If you haven’t heard, Gary Johnson is running for President. The Libertarian party candidate is slowly inching his way up in the polls. This has Democrats, Republicans and particularly Congress very nervous. With an eye on New Mexico, Johnson could spoil this election by blocking Trump and Clinton from obtaining the necessary 270 electoral votes needed to become President. This would throw the election into Congress's hands where Gary Johnson may be the best comprise for America.

So who exactly is Gary Johnson? He’s an author, politician, and entrepreneur. He describes himself as fiscally conservative, socially liberal with a philosophy of limited government and military non-interventionism.

Johnson started his entrepreneurial career as a door-to-door handyman to make money for college and grew that business into one of New Mexico's largest construction companies. After selling the business, Gary turned his attention toward politics and ran as a Republican for Governor of New Mexico with the slogan "People before Politics". His platform emphasized tax cuts, job creation, restraint on government spending, and law and order.

In a Shakespearean like foreshadowing, Johnson won the governor’s seat in a three-way general election, defeating the incumbent Governor and the former Lieutenant Governor with just under 50% of the vote; back when New Mexico was a 2-to-1 Democratic state.

Johnson sought re-election in 1998, winning by 55%. In his second term, he started a campaign focused on decriminalization of marijuana and became one of the highest-ranking elected officials in the US to advocate the legalization of cannabis. He suggested that drug abuse be treated as a health issue, not as a criminal issue.

Throughout his role as governor, Johnson vetoed more bills than the other 49 governors combined for a total of 750. One third of those had been introduced by his fellow Republicans. In 2003, Johnson retire as governor due to term-limits. He left the state with a billion dollar surplus, no tax increases, a major road building program, removal of 1,200 state employees and he shifted Medicaid to managed care.

Gary Johnson would be the healthiest President we’ve ever had in the oval office. As Governor he competed in several triathlons, marathons and bike races. He competed in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii and even ran 100 miles in 30 consecutive hours through the Rocky Mountains. He has climbed all Seven Summits including Mount Everest, and completed the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. That event requires participants to traverse a 26.2 mile course through the desert in combat boots, wearing 35-pound packs.

In 2005, Gary was involved in a near-fatal paragliding accident and fell 50 feet to the ground where he suffered multiple bone fractures, including a burst fracture to his twelfth thoracic vertebra, a broken rib, and a broken knee. The accident left him an inch and a half shorter.

wikimedia Gary Johnson

Gary ran for president in 2012, first as a Republican and then as a Libertarian. He received 1.3 million votes during the November election. This was more than any other Libertarian nominee in the history of the party.

This year with Bill Weld as Vice President the ticket is focused on introducing key legislation. Johnson has said he would balance the federal budget immediately and implement the FairTax. He would also abolish all federal income and replace it with a 23% tax on consumption of all non-essential goods. Some of their more controversial issues include reducing Medicare, Medicaid and the military by 43 percent as well as working to raise the eligibility age for Social Security.

Many American’s will be disappointed to learn Johnson doesn’t believe Iran is a military threat. In fact, he would prevent Israel from attacking Iran. The ticket is also in favor of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Bill Weld is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and has convinced Gary to switch his stance and become pro-TPP.

In this circus-like environment with less than a month to go many Americans feel forced to choose between a woman they don’t fully trust and a predatory man-child eager to use our nuclear arsenal. Gary Johnson could be the person who save us from ourselves.