By now, you have probably heard the news.
This morning, I stepped before the
microphones at a news conference in the New
Mexico capitol and announced that I am seeking the
Libertarian nomination for President of the United States.
The Libertarian Party nominee
will be on the ballot in all 50 states – as was the case in 2008.
It was both a difficult decision – and an easy one. It was difficult
because I have a lot of Republican history, and a lot of Republican
supporters. But in the final analysis, as many, many commentators
have said since watching how I governed in New Mexico, I am a Libertarian -
that is, someone who is fiscally very conservative but holds
freedom-based positions on many social issues.
Frankly, I have been deeply disappointed by the treatment I received
in the Republican nomination process. Other candidates with no
national name identification like Herman Cain, Rick Santorum and Jon
Huntsman were allowed to participate in the debates.
Incredibly candidates with no executive experience like Michelle
Bachmann and Rick Santorum were allowed to participate while I, a
successful two-term governor with a solid record of job creation, was
arbitrarily excluded by elitist media organizations in New York. My
appeals to the Republican National Chairman for basic fairness were
ignored.
I had hoped to lay out a full libertarian message on all the issues
in the Republican contest. I think this election needs a libertarian
voice. While Ron
Paul is a good man and a libertarian who I proudly
endorsed for president in 2008, there is no guarantee he will be the
Republican nominee.
When I announced that I was running for president, I promised you I
would be a voice for bold ideas to bring government and its spending
under control. I promised I would put my record as the ‘most fiscally
conservative’ governor in the nation in front of the voters. And I
said that, unlike too many Republican politicians, I think Americans’
government should be smaller and less intrusive and let people make
decisions for themselves.
My Agenda for America
is clear:
- I want to end deficit spending and cut federal spending by 43%.
- I want to enact the Fair Tax
to stimulate real economic growth and jobs.
- I want to end the manipulation of our money by the Federal Reserve.
- I support the Second Amendment and oppose gun control.
- I oppose expensive foreign wars in places like Libya and Afghanistan.
- I support a woman's right to choose.
- I support marriage equality for gay Americans as required by the
Constitution.
- I support legalization of marijuana, which will save us billions
and do no harm.
- I support returning strict adherence to Constitutional principles
to our government.
It is clear that the elite national media and the political “ruling
class” don’t want this message heard. It frightens them. It frightens
them because they know our message is one that actually reflects the
true beliefs of millions of Americans – and they don’t want those
millions of people to know there really is a candidate for president
who represents them, whether they are Republicans, Democrats,
Independents or Libertarians.
Sadly neither the Republicans nor Democrats will offer this agenda to
the American people.
They can’t handle the notion of a
successful two-term governor, elected and reelected as a Republican
in a Democrat state, who could veto 750 spending bills to shrink
government -- while refusing to play the special interest game or
impose a social agenda on people who prefer to make their own
judgments about “values”.
In other words, there is no room in the national two-party club for a
candidate who actually proved that governing as a libertarian works –
and whose platform on every issue is clearly supported by a majority
of the American people.
Sometimes the best answer is the simplest. I’m a Libertarian in
belief. I successfully governed as a Libertarian in everything but
the name, and I am running for president as a Libertarian.
Even before I announced my decision, polls are showing that I would
today gain more votes than any Libertarian presidential candidate in
history – and have a very real impact on the election nationwide. And
that is before our campaign even begins.
If I earn the Libertarian nomination, I will be on the ballot in all
50 states. I will not be held hostage to a system rigged for the
wealthiest and best-known candidates in a handful of states who
happen to have early primaries. And most important, we will offer a
political “home” for millions of Americans who are not finding one in
the current political establishment or its candidates.
I am excited. I am liberated. And I am committed to shaking the
system as it has never been shaken before. Just the speculation that
I might run as a Libertarian has garnered more national media
attention than I ever received as a Republican candidate whose voice
they didn’t’ want to hear.
Depending on which poll you read, at least 40% of Republicans are not
satisfied with the “field” of candidates the media has produced for
them. At least 1 in 4 Democrats is having real second thoughts about
Barack Obama. Do the math, and it confirms what I have seen for
months on the campaign trail: The
only political majority in America today is the one
made up of voters who are looking for leadership they haven’t found
yet. America
is ready for a President who will restore common sense to our fiscal
and foreign policies and get government out of the boardroom and the
bedroom.
A credible Libertarian candidate for president is the real path to
liberty, opportunity, and a government that is put into its proper
and limited role.
In a recent national poll 63% of Americans said they wished there was
a third choice for 2012. There
is, and I intend to educate the voters about what we offer America.
Together, you and I are going to
offer that majority a choice. They
will see that Your support in the past few months has created this
amazing opportunity. I may be the messenger, but this isn’t about me.
It is about seizing a moment in history and bringing America
back from the brink.
I want you to be with me as we launch this great endeavor. I ask for
your continued support. I ask for your advice. And I am asking for
your contribution today to provide the spark for the movement we are
igniting.
You are one of my most generous supporters, and I must depend on you
to be as generous as you can once again. Please send your
contribution of $2,000, $1,000, $500, or $250. It will be used wisely
to take our message to every corner of this great country, and to
provide a voice that will otherwise never be heard in 2012. Go to: Gary
Johnson 2012.com.
As a candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination my campaign will
be eligible for Federal Matching funds -- which means whatever you
send will ultimately be matched. A $100 contribution is worth $200. A
$250 contribution is worth $500. Please send your maximum
contribution today.
Thank you for your support and your
friendship. It means more to me than you will ever know.
Sincerely,
Gary
P.S. For those who say my decision to run as the Libertarian Party
candidate will only draw votes from the Republicans and re-elect
President Obama let me predict that, as my full platform based on
freedom becomes known, my candidacy will draw votes from both the
Republicans and Democrats and many, many independents. |