Gary Johnson on Principles & Values Libertarian presidential nominee; former Republican NM Governor





Side-by-side issue comparison to Mitt Romney

Obama vs. Stein vs. Romney vs. Johnson on Domestic Issues: Gun Rights

Alternative Sentencing

Death Penalty

Drugs in Society

Marijuana Legalization

Environment vs. Economy

Nuclear Waste

Infrastructure Investment

WikiLeaks and Secrecy

Internet Policy

Health Mandate

Medicare

ObamaCare

My desire to serve has been with me since childhood

My desire to serve has been with me for as long as I can remember. As early as fourth grade, I remember thinking I would like to run for high office someday. When my teacher did a class survey, I was voted most likely to become President of the US. That might have been when the political bug bit me.

Source: Seven Principles, by Gary Johnson, p. 11-13 , Aug 1, 2012

I view government in the same way as philosopher Ayn Rand

Overall, I think I view big government in the same way that the novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand did--that it really oppresses those that create, if you will, and tries to take away from those that produce and give to the non-producers.

Source: Seven Principles, by Gary Johnson, p. 31 , Aug 1, 2012

Seven Principles of Good Government for work & life

Become reality-driven. Don't kid yourself or others. Base your decisions and actions on what's what. Always be honest and tell the truth. It is extremely difficult to damage people who are willing to tell the truth. Always do what's right and fair. Remember, the more you accomplish, the louder your critics become. Learn to ignore them. Maintain your integrity and continue to do what's right. Determine your goal. Develop a plan to reach that goal. Then act--don't procrastinate. Make sure everyone who ought to know what you're doing, knows what you're doing. Don't hesitate to deliver bad news. Acknowledge mistakes immediately. There may still be time to salvage things or make corrections. Be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. If your job doesn't excite you enough to follow this principle, resign and find a job you love.

Graduated from UNM and married college sweetheart

Near the end of college, I'd been working construction for a contractor who built from the ground up. It was good fortune for me: I learned electrical, foundations, masonry, sheetrock, framing and painting. But the contractor ran out of work, and I needed about $30 a week to get by. So, I started looking around for other jobs.

I passed out circulars door-to-door that read, "College student needs work. Will do carpentry, painting, cement, anything and everything." That was the origin of Big J.

Gave fiancee "Atlas Shrugged" to explain his politics

Kate is beautiful, she's athletic, she's smart. We're in love. I asked her to marry me while we were on a chair lift at Taos. At one point, early in our time together, Kate asked me about my politics and political philosophy. What it was, how I'd come to it. I gave her a copy of "Atlas Shrugged." Kate and I each wear an engagement ring.

Let people drive 75 mph & buy beer on Sundays

Source: Lisa DePaulo in GQ Magazine , Nov 1, 2011

Favorite philosopher: Milton Friedman

A: Steve Jobs comes to mind--he represents incredible innovation. Maybe Bill Gates. I didn't have any business heroes growing up. One of the realities of my life is that those I thought were heroes were not.

Q: Who is your favorite political philosopher?

A: [Chicago economist and Free to Choose author] Milton Friedman.

Source: Interview by Scott Holleran on scottholleran.com blog , Aug 21, 2011

Tea Party insures that Republicans are part of the solution

A: By giving voice to millions of Americans who are not satisfied with the traditional parties. And insuring that Republicans who are nominated will be part of the solution, not the problem.

Source: 2011 Republican primary debate on Twitter.com , Jul 21, 2011

Calls himself classical liberal; others prefer libertarian

Source: Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone Magazine , Jun 15, 2011

Majority of America is fiscal conservative & social liberal

A: The majority of Americans are classical liberals--fiscal conservatives and social liberals--who believe that the best government is the government that rules the least and the best that government can do for me, the individual, is to allow me as an individual to make the choices and the decisions that only I can make. When that crosses over the line and I potentially can do harm to others, that's when the government needs to step in.

Source: Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone Magazine , Jun 15, 2011

Religious affiliation: Lutheran.

The Adherents.com website is an independent project and is not supported by or affiliated with any organization (academic, religious, or otherwise).

What’s an adherent?

Such factors as religious service attendance, belief, practice, familiarity with doctrine, belief in certain creeds, etc., may be important to sociologists, religious leaders, and others. But these are measures of religiosity and are usually not used academically to define a person’s membership in a particular religion. It is important to recognize there are various levels of adherence, or membership within religious traditions or religious bodies. There’s no single definition, and sources of adherent statistics do not always make it clear what definition they are using.

Source: Adherents.com web site 00-ADH5 on Nov 7, 2000

Member, National Governors Association/Economic Development.

The National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington’s most respected public policy organizations. NGA provides governors with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing policy reports on innovative state programs and hosting networking seminars for state government executive branch officials. The NGA Center for Best Practices focuses on state innovations and best practices on issues that range from education and health to technology, welfare reform, and the environment. NGA also provides management and technical assistance to both new and incumbent governors.

Since their initial meeting in 1908 to discuss interstate water problems, governors have worked through the National Governors Association to deal with issues of public policy and governance relating to the states. The association’s ongoing mission is to support the work of the governors by providing a bipartisan forum to help shape and implement national policy and to solve state problems.

Fortune Magazine recently named NGA as one of Washington’s most powerful lobbying organizations due, in large part, to NGA’s ability to lead the debate on issues that impact states. From welfare reform to education, from the historic tobacco settlement to wireless communications tax policies, NGA has influenced major public policy issues while maintaining the strength of our Federalist system of government.

There are three standing committees—on Economic Development and Commerce, Human Resources, and Natural Resources—that provide a venue for governors to examine and develop policy positions on key state and national issues.

[Note: NGA positions represent a majority view of the nation’s governors, but do not necessarily reflect a governor’s individual viewpoint. Governors vote on NGA policy positions but the votes are not made public.]

Source: National Governors Association web site www.NGA.org 01-NGA0 on Jan 1, 2001

Member of Republican Governors Association.

Founded in 1963, the Republican Governors Association (RGA) is the official public policy and political organization of the Republican governors and governors-elect of the United States of America

RGA Mission Statement To assist in the solution of significant national public policy problems. To enable the Republican governors to take their proper position in expressing the philosophy of the Republican Party within the national party framework. To assist in the election of Republican gubernatorial candidates and the reelection of incumbent governors. To provide a mechanism to facilitate communications and cooperation among its members; with local, state and national Party organizations; with Republicans in the US Congress; and with Republicans in the Executive branch of government during a Republican administration.

The RGA will enhance the visibility of the Association as a unified policy-making and political force with the national media, business community and government through a coordinated communications strategy. By building more awareness of the policies of the Republican governors, the political and policy objectives of the Association as a whole can be achieved. Currently, there are 29 Republican governors representing roughly 60 percent of the American people.

Source: Republican Governors Association website, rga.policy.net 01-RGA1 on Aug 15, 2001

Member of the Western Governors' Association.

Established in 1984, the Western Governors' Association is an independent, non-partisan organization of governors from 18 western states and three U.S.-flag Pacific islands. The Association was formed to provide strong leadership in an era of critical change in the economy and demography of the West. The Western Governors recognize that many vital issues and opportunities shaping our future span state lines and are shared throughout the West.

Mission

The WGA has six basic objectives: Develop and Communicate Regional Policy Serve as a Leadership Forum Build Regional Capacity Conduct Research and Disseminate Findings Form Coalitions and Partnerships to Advance Regional Interests Build Public Understanding and Support for Regional Issues and Policy Positions

Source: Western Governors' Association Mission Statement 01-WGA0 on Aug 17, 2001

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Page last updated: Oct 17, 2012