Governor Gary Johnson Best Choice For President
By Mike A. Bozarth
I, and The Telegraph, endorse former two-term Governor and professional Handyman Gary Johnson of New Mexico for President.
I haven’t, but if I were to take a poll of our talented and appreciated staff, I think we would find 3 for President Obama, 2 for Governor Romney and 2 supporting Governor Gary Johnson for president.
In light of such a diversified staff, making an endorsement required some soul searching.
There are some things I like about President Obama. I don’t feel he is as “evil” as some conservatives make him out to be.
There are some things I like about Governor Romney. I don’t think he is as “cold” as some folks make him out to be.
But when I measure the President and Gov. Romney on key issues, I don’t find a lot of differences.
Both candidates agree on supporting the Patriot Act, agree on leaving our troops in harm’s way in Afghanistan for at least another two years, and agree that balancing the budget and dealing with our $16 Trillion debt can wait for decades.
I took an online quiz a few weeks ago at www.isidewith.com It simply asks your opinion on a variety of issues and then assesses your positions with those of the various presidential candidates.
I was not surprised to find I agreed with Governor Johnson–the Libertarian Party nominee–97% of the time.
That compared to a 75% match with Virgil Goode, of the Constitution Party; 71% with Mitt Romney; 69% with Jill Stein of the Green Party; and 56% with President Obama.
Out-Of-Control Federal Spending
I think as a nation we are at a critical crossroads.
We cannot borrow money and spend ourselves into prosperity. It doesn’t work in our personal lives and it cannot work as a nation.
We need to quit talking so much about tax cuts or tax increases.
We have a dog-gone spending problem! We have to get federal spending under control, that’s all there is to it. That means cutting programs that will make some of us uncomfortable.
Only Gary Johnson is talking about making the serious spending cuts that need to be made.
Civil liberties
We have more people in prison than any other country in the world. We have a higher percentage of our population incarcerated than any other country in the world. Think about that for a minute. I’ve always heard how repressive China, North Korea, Cuba, Syria and Iran are. And we lock up more than they do?
Maybe, just maybe, we need to take a second look at some of our laws that are putting people there.
Neither Obama nor Romney want to talk about that. Both candidates find reason to support the Patriot Act, our insane airport security, and all the other ways our government spies on us and treats us all like we’re criminals. How dare any of us talk about the Bill of Rights or we will be labeled a fanatic.
Governor Johnson–and his running mate–California Superior Court Judge Jim Gray–have both authored books on decriminalizing marijuana.
What about the Citizens United decision that treats corporations like people? This is what has unleased millions of dollars in mostly negative television advertising by corporations and special interests. Neither Obama nor Romney want to speak out on this because both enjoy the benefits.
Corporations are not people. Only people are people. Until the people get fed up enough to do something about it things are going to continue to get worse–regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican lives in the White House.
Gary Johnson promotes himself as ‘the People’s Candidate.” I’m convinced he is.
Governor Johnson has been called the most fiscally conservative, socially rational leader in the country. He earned a record during his two four-year terms as Governor of New Mexico for being honest, effective and smart.
He cut taxes 14 times, reduced the size of government 10% without firing a single state worker and left office with a billion dollar surplus.
What a record!
“We the People will never agree on all the small things,” Johnson says. “But let’s agree on the big thing: our leaders have blown it. If we don’t get control of this ship together, and fix it together, we will all go down with it together.”
“Join me in trying something that’s never been attempted in America. Let’s put parties and differences aside while we solve our problems,” Johnson says.
“Be Libertarian for one election. Together, we’ll stop the spending and end the wars. Together we’ll restore our industrial might. Together, we’ll rebuild our roads, bridges, schools and hospitals instead of building them for countries half a world away. And if, in four years, we as a people decide we didn’t like peace, prosperity and freedom, we can always vote tyranny back into office again.”
Don’t listen to people who claim you waste your vote if you vote for a third-party candidate. You only lose your vote if you let someone else make up your mind for you. Vote your conscience.
I think the people lose, regardless of whether it’s the President or Romney.
Government will only continue to grow unless we put someone in there who will make a difference.
I’m proud to endorse Governor Gary Johnson for President of the United States. Maybe The Telegraph is the first newspaper to endorse Johnson. Live free.
I usually vote Democratic, but this election I will be voting for Libertarian Gary Johnson. President Obama could seem to care less about civil liberties. From his support of the Patriot Act, he violated his campaign promise to close Gitmo, he’s cracked down on medical marijuana in states that legalized marijuana for medicine, he’s flipped flopped on gay marriage and now says he supports it, the list goes on and on.
Gary Johnson is the clear choice for progressives and those of us who care about personal freedom.
Thanks to the Telegraph for having the courage to endorse Governor Johnson.
I agree with you on Gary Johnson. But when I talk about him to my friends they all go who? I wish we could hear a lot more about him.
Thanks to reading the Telegraph, I think Johnson would be a great choice for president too.
The problem is, the same big money that shuts Governor Johnson out of the media coverage Obama and Romney get will likely pull out all the stops to keep Johnson from being elected.
It’s really very sad that more people don’t notice they are essentially being told who to vote for and they don’t even realize it. They think they’re making up their own minds when in reality they are voting for who the big monied interests and news media want them to vote for.
Gary Johnson is the only one running who can make a difference. I just heard he was on the ballot in 48 states and the district of columbia. Johnson is the viable choice to Obama and Romney.
I’m a Republican who has no use for Mitt Romney. My family and I will be voting for Gary Johnson.
I can only imagine what a Gary Johnson Administration could look like.
How about John Stossell for Secretary of State?
Rep. Ron Paul, Secretary of Treasury;
Admiral Michael Colley, Secretary of Defense;
Judge Andrew Napalitano, Attorney General;
Russell Means, Secretary of Interior;
Former Rep.Nancy Boyda, Sec. of Agriculture;
Dr. Peter Schiff, Sec. of Commerce;
Former Sen. Mike Gravel, Sec. of Labor;
Dr. Walter Williams, Secretary of Human Services;
Dr. Mary Ruwart, Sec. of Education;
Gov. Jesse Ventura, Sec. of Housing & Urban Development;
Former Rep. Virgil Goode, Sec. of Transportation;
Willie Nelson, Secretary of Energy;
Gov. Buddy Roemer, Sec. of Veterans Affairs;
Sheriff Bill Masters, Homeland Security;
Dr. Nancy Lord, EPA;
Dick Bodde, Amb. to U.N.
Okay, maybe that’s my pick for a cabinet. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Gov. Johnson picked some of those names.
I don’t know what kind of chances Johnson has, but he has to be better than the choice we have between Obama and Romney
I guess I just don’t see the point in endorsing someone you know is not going to win. Why not support an electable candidate and make a difference?
Karen, I think it boils down to do you think it is more important to vote for the one who wins, or is it more important to vote your conscience. The more votes Governor Johnson gets, the more people who will listen to his ideas and policies. Even if Gary Johnson loses, if he gets a few million votes you can expect the Democrats and Republicans to pay attention.
I agree with Todd. If we keep on voting for the same old ones we have before, we’re going to keep on getting the same old crap as we always have. Maybe if we put a few Libertarians in office they can get some things changed.
I liked Gary Johnson the first time I saw him in the Republican debates last year. But his poll numbers were so low I could not see any reason to vote for him. But some of the arguments I’ve read here have convinced me. It does make sense that the more votes Johnson gets the more likely his policies will be debated and adopted.
Gary Johnson for President!
I don’t even know what you all are even talking about. I read the St. Joseph News Press every day. I watch KQ-2 news at 6 and 10 every day. I watch Fox-26 off and on every day. If there was a Gary Johnson running, I would have heard something.
How can you print articles about someone running for president who isn’t?
Sandy, I can appreciate what you said. But trust me, Governor Johnson is on the ballot not only in Missouri, but 49 states and the District of Columbia.
I don’t know why the other St. Joseph media are ignoring Johnson. It is frustrating to me. I have called the local daily newspaper about their coverage of Johnson, but they will not even acknowlege my calls.
Tell your friends and relatives about The Telegraph. Online subscriptions are free and at least once a month we have a tabloid-style issue available at news stands all over the city. You will find a lot of news and opinion in the Telegraph you will not see or hear anywhere else. This is why it is important to have more than one news source.
Thank you for reading The Telegraph!
Mike A. Bozarth
Editor and Publisher
Mike,
Thanks for having the guts and intelligence to endorse Gary Johnson. I’m in Montana, probably pretty much a lock for Romney. So, I have the relative luxury of casting a vote for Johnson and knowing that I won’t be helping reelect Obama. Still, it becomes a matter of conscience when you mention your intentions to others and they essentially accuse you of casting a wasted vote.
On a more personal note, I can appreciate the position you’re in as a weekly newspaper editor, taking a stand and having many people know you personally. I found myself in the same position in 1980 when I was editor of the Frankenmuth, MI, News. I couldn’t stomach either Carter or Reagan so I threw my support to the main third-party candidate that year, John Anderson. Michigan, with lots of Reagan Democrats, went for Reagan that year, as I recall. Did I help elect him by voting for Anderson? Who knows? Who cares? I could look at myself in the mirror and say I did the right thing.
This past week, Trump offered to give $5 million to a charity of Obama’s choice if he releases his college and passport records. Obama responded by telling his own joke about him and Trump fighting while growing up in Kenya. http://www.bit.ly/WRFiT5
I just like the helpful info you supply in your articles. I’ll bookmark your newspaper. I am reasonably certain I will be informed a lot of new stuff right here! Good luck for the following!
Orange County News…
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I think I might vote for Gary Johnson. I don’t like President Obama. I had hopes the Republicans would nominate different than Romney. I’m not libertarian on everything, but Johnson sounds better than the other two.
It is truly a great and useful piece of info. I’m happy that you shared your views, because I do not want to vote for Obama or Romney.
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From June 2009 to September 2012, America gained some 2.59 million jobs. That weak recovery was the basis for the Obama re-election campaign. But as it turns out, virtually all of that job creation happened in states that are right-to-work – states in which no industry can force people to join a union in order to work. There are 22 right-to-work states. During that period, those states saw an increase in employment of 1.86 million. That means, according to the National Institute for Labor Relations Research, that “Right to Work states … were responsible for 72% of all net household job growth across the US from June 2009 through September 2012.” That 72% statistic is all the more stunning when you realize that according to 2010 census numbers, the right-to-work states included in this calculation — which does not include Indiana, since it just went right-to-work — represent just under 40% of the population of the country. Right-to-work states disproportionately create jobs. President Obama has been a violent opponent of right to work laws. He sees them as an attempt to quash his union buddies – which, of course, is right, since the unions bankrupt states (see Illinois, California). But Obama won re-election on the backs of those who rejected his policies.