Tim Johnson

Times Writers Group

Johnson’s policies bring together the best of the traditional parties.

He’s a fiscal conservative and is socially tolerant.

Are you disgusted with the choices for president? I’m not – well, not all of them. The Republican and Democratic nominees have made my choice all too easy. I’m voting for Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson — the same person I voted for in 2012.

Most of us can agree Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, whose reputations have more warts than a knot of toads, are irresponsible choices. Whether you fear, like I do, the proposition of Trump having access to nuclear weapons, or the proposition of Clinton’s self-preservation trumping (sorry, I had to) our nation’s interests, we cannot, in good conscience, vote for either.

Here is our saving grace: A presidential candidate who is not simply the lesser of any degree of evil, like the other candidates. Johnson (no relation) was a two-term governor of New Mexico and made many positive changes in that state.

For the most part, Johnson’s policies bring together the best of the traditional parties. He’s a fiscal conservative and is socially tolerant. He’s for lower taxes and more personal freedom. His policies get government out of your way so you can succeed (or fail.) He’s practical and notes that a wall on the border will simply produce longer ladders and deeper tunnels.

But even without considering policy stances, we have in this candidate a pragmatic leader who understands that acknowledging a mistake is the first step toward finding a solution. He recognizes his personal feelings on a policy don’t always get to determine that policy. He plans to lead, not dictate.

I know some think to themselves or even say aloud, “A ‘third party’ vote is a wasted vote.” I disagree. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil.

Additionally, if everyone who is fed up with business as usual, with sacrificing American lives to police the planet, with America drowning in debt voted for the best candidate no matter the party, we can have a sincere chance at winning this.

We have an opportunity Nov. 8 to elect a president who will truly honor the oath of office. We have an opportunity to elect a leader with success in the executive branch. We can shake up the system, anger aristocrats and halt our habit of voting for “the lesser of two evils.”

And oh, how evil they are this election season. One offers ideas steeped in bigotry while the other struggles to tell the truth. Worse, neither admits to doing anything wrong because neither believes they can do any wrong.

Johnson will work to lower the deficit, which, when he hopefully takes office, is projected to be near $20 trillion (that’s 13 zeroes, folks), which means each of us is in debt $62,500, on average.

I don’t agree with Johnson on all of his policies, but I do believe that he “will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will,to the best of (his) ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

And that’s what matters most.

Let’s shed the sideshows and vote for a pragmatic leader with proven success. Please join me and vote for Gary Johnson Nov. 8.

This is the opinion of Tim Johnson, a husband, father and an Air Force veteran. He has lived most of his life in Central Minnesota. His column is published the first Thursday of the month.