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Lunching With Gary Johnson

By Philip Klein on 2.11.10 @ 4:28PM

Earlier this afternoon, The American Spectator held a Newsmaker event with former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, who as Jim noted earlier, is being touted as the potential Ron Paul of 2012.

Johnson has been making the rounds in Washington this week to promote his Our America initiative, a non-profit group he recently launched to promote his libertarian ideas and raise his profile ahead of what is widely expected to be a presidential run.

When I asked him about his possible presidential ambitions and the talk of him as a possible successor to Paul, he didn't beat it down, but instead he cited his group's non-profit status to deflect the question. Yet he did say he thought the ideas Paul campaigned on represented the beliefs of "a majority of Republicans."

By contrast, he dismissed the idea of running for Senate out of hand, calling it a "trough job." He said, "It's a job where you belly up to the trough and eat away."

Like Paul, he opposed the Iraq War. He also favors a withdrawal from Afghanistan, though he said he supported the initial invasion.

Johnson, a local businessman, was elected governor in 1994 with no prior political experience and served two terms as governor. He vetoed 750 bills, and claims to have issued thousands more line item vetoes. He garned the most national attention when he came out in favor of marijuana legalization.

While Johnson touted his spending restraint and "good government" reforms, he was candid about the fact that he had little in the way of legislative accomplishments.

"I proposed a lot of legislation," Johnson said, before acknowledging, "none of it went anywhere, really."

Instead, he told the group that he built more highways without raising taxes, cut the growth of Medicaid, and privatized half of the prison system.

In the post-gubernatorial section of his biography it only said he "has remained very active, competing in numerous athletic competitions. He is an avid skier, adventurer, and bicyclist who abstains from alcohol. In 2003, he climbed Mount Everest."

When I him asked what he's been doing after leaving office seven years ago besides climbing mountains, he told me, "Really, that's what I've been doing."

Dave Weigel has more on Johnson, from a Reason event earlier this week.

View all comments (6) | Leave a comment

James Potter| 2.11.10 @ 5:38PM

I like this guy. Very refreshing. I particularly like, "I proposed a lot of legislation ... none of it anywhere, really." Not really comfortable with his position on alcohol, but otherwise he seems like a real P.J. O'Rourke Republican.

spinnikerca| 2.11.10 @ 6:21PM

I just don't get this sudden flurry calling him the 'Ron Paul' of the future. Ron Paul's record is absolutely consistent and inspiring. I just don't read Gary's the same way, he seems much more of a 'regular politician.' I'm not saying I could never vote for him depending on who ran against him, but I wouldn't get anything like as 'fired up', unfortunately.

Gary Johnson 2012| 2.11.10 @ 9:09PM

spinnikerca,

There is only one Ron Paul, and no one can match Paul's record. But there is a LOT to like about Gary Johnson.

According to http://www.JohnsonForAmerica.com, Gary Johnson was known for:

* Vetoing 750 bills (more than all the vetoes of the other 49 Governors combined) and over 1000 line items.
* Reducing taxes $123 million annually.
* Shrinking the size of state government by 1200 employees.
* Eliminating the state’s budget deficit.
* Leaving the state government with all-time high bond ratings.
* Enacting major welfare reform, which cut government welfare spending by 30%.
* Shifting state Medicaid to managed care.
* Bringing the New Mexico state government and the Navajo nation leadership together to finally resolve century-old disputes over water, gaming, and other issues.
* Privatizing half of the prisons in the state.
* Shooting down campaign finance legislation.
* Attracting many new private and parochial schools into the state.
* Repealing the Little Davis-Bacon Act, thereby allowing non-unionized labor the ability to be employed in construction of new schools and other public works.
* Overseeing the construction of 500 miles of new, four-lane highway (designed, financed, built, and guaranteed by the private sector).
* Running 100% positive campaigns, never mentioning his opponents once in print or ads.
* Coming from outside of politics with no political machine behind him to beat a former Republican Governor in the Republican primaries and then unseat an incumbent Democrat Governor in the general election by a 10 point victory margin, even at a time when Democrats outnumbered Republicans 2-1 in the state.

Spicy Joker| 2.11.10 @ 10:30PM

Ron Paul is a whiny retard. I certainly won't be voting for the "next Ron Paul."

A Balrog of Morgoth| 2.12.10 @ 1:09AM

Does Gary Johnson have a blimp? Are his supporters willing to go full retard?

I'd have to be skeptical of his Paulian bonafides otherwise.

bill| 2.12.10 @ 2:54PM

Ah JOKER...
It seems that the only thing you do is go from one article to the next and type "RETARD". Is that your new word for the week?

This is a place for intelligent people to debate ideas. If you have something to say that might enlighten us to Gov. Johnson's strengths or weaknesses then go ahead, but please leave the name calling to the eight year olds on the playground.