Gary Johnson At 3% In Arizona In New Behavior Research Center/Rocky Mountain Poll

In yet another state, Gary Johnson is playing a major role in the outcome in the Presidential race. With their respective bases all but sewn up, Obama and Romney are needing the independent vote but in this current Arizona poll, Governor Johnson is polling at 7%, with 18% still undecided.

This poll shows that there is even more room for Gary Johnson to grow his vote total in the Grand Canyon State as a demographic groups show at least 10% are still undecided.

Given the amount of media that both Obama and Romney receive, for this many people to have not made up there minds with less than 30 days until the election, Gov Johnson could win some of these votes.

Behavior Research Center/Rocky Mountain Poll

Q If the election for President of the United States were being held today and the candidates were (ROTATE SEQUENCE) Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Romney, Green Party Jill Stein and Libertarian Gary Johnson which one would you vote for?

October 4-10, 2012 Obama Romney Johnson Stein Not Sure Likely Voters 42% 40% 3% 2% 13% Registered Voters 44% 42% 3% 1% 10%

Video - Gary Johnson Interview With Chuck Todd On The Daily Rundown

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Video - Gary Johnson Sits Down With The Washington Post

Latest PPP Virginia Poll Has Gary Johnson At 4%

Well the Johnson campaign has to be happy about this, a 2% jump in the latest PPP Virginia poll from just two weeks ago.

I know I'm giddy.

Q If the candidates for President this fall were
Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt
Romney, Libertarian Gary Johnson,
Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode, and
Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who would
you vote for?

Barack Obama..... 48%
Mitt Romney...... 44%
Gary Johnson...... 4%
Virgil Goode...... 1%
Jill Stein........ 0%
Undecided......... 2%

But the news is even better when you look at the crosstabs. Governor Johnson is up in every polling subgroup with significant movement among some. And yes, +4% in only two weeks, at this late stage in the race, for a 3rd party candidate with little exposure is significant.

Very liberal +4
Somewhat liberal +3
Moderate +1
Somewhat conservative +3
Very conservative +4

Women +4
Men +1

Democrat +4
Republican +1
Independent +4

White +3
African American +1
Other +3

18-29 +4
30-45 +4
45-65 +2
Over 65 +1

I realize it is only one state but what this proves is that Gary Johnson is getting his message out there and the electorate is responding positively. Just imagine where his national poll numbers would be if the lamestream mediots gave him equal time or if he was allowed to debate against Obamney.

Those of us who support Gary Johnson have less than 30 days to get the word out. Anything can happen between now and November 6; it will only take one game changing event and Gary Johnson could shock the world.

Video - Gary Johnson: The War Stops Here

Tired of America's unconstitutional foreign wars?

Gary Johnson is the only candidate that will bring the troops home and put an end to our interventionist foreign policy.

Reince Priebus: Gary Johnson A 'Non-Factor'

10.6% Ohio, 7% New Mexico, 7% Montana, 5% Colorado, 4% Virgina, 3% Nevada and 4% - 6% nationally.

These represent the most recent poll numbers for Gary Johnson.

Gary Johnson a non-factor, I think not. Someone needs to tell Reince, denial is not just a river in Egypt.

The fact is, the GOP is doing their damnedest to marginalize Gary Johnson. If not, why did they keep him out of the debates and why did they put so much effort into unsuccessfully keeping him off the ballot in 5 states? Granted he will only be on the ballot in Michigan as a write-in but in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Iowa, the GOP lost their challenges and Governor Johnson achieved ballot status.

It's clear that the GOP is concerned about the "Johnson factor". His fiscally conservative message and record as a two-term Governor has them worried. Even a 2% finish for Gary Johnson represents 2.5 million votes and given that he hurts Romney the most among Independents, who are grossly under sampled in most polls, this has to be cause for concern with the GOP.

The takeaway here is don't believe the spin from the RNC Chairman. Gary Johnson will be a factor in the election, much to the chagrin of the GOP.

Video - Gary Johnson’s Interview With Larry King

Gary Johnson sat down with Larry King this past week, to discuss his campaign, the Presidential debates, and other important issues impacting America.

Click to watch Part 1

Click to watch Part 2

Kansas City Kansan - Eight Reasons You Should Vote For Gary Johnson

Kansas City Kansan

1. Executive experience

For the most part in recent history, governors have made the best presidents. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton are the two most popular presidents we've had since 1970 - and both were governors. Being a governor of a state gives you a lot more experience in running things, rather than simply voting yes or no on a piece of legislation. Johnson won two terms in a Democratic-leaning state, something that's not easy to do.

While Libertarians have a nasty stigma about how they wouldn't respond to crisis, Johnson's leadership was excellent when New Mexico was dealing with a large wildfire during his time as governor. He earned praise from both parties and local media who were reporting on the scene. In terms of running a government and being an executive of an efficient government, Johnson is the best candidate in the race.

2. Business experience

Johnson's experience in building his own business is the ideal story of the American Dream. He started his own business in 1976 by himself. By the end of the 1990s, he had grown "Big J Enterpises" to over 1,000 employees. Building a business from the ground-up is not an easy thing to do. You have to be committed, you have to know economics and you have to take risks.

A small-businessman who started a business and turned it into a big business has great qualifications for president. Small business is the backbone of this country. It always has been - and it always should be. If Johnson was the president, America's backbone would be strong for at least four years.

3. A balanced budget

Johnson's first-year budget as president would balance the budget for 2013. While $1.4 trillion in cuts is tough medicine, it has to be done for the sake of America's financial future. A $16 trillion debt and a $1 trillion deficit are not good for the value of the dollar. When the dollar's weak in value, the price of commodities increases. Among those commodities is oil. Economic confidence also increases when the budget is reasonable.

America desperately needs to get back on track with its finances. Johnson is the only candidate in the race who promises a balanced budget within his first term. And his plan is on paper. Part of that plan is cutting out wasteful defense spending and reforming entitlement programs. Defense and entitlement programs eat up 75 percent of the budget each year. Sorry, but ending earmarks or killing Big Bird won't balance the budget. Johnson is the only candidate in the race so far to have acknowledged that both areas need to be addressed.

He also successfully balanced the budget in New Mexico without increasing taxes or laying off any workers in the government.

4. Johnson's not a spoiler candidate - he's a candidate who threatens both major candidates

Based on the state polling, Johnson has taken support away from Obama in New Mexico and Colorado, while Johnson's hurt Romney in Ohio and Virginia. Assuming Johnson is only a spoiler for Romney is a myth.

There are policies Johnson has that appeals to small-government types like myself and those polices that appeal to my liberal friends who love personal freedom, privacy and support gay rights. Since most of our readers live in Kansas, Johnson will not a spoiler. Romney is 100 percent certain to win the state of Kansas.

If you are displeased Republican or a displeased Democrat, I encourage you to hop on the Johnson bandwagon. Do not let your two-party friends bully you into voting against Johnson if you believe he's the best candidate. It's not the Libertarians who let the economy crash. It's not the Libertarians who are doing their best to avoid any accountability. It's not us who accumulated a $16 trillion debt. It's the two major parties who have done those things.

5. A third-party threat is needed to shake up government

After Ross Perot won nearly 20 percent of the vote in the 1992 election, change happened believe it or not. Perot's biggest campaign issue in '92 was the debt. What happened after Perot won 20 percent in 1992? Former President Clinton and the Newt Gingrich-led Republican Congress balanced the budget for the first time in a few decades.

Clinton and Gingrich both deserve credit, but I also believe Perot raising awareness of the debt and earning a significant third-party vote forced the issue. If Johnson can win just 10 percent of the vote nation-wide, it would scare the Democrats and Republicans into straightening up a little more. And I think even a lot of Democrats and Republicans would agree that's a good thing!

6. Johnson's ran an honorable campaign

While the governor has been critical of Romney and Obama, he's ran an honest campaign that's been critical of the process. However, he's never attacked Romney or Obama personally like those two have with each other. Johnson has kept the campaign on the issues.

While I've never met Johnson, he strikes me as someone with high integrity. The fact he hasn't personally attacked the two candidates speaks volumes of his value system.

And Americans need to reward integrity any time we get the chance too.

7. Johnson would help usher out some of the nastiness in politics

To ducktail point six a bit, Johnson's also tolerant on the social issues that have ripped apart this country the past two decades. Johnson's campaign is not about the wedge issues - it's about fixing the country. While you may disagree with Johnson's opinion on the issues, the fact he doesn't preach his own values set on Americans is a breath of fresh air to me.

He's a compromise candidate for Democrats who have become disenchanted with their own party's economic policies and Republicans who want to go back to the Eisenhower/Goldwater years where believing in small government and fewer taxes were enough to be Republicans.

8. On the issue of the day, Johnson is the best

Jobs was a big issue in the first debate, or so I'm told, and rightfully so. There are millions unemployed right now and while the debate between Romney and Obama is competitive, Johnson actually has the best record out of the bunch. New Mexico's job growth was 11.6 percent during this two terms in office. I'll take 11.6 percent job growth any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Video - Ben Swann One On One With Gary Johnson

Ben Swann talks one on one with Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson about the federal deficit, legalizing marijuana and why Johnson is polling so well in Ohio.

Gary Johnson’s Response to the Presidential Debate

Gary Johnson 2012

We didn’t see a debate tonight. We saw two slightly differing versions of defending the Republican and Democrat status quo that has given us war after war after war, a $16 trillion debt, and a government that is the answer to everything.

Nowhere was there a real plan for reducing government, balancing the budget any time in the foreseeable future, or a path that will actually put Americans back to work.

We heard two politicians arguing over which of their plans for government-run health care is less bad. We heard fantasies about balancing the budget while not reducing Medicare costs.

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are nibbling around the edges of the nation’s problems. We don’t have time to nibble — we need to devour them.

Americans deserve real debates and a voice who will actually tell the truth about what it will take to put this great nation back on track.

Gary Johnson Steady At 4% In Latest CNN National Poll

Just in from CNN is the latest CNN/ORC national poll where Gary Johnson is now polling at 4% among likely voters nationwide.

Q Suppose that the Presidential candidates on the ballot in your state included Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's candidate, Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate, Gary Johnson as the Libertarian party candidate, and Jill Stein as the Green party candidate, who would you be more likely to vote for? (RANDOM ORDER)

Likely Voters Obama Romney Johnson Stein None No Opinion Sept 28-30, 2012 47% 44% 4% 3% 1% 1% Sept 7-9, 2012 51% 43% 3% 1% 1% *
Registered Voters Obama Romney Johnson Stein None No Opinion Sept 28-30, 2012 47% 43% 4% 3% 2% * Sept 7-9, 2012 50% 41% 4% 2% 1% *

A lot to like here for the Johnson campaign who gained a 1% increase among likely voters from the CNN/ORC poll earlier this month.

Overall he is up with Liberals (+5%), Democrats(+1%) and Independents (+1%), while the only downturn is among Moderates (-1%). He remains steady among Republicans and Conservatives.

[The real head scratcher in all the numbers is that Governor Johnson is polling higher than Green Party candidate Jill Stein with Liberals (5% versus 3%) while she is polling better among likely GOP voters (3% versus 2%) than the fiscally conservative former New Mexico Governor. You would think it would be the other way around.]

This poll shows that without a doubt, Gary Johnson's message is getting out there and it is being well received. At a point when 3rd party candidates start to trail off, Governor Johnson is actually gaining ground.

Just imagine where he would be right now if the mediots didn't black him out and he was in the debates. There is no doubt in my mind that if people had a chance to hear his message sooner, he would would be up in the 15-20% range right now, with a chance to win in the final month.

But there is no use dwelling in the past. The campaign must push forward and do the best that it can in the time remaining.

Via Memeorandum

A Letter To The Editor Regarding Southwest Airlines And The Presidential Debates

You may not be aware of this but because of pressure from consumers, 3 sponsors have pulled out of the Presidential Debates thus far. On Monday it was BBH New York, on Wednesday the YWCA dropped out and on Friday it was Philips Electronics.

As you can see, public opinion does matter to large corporations. With that in mind, we need to make it known to the other debate sponsors that there are those of us who are not happy with the Commission on Presidential Debates' decision to exclude other qualified 3rd party candidates from the upcoming debates.

Well, Southwest Airlines is one of those debate sponsors. They need to be put on notice that we are unhappy with their decision to support the exclusion of qualified 3rd party candidates who are on the ballots in enough states to have access to 270 or more electoral votes and thus a mathematical chance of winning the Presidency.

By excluding these candidates, Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party's Jill Stein, Southwest, as well as the remaining six other sponsors, are actively silencing the voices of candidates who can influence the outcome of the election.

We know Southwest Airlines' senior management is aware of the issue as responses to email inquiries to the company show.

After careful review of the CPD’s request for Southwest Airlines involvement in the upcoming debates, our Senior Leaders felt that the core values of Southwest Airlines aligned with the CPD’s mission of providing American Citizens the opportunity to make informed decisions.

To this end, we must continue to pressure Southwest to reconsider their sponsorship and end their involvement with these sham debates.

I ask you all to email a Letter to the Editor of the Dallas Morning News (200 words or less), the major daily newspaper in Southwest's home city of Dallas. Also provided are the email addresses to Southwest executives so they may receive a copy of your letter. Blind copies should be sent to three additional Texas newspapers in cities served by Southwest as well.

Together we can make our voices and the voices of all qualified Presidential candidates heard.

Thank you for your support.

Here is a copy of the email that I sent, but remember to be effective you should use your own words.

To: letters@dallasnews.com, letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com

cc: gary.kelly@wnco.com, jeff.lamb@wnco.com, ron.ricks@wnco.com, dave.ridley@wnco.com, kevin.krone@wnco.com, linda.rutherford@wnco.com, ellen.torbert@wnco.com

bcc: letters@statesman.com, viewpoints@chron.com, letters@express-news.net

Subject: Why is Southwest Airlines limiting our choices in the upcoming Presidential election?

To the editor:

As a businessman who is a frequent traveler through Dallas and who regularly uses Southwest for my other business and personal travel, I am disheartened to hear that Southwest is suggesting that I only have the choice to vote for a Republican or a Democrat for President.

In sponsoring the Commission on Presidential Debates, an organization of professional Republican and Democratic functionaries in DC, Southwest is doing just that; preventing me and two hundred million other American voters from hearing other qualified candidates for President who will be on the majority of ballots this November.

I strongly disagree with Southwest's statement to me that, "The Senior Leadership of Southwest Airlines felt that their core values aligned with the CPD’s mission of providing American Citizens the opportunity to make informed decisions" given they are not allowing the American electorate to hear all the options in order to make that informed decision.

If a "core value" of Southwest is to silence the voices of qualified Presidential candidates, other than those from the Democratic or Republican parties, I wish to no longer do business with them.

Southwest should stay out of politics and not have a hand in influencing this important election.

Chris Walsh
San Tan Valley, AZ

And, if you wish to get in touch with the other six sponsors, here is their contact info as well:

Crowell & Moring LLP
At Crowell – Moring LLC, the Chairman is Kent A. Gardiner and his email is
kgardiner@crowell.com

Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
One Busch Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
800-342-5283
E-mail Contact Form: http://contactus.anheuser-busch.com/Contactus/email.asp

The Howard G. Buffet Foundation
158 W Prairie Ave, Suite 107
Decatur, IL 62523-1442
Also:
121 S 51st St
Omaha, NE 68132
402-556-6641

Sheldon S. Cohen, Esq.
Farr, Miller & Washington
1020 19th Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
800-390-3277
202-530-5600
202-530-5508 Fax
Email: sscohen@farrmiller.com

International Bottled Water Association
1700 Diagonal Road
Suite 650
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-683-5213
703-683-4074 Fax
Email: ibwainfo@bottledwater.org
800-WATER-11 (Information Hotline)
http://bottledwater.org

The Kovler Fund
aka Marjorie Kovler Research Fellowship
c/o John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Columbia Point
Boston, MA 02125
617-514-1624
617-514-1625 Fax
Email: kennedy.library@nara.gov

Stunner - Gary Johnson At 10.6 % In Gravis Marketing Ohio Poll

You read that right, Gary Johnson is at 10.6% in the latest Gravis Marketing/Capitol Correspondent Ohio Poll. Among likely Ohio voters he is up over 6% from the last Gravis poll just 2 weeks ago.

This is stunning news since the conventional wisdom is that 3rd party candidates start to sink in the polls as the election draws closer.

Q If the Presidential election were held today and the candidates were Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Romney and Libertarian Gary Johnson, whom? would you vote?

Obama...........44.5%
Romney..........37.8%
Johnson..........10.6%
Other/Unsure....7.1%

Certainly, this poll is going to cause some sleepless nights for the Romney campaign, that's for sure. Not only is Governor Johnson over 10% in a key swing state but his inclusion in the poll dropped the former Massachusetts Governor from a deficit of less than 1%, in a head-to-head matchup against the President, to a nearly 7% gap.

The American people are starting to wake up, especially the fiscally conservative, pro-liberty Republicans. They are realizing that Milquetoast Mitt isn't much different on most policy than Obama and they see Gary Johnson as a legitimate third option.

So kudos to you Gary Johnson; your message is getting out and the people are hearing it loud and clear.

Gary Johnson, The Lesser Of Two Goods

There has been a lot of talk by Romney supporters that if you are not 80%, or even 50%, on board with their candidate that you should vote for their guy because he is the "lesser of two evils" and will do less harm to our nation than the current POTUS. But if you vote for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, you are splitting the vote and will be responsible for getting Obama re-elected.

Not only does this show that they themselves have little faith in their candidate's ability to seal the deal on his own, but that they have little faith in his policies as well.

In other words, what I am hearing them saying is, "Vote for Romney because he sucks less than Obama."

Now there's a winning campaign slogan if I ever heard one.

Well, to many liberty minded individuals who don't buy this line of bull, Ron Paul is the gold standard of the liberty movement. In our lifetime there has been very few politicians, if any, who have had absolute fidelity to their Constitutional principles like Dr Paul.

But Ron Paul is not going to be President; the GOP Primaries settled that and with his retiring from the House and advanced age, this was his last go-around.

Gary Johnson on the other hand, is still in the race and as of this writing is on the ballot in 47 states and is looking like he will be on Pennsylvania's ballot, making it 48 states (he'll be excluded in Oklahoma and in all probability Michigan).

As his record as a two term Governor of New Mexico and his stated positions show, Gary Johnson is a legitimate liberty candidate.

Sure you can make the case, and many do, that Gary Johnson is lacking in libertarian bona fides, that his positions on humanitarian intervention and Israel are cause for concern and that he would govern on cost/benefit analysis rather than true libertarian principles.

Fair points all, but in the grand scheme of things he is still a fiscal conservative that would cut spending by 43%, submit a balanced budget in his first term, end the fed and be an overall thorn in the side of Leviathan.

President Gary Johnson would end our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and would not put US troops in foreign wars unless duly authorized by Congress.

He would also put an end to the war on Americans by ending the Drug War while repealing both the PATRIOT Act and NDAA as well as limit the assault on our civil liberties.

Unlike both Obama and Romney he does not support government run, socialized medicine either.

As you can see, Gary Johnson may not quite be Ron Paul, but he's close enough and would be a far better choice for America than his two major party opponents.

With this in mind, the next time someone tells you that you are wasting you vote on Gary Johnson and that you need to vote for the "lesser of two evils", you can let them know that they are really the ones that are wasting their vote and that they should instead vote for the "lesser of two goods".

Editor's Note: This in no way should be construed as a knock against Gary Johnson.

While I supported Ron Paul as the GOP candidate after Governor Johnson left the GOP race, he was my preferred choice from the beginning and even Ron Paul is on record as saying that Gary Johnson is wonderful and would have had his support has he decided against a run in 2012.

Video - Gary Johnson's History

Gary Johnson 2012

Gary Johnson At 3% In Latest CNN/ORC Nevada Poll

I can't imagine that the Johnson Campaign is too happy that Virgil Goode is polling ahead of them, but hopefully Gary Johnson's stop at UNLV on Wednesday as part of his college tour will garner some press and raise his profile in the Silver State.

CNN/ORC International survey

Q Suppose that the presidential candidates on the ballot in your state included Barack Obama as the Democratic Party’s candidate, Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate, Gary Johnson as the Libertarian party candidate and Virgil Goode, as the Independent American party candidate, who would you be more likely to vote for?

Sept. 7-9, 2012 Obama Romney Goode Johnson None No Opinion Likely Voters 47% 44% 4% 3% 1% 1% Registered Voters 48% 41% 5% 3% 2% 1

Gary Johnson, National Polls And The Election

Well, we're getting into the home stretch for November and while Gary Johnson may not win the Presidency (thanks to the media blackout and exclusion from many polls), we are able to gauge where he may finish in the race based on the national polls that have included him.

Now, I'm a firm believer that national polls are meaningless since that is not how the election works, but it does give a good idea of a candidates national level of support.

In September, three major polls have included Governor Johnson; Zogby (4.3%), CNN (4%) and Reason-Rupe (6%). Doing a little math, we see that Gary Johnson is polling at 4.8%, so we have a baseline.

Let's look at the two of the most notable 3rd party candidates since the 1980 election; John Anderson in 1980 and Ralph Nader in 2000. (I've omitted Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996 since neither campaign was typical and Perot had the money to compete on an even footing with the Republiocrats)

At this point of the 1980 campaign, according to Gallup, independent John Anderson was polling at 14% among likely voters. A few weeks later, he dropped to 9% and in the last pre-election poll was at 7%, ultimately finishing at 6.6% (5,719,850 votes) or a drop of 53% in his level of support. (It should be noted that in the 1980 election, Libertarian candidate Ed Clark received what is still the highest Presidential vote total for the party with 921,128 votes or 1%)

In 2000, at this point of of the race, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader was in the 2-3% range with likely voters, also according to Gallup. In October he peaked at 5% and in their last poll before the election sat at 4%, finishing with 2.74% (2,882,955 votes), which was within his September numbers.

So, what does this tell us about where Gary Johnson will finish?

My thought is that Governor Johnson will finish about where he is now with somewhere around 4%, giving him in the neighborhood of 5 million votes, based on 2008 turnout.

My reasoning for this is because in 1980 John Anderson, even with his appearance in the debate with Ronald Reagan (Carter sat out) and his high level of media coverage, he had pretty much the same base as Reagan and once it became clear that Reagan was the stronger "anybody but Carter" candidate, his supporters left him in droves and he had nowhere to go but down.

I see Gary Johnson's campaign being closer to Ralph Nader's. Nader had a fairly strong base among liberals who were unhappy with Clinton's move toward the center and saw a Gore Presidency as Clinton's third term. He was also excluded from the Presidential Debates and while he had a good measure of support within some popular circles, he did not get much lame stream media coverage.

I believe that Governor Johnson will maintain his base with those who are unhappy with the Republiocrat candidates as well as disaffected Ron Paul supporters. Johnson's fiscally conservative, socially tolerant message also resonates well with independent voters who want Leviathan out of both their wallets and bedrooms.

That's my call and I'm sticking with it. In 45 days you can come back and let me know if I am a genius or an idiot.

Gary Johnson At 6% In Reason-Rupe National Poll

Reason

A new national Reason-Rupe poll of likely voters finds President Barack Obama leading Republican Mitt Romney 48 percent to 43 percent in the presidential race. When undecided voters are asked which way they are leaning Obama’s lead over Romney grows to 52-45.

President Obama holds large advantages among women (53-37), African-Americans (92-2) and Hispanics (71-18). Fifty-two percent of likely voters view Obama favorably, while 45 view him unfavorably. In contrast, 49 percent of likely voters have an unfavorable view of Mitt Romney and 41 percent have a favorable view of him.

In a three-way presidential race, Obama drops to 49 percent among likely voters and Romney falls to 42 percent as the Libertarian Party’s Gary Johnson gets six percent of support. Johnson is already on the presidential ballot in 47 states.

The Reason-Rupe poll conducted live interviews with 1,006 adults, including 787 likely voters, via landlines (602) and cell phones (404) from September 13-17, 2012. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percent, 4.3 percent for the likely voters sample. Princeton Survey Research Associates International executed the Reason-Rupe poll.

Q If the 2012 presidential election were held TODAY and the candidates were Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the Democrats, and Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan the Republicans, and Gary Johnson and Jim Gray the Libertarians, for whom would you vote?

Barack Obama/Joe Biden...........49%
Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan.............40%
Gary Johnson/Jim Gray...............6%
Vote for someone else (VOL.)......1%
Would not vote"(VOL.)..less than 1%
Don't Know/Refused....................4%

Total......................................100%

Via Memeorandum

Gary Johnson And Jim Gray Sue The Commission On Presidential Debates

If you believe Gary Johnson and Jim Gray should be included in the debates, sign the petition.

Examiner.com

On Friday, the Libertarian presidential ticket of former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson and former California Superior Court judge Jim Gray filed an anti-trust lawsuit in U.S. District court to ask the court to force the Commission on Presidential Debates to include all presidential candidates who have enough ballot access to have a mathematical chance of winning the presidential election to have a spot on the debate stage.

The lawsuit accuses the Democratic Party, Republican Party, and Commission on Presidential Debates of violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, which prohibits certain business activities that reduce competition, and requires the federal government to investigate and pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of being in violation. The relevant part of the law is Section 2, which reads:

“Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $100,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other person, $1,000,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.”

If the lawsuit is successful, this year's CPD-sponsored debates will either expand to include the Libertarian candidates as well as the Green Party ticket of Massachusetts physician Jill Stein and Pennsylvania anti-poverty advocate Cheri Honkala, or be canceled.

Via Memeorandum

John Stossel - "I Like Gary Johnson"

All political candidates call themselves freedom-lovers, but they are not. Neither major party really opposes government control of the economy or of our personal lives. I'm a libertarian because I see the false choice offered by political left and right: Democrats talk about personal liberty; Republicans talk about economic freedom. But what they do once in power belies their words.

I say we're best off if government just leaves us alone to our peaceful cooperation with whomever we please. Let politicians advocate moral behavior. Let them give to charities. But leave government -- which is physical force -- out of it.

That's why I like Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico. He's the Libertarian Party candidate for president. As governor, Johnson vetoed 750 bills, and yet he got re-elected in that blue state.

I asked Johnson what it means to be a libertarian.

"Fiscally responsible, socially accepting ... more liberal than Obama on several issues, more conservative than Romney on several issues."

Johnson proposes to cut federal spending by more than 43 percent:

"Balance the federal budget now. I think that unless we do that, we're going to find ourselves in a monetary collapse."

To do that, he'd go where the money is. He'd cut the big programs that will soon bankrupt us. That includes Medicare. Conventional wisdom says what he's proposing is cruel and, for a politician, suicidal.

"Look, we've got to slash Medicare spending. If we don't, we're going to find ourselves with no health care whatsoever. Medicaid, same thing. Military spending, same thing."

The left claims that without social spending, people would starve in the streets!

"This is the exact reaction that I got as governor of New Mexico, having vetoed all that legislation. ... Kids were going to starve, all the worst things were going to happen, and none of them did. And I got re-elected."

Who would decide what part of Medicare to cut?

"Give this up to the states. Fifty laboratories of innovation and best practice ... (instead of) Washington top-down, Washington-knows-best -- that's what has us in the situation that we're in right now."

Johnson also says, "End the wars." Won't a pullout of our troops mean the terrorists win?

"We have hundreds of millions of enemies ... that, but for our military interventions, we would not otherwise have. So let's take military spending back to 2003 spending levels. Start out with the premise that we should provide ourselves with a strong national defense. But 'defense' here is the operative word. Not 'offense' and not 'nation-building.' We're building roads, schools, bridges, highways and hospitals in other countries, and we have those needs here in this country."

In one of Johnson's campaign ads, he compares the U.S. Constitution to the U.S. tax code.

"One is simple and about equal rights for all. The other is extremely complex and anything but equal rights for all. It's crony capitalism in a nutshell. It's the root of evil. Individuals, groups, corporations pay for loopholes. Both parties sell those loopholes. Eliminate the IRS. Abolish income tax (and) corporate tax."

How will government get money?

"With a national consumption tax. I'm embracing the Fair Tax. ... Adopting the Fair Tax would issue pink slips to half of Washington lobbyists."

Johnson would also legalize marijuana.

"Control it, regulate it, tax it."

I like Johnson's message: Let no one be coerced by government beyond the small amount needed to fund a limited government that keeps us safe. Do not let government forcibly take other people's money. When in doubt, leave it out -- or rather, leave it to the market and other voluntary institutions.

But sadly that's not how most people think. Most people think problems are things that are solved by laws. They assume it's just the laziness or stupidity of the "other" side's politicians that prevents government from solving our problems.

But government rarely solves problems. Government is inefficient. There's almost nothing government can do that we cannot do better as free individuals and groups of individuals working together voluntarily.

Without big government, our possibilities are limitless.

Copyright 2012, Creators Syndicate Inc.

Gary Johnson At 4% In Virginia In Latest Washington Post Poll

Washington Post

Q: (AMONG REGISTERED VOTERS) How about if the presidential election were being held today and the candidates were {(Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the Democrats), (Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, the Republicans)}, {(Gary Johnson and James Gray, from the Libertarian Party), (Virgil Goode and Jim Clymer, from the Constitution Party), and (Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala, from the Green Party)}, for whom would you vote?

Obama............48%
Romney...........40%
Johnson...........4%
Goode.............2%
Stein.............1%
Other/No opinion..5%

Via Memeorandum

Gary Johnson Calls For Withdrawal From The Middle East

Photo by Robotclaw666

The choice is clear, if you want to end Leviathan's overseas intervention, Gary Johnson will be your Anti-War President.

Allentown (PA) Morning Call

Little-known presidential candidate Gary Johnson gave an answer that would create a media firestorm if delivered by Barack Obama or Mitt Romney: the United States should get out of the Middle East.

Johnson, a Libertarian who is on 47 state ballots and fighting petition challenges in the other three, including Pennsylvania, suggested that the U.S. presence in the Middle East is abetting unrest in the region.

"Get out of these embassies, just plain get out," Johnson said in an interview Monday with the Allentown Morning Call. "Right now, they seem to be the focal point for being able to express that dissension.”

"What are U.S. interests when it comes to the Middle East? If it's keeping us safe, I would argue that our military interventions are what are keeping us unsafe. We're over there and innocent people are dying. When we wag our tail, there's a consequence of that tail wag."

Gary Johnson At 2% In New PPP Virginia Poll

Nice to see PPP Polls finally including all the major candidates. Their last Virginia poll, released in August, only included Virgil Goode as a 3rd part choice. He had 4% support then.

Q If the candidates for President this fall were
Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt
Romney, Libertarian Gary Johnson,
Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode, and
Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who would
you vote for?

Barack Obama..... 49%
Mitt Romney...... 45%
Gary Johnson...... 2%
Virgil Goode...... 1%
Jill Stein........ 1%
Undecided......... 3%

I would have thought that Governor Johnson would do a little better, but he is only polling 4% with Independents, a segment where he has strongest appeal.

The good news is that Johnson is doing well with 18-29 year old respondents, 7%, and they are by far the most enthusiastic age group polled with 72% saying they are "very excited". This could be in part due to the "Ron Paul Effect" with Ron Paul's young supporters now turning to Governor Johnson as their liberty candidate.

Via Memeorandum

Video - John Stossel Interviews Gary Johnson 9/14

If the video doesn't load, click the link below.

Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson on his efforts to make it to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Latest From PPP Polls In Montana - Gary Johnson At 7%

PPP Polls

Q If the candidates for President this year were
Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt
Romney, and Libertarian Gary Johnson, who
would you vote for?

Mitt Romney..... 46%
Barack Obama.... 43%
Gary Johnson..... 7%
Undecided........ 5%

Down 1% from May but he is still staying respectable this late in the race.

And, Montana voters still don't know who Gary Johnson is, with 78% of respondents having no opinion of him. He fares best among Independents with only 70% having no opinion while he is more unknown with Democrats (83% no opinion) than Republicans (81% no opinion).

Independents are also where the former New Mexico Governor is strongest, getting 14% support. He also hurts Romney the most in this group as the former Massachusetts Governor loses 9% support versus 4% for Obama when Johnson is included in the matchup.

Yet again, this is another poll that shows that Gary Johnson will be a factor in this race as when he is included in a poll, he puts the race between Barry and Mittens within the margin of error.

Is it any wonder that the GOP is working so hard to keep him of the ballot and both parties do not want him in the debates?

UPDATED 9/14 Who's Afraid Of Gary Johnson? Mittens And The GOP Part II (Pennsylvania)

EDITOR'S NOTE 9/14 - Gary Johnson is one step closer to being on the ballot in Pennsylvania as a three-judge panel of the state Commonwealth Court ruled 2-1 that 9,000 disputed signatures are valid.

If this ruling stand, Gary Johnson should be on the ballot in the Keystone State as he only needs 620 of the remaining 13,000 to reach the required total of 20,601 to achieve a ballot spot.

Both sides are appealing the decision; the GOP wants this decision reversed and the Libertarian Party wants an additional 1,500 signatures certified where the signees omitted the year from the date that they wrote.

We'll bring you the final outcome when it happens.

Back in June, we reported that the Michigan GOP was trying to keep Gary Johnson of the ballot in Mitt's home state because he was THREE MINUTES late in filing his paperwork to be removed from their primary ballot.

Well, now the Pennsylvania GOP is up to the same shenanigans and trying to keep Gary Johnson off the ballot in the Keystone State as reported by Eric Boehm of the Pennsylvania Independent

The Pennsylvania Republican Party has already booted one third-party candidate from the state’s presidential ballot [Virgil Goode] and is making life difficult for Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson.

Republican voters acting on behalf of the state GOP this week officially challenged the signatures submitted by Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, who is seeking an equal place on the November ballot beside major party candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Ron Nielson, senior adviser for the Johnson campaign, told PA Independent on Wednesday that the campaign submitted more than 49,000 signatures — more than twice the amount required to gain access to the ballot in Pennsylvania.

The signatures will be challenged in Commonwealth Court.

In order to qualify for the ballot in Pennsylvania, the major parties have to submit only 2,000 signatures, but third party candidates had to collect more than 20,000 this year.

Ballot access is the primary reason that 3rd party candidates have so much trouble getting in office and breaking the stranglehold that the Republicrats have on elected position.

Because they control the ballot access rules they make it as difficult as possible for 3rd parties to get on. In many states the signature requirement for a 3rd party or Independent candidate is 10 times greater than that of the two major parties. That means that these candidates need to spend more of their limited resources just to get a seat at the table. And if they are lucky enough to jump through that hoop they are summarily excluded from any debates.

Gary Johnson scares the GOP.

They realize that they have a milquetoast candidate that is Obama-lite on many of the important issues. They know that if Gary Johnson gets a fair vetting by the American people, conservatives will come to see that he has a strong track record of fiscal reform from his two terms as Governor of New Mexico.

They can huff and they can puff but in Gary Johnson they have found someone who will not back down.