Gary Johnson Gary Johnson just announced that he is running for President

[NatalieNonServiam]

Why are some of the Ron-Paul-Only-ists saying that Gary Johnson swooped in at the last minute to "steal" the 2012 race away from Ron Paul??? Ron Paul kept dropping hints in 2008 that he was looking for someone to pass the torch to the next time around, and Gary said he was going to run for the 2012 election as far back as 2008. Gary has been campaignig nonstop for the 2012 election for the past three years, while Ron Paul tip-toed around, giving conflicting signals. Even a couple weeks ago, none of us had any clue if Ron was going to run, or defer to Rand. Even Lew Rockwell posted a rumor that Ron would end up not running and would defer to Rand. Meanwhile, Gary has been campaigning in all but name this whole time. If anything, it is Ron Paul who decided to come swooping back in and "steal" the 2012 race from Gary J. (Not that I believe that's the case--neither Paul nor Johnson is "stealing" anything from eachother, only adding, but it's complete nonsense to accuse Gary J of stealing the election from Ron Paul, since it's actually quite the other way around).

 

[sailingaway]

Why are some of the Ron-Paul-Only-ists saying that Gary Johnson swooped in at the last minute to "steal" the 2012 race away from Ron Paul??? Ron Paul kept dropping hints in 2008 that he was looking for someone to pass the torch to the next time around, and Gary said he was going to run for the 2012 election as far back as 2008. Gary has been campaignig nonstop for the 2012 election for the past three years, while Ron Paul tip-toed around, giving conflicting signals. Even a couple weeks ago, none of us had any clue if Ron was going to run, or defer to Rand. Even Lew Rockwell posted a rumor that Ron would end up not running and would defer to Rand. Meanwhile, Gary has been campaigning in all but name this whole time. If anything, it is Ron Paul who decided to come swooping back in and "steal" the 2012 race from Gary J. (Not that I believe that's the case--neither Paul nor Johnson is "stealing" anything from eachother, only adding, but it's complete nonsense to accuse Gary J of stealing the election from Ron Paul, since it's actually quite the other way around).

If you are speaking of me (and I'm just a not-Gary-Johnson-ist, not a Ron Paul Onlyist) I said he came in from climbing mountains after Ron built the MOVEMENT and fundraising base, which is true. Where was Gary in 2007 when Ron was fighting a lonely battle? Ron can make up his mind to run or not in his own time. And he has kept the MOVEMENT alive all this time with Campaign for Liberty.

In this election, you bet Ron is my candidate, he inspires me as no one else does. But I'm KEEN to find someone who inspires me more, or even nearly as much. Gary falls into neither category.

You will find partisanship for Ron on a Ron Paul Forums.

 

[BamaFanNKy]

Conway wasn't so out of shape, but who did more events, him or Rand?

Gary isn't Ron. Rand IS his son.

WTF does that mean? Jack Conway is a yuppie who's dad gave him everything and only won one statewide election.

Gary Johnson is a former Governor who won 2 elections in a dem heavy state. He also built his own company from the ground up. Gary also didn't have a newborn and a sense of entitlement like Jack Conway. Stop comparing this to Sen. Paul. Are we into "Monarchy" where you have to be born from the right family to be in charge?

 

[RonPaulFanInGA]

how can you be so sure?

No one can be 100% sure. But the fact is, Ron Paul already had a big enough of an uphill climb to the promised land without now having to compete for his own base that should really be locked into place.

As the Washington Post today says: it's now a fight between Ron Paul and Gary Johnson for that 7% of the GOP primary electorate that makes up our 'base.'

 

[BamaFanNKy]

If you are speaking of me (and I'm just a not-Gary-Johnson-ist, not a Ron Paul Onlyist) I said he came in from climbing mountains after Ron built the MOVEMENT and fundraising base, which is true. Where was Gary in 2007 when Ron was fighting a lonely battle? Ron can make up his mind to run or not in his own time.

In this election, you bet Ron is my candidate, he inspires me as no one else does. But I'm KEEN to find someone who inspires me more, or even nearly as much. Gary falls into neither category.

You will find partisanship for Ron on a Ron Paul Forums.

Your right. The former Governor of New Mexico has never built a donor base before?

Also, Ron Paul picked the torch of the movement up..... he didn't build it. Many were in this before Ron Paul had the torch.

 

[K466]

I don't really see why a failed bid for the Republican nomination is more worthwhile than an easy Senate seat.

 

[BamaFanNKy]

No one can be 100% sure. But the fact is, Ron Paul already had a big enough of an uphill climb to the promised land without now having to compete for his own base that should really be locked into place.

As the Washington Post today says: it's now a fight between Ron Paul and Gary Johnson for that 7% of the GOP primary electorate that makes up our 'base.'

Meh. I don't see that. Most of the RP base will vote RP. Also RP will be picking up Christian Right and Tea Partiers since he's pandering to the Christian Coalition types in Iowa.
In SC he'll get with the Demint types as well. Gary will be gone pretty quick as he's dropped hints as being an atheist.

 

[NatalieNonServiam]

If you are speaking of me (and I'm just a not-Gary-Johnson-ist, not a Ron Paul Onlyist) I said he came in from climbing mountains after Ron built the MOVEMENT and fundraising base, which is true. Ron can make up his mind to run or not in his own time. In this election, you bet Ron is my candidate, he inspires me as no one else does. But I'm KEEN to find someone who inspires me more, or even nearly as much. Gary falls into neither category.

You will find partisanship for Ron on a Ron Paul Forums.

How can any Ron Paul supporter be a "not-Gary-Johnson-ist"? Gary Johnson's head and shoulders more libertarian than a lot of the other "heroes" that get praised around here: Jesse Ventura and Gerald Celente (who aren't even technically libertarians at all), Peter Schiff (who doesn't support abolishing the Fed and supports bombing Iran), Walter B. Jones (who's a fiscal liberal)... I've seen more love for Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann around here than I have for Gary Johnson, for pete's sake.

I even heard one Ron Paul cultist (not on these forums) say that they wouldn't even vote for Gary Johnson if the only other option was Barack Obama. We're not the Lyndon LaRouche campaign, people!

 

[BamaFanNKy]

I don't really see why a failed bid for the Republican nomination is more worthwhile than an easy Senate seat.

Maybe just maybe, he doesn't want to be a Senator. Or just maybe he knows he may bow out early if he's not trending and will go run for Senate.

 

[Maximus]

Run for Senate man. I would send money to you. Only Ron Paul is getting $ for President from me.

 

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Yeah. Gary Johnson is getting free "first one in" publicity from this.

Is he? Nothing on HotAir yet about this. Nothing on FreeRepublic yet about Gary Johnson's announcement; and that's a website with thousands of active members where big news gets posted instantaneously. Nothing even on satire sites like Wonkette. This wouldn't happen with Ron Paul (or Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Mike Huchabee, etc.) The whole announcement seems to be a snoozefest. I think we're talking more about it here on RonPaulForums than the entire rest of the internet is.

 

[tsai3904]

Remember the days when all our choices were shit. Now we have two options and you people are bitching about it?

There's a reason why Rand said he won't run if Ron is running. If the point of the election is to win, then it doesn't make sense for there to be two or more people who share 90% beliefs. If a Republican primary voter is looking for someone who is anti war, protecting civil liberties, etc., they will have to decide between Ron and Gary, and votes will be split. If the point of the election is to educate, then more the merrier.

 

[sailingaway]

WTF does that mean? Jack Conway is a yuppie who's dad gave him everything and only won one statewide election.

Gary Johnson is a former Governor who won 2 elections in a dem heavy state. He also built his own company from the ground up. Gary also didn't have a newborn and a sense of entitlement like Jack Conway. Stop comparing this to Sen. Paul. Are we into "Monarchy" where you have to be born from the right family to be in charge?

LOL! Rand being Ron's son absolutely caught my attention, but I liked him during the 2007 campaign, before he ran for Senate.

What I was saying is that I see a similarity between Ron and Rand in devoting energy to the race and to ideas, and since you worked on Rand's campaign, I think you would see it too. I don't see it with Gary. I see him waiting until Ron already created a more receptive atmosphere, and not wanting to do the unpleasant work to build that in 2007, for example. I see him as out for himself, whereas to Ron, this is a life's calling. But I actually do see Gary as a poser, if a fiscally conservative (domestically) one. So we just have different opinions of him, and you are entitled to yours.

I'm not fighting you.

It is the idea that we as Ron Paul supporters should support him, and the idea expressed above that under some circumstance Ron should drop out in favor of Gary that I find revolting.

 

[specsaregood]

Why are some of the Ron-Paul-Only-ists

I'm not a "ron paul only ist", I just don't care for Johnson, he comes off as a giant douchebag to me. But hey, feel free to support him all you want.

 

[qh4dotcom]

I like Gary, but I don't want him running against Ron Paul. I'd much rather have him in the Senate so we have 3 voices of reason there (4 with Demint on a good day)

He can always drop out before the 1st primary or caucus...let him run...two candidates talking about liberty is better than one

 

[sailingaway]

Your right. The former Governor of New Mexico has never built a donor base before?

Also, Ron Paul picked the torch of the movement up..... he didn't build it. Many were in this before Ron Paul had the torch.

Gary's donations were in an article yesterday, I don't remember the exact number, but they weren't large. Ron is leading everyone, including Romney, in fundraising last quarter.

And yes Ron built on those who went before, but he didn't try to snatch their torch from their hands when they had just fueled and lit it.

--

BamaFan, it's fine if you prefer Gary. But you honestly have the wrong idea about Ron. You didn't expect that PPP poll, did you? And had you kept up on primary fundraising?

Ron leads all in fundraising, has 600,000 members in his Campaign for Liberty, was tied for first when he wasn't competing in a poll for senate in Texas against someone who WAS competing.....and has over 70 % name recognition nationally. He polls well against Obama in the general election, as well.

Against that, is his age and that he has been marginalized enough that it we will need to get people to take a fresh look. But he isn't a marginal candidate.

 

[BamaFanNKy]

LOL! Rand being Ron's son absolutely caught my attention, but I liked him during the 2007 campaign, before he ran for Senate.

What I was saying is that I see a similarity between Ron and Rand in devoting energy to the race and to ideas, and since you worked on Rand's campaign, I think you would see it too. I don't see it with Gary. I see him waiting until Ron already created a more receptive atmosphere, and not wanting to do the unpleasant work to build that in 2007, for example. I see him as out for himself, whereas to Ron, this is a life's calling. But I actually do see Gary as a poser, if a fiscally conservative (domestically) one. So we just have different opinions of him, and you are entitled to yours.

I'm not fighting you.
It is the idea that we as Ron Paul supporters should support him, and the idea expressed above that under some circumstance Ron should drop out in favor of Gary that I find revolting.

Wait, he was doing what we all preach about as Governor in the early part of the decade. THIS GUY WAS THE ONLY GOP GOV IN 2004 NOT TO ENDORSE BUSH! I swear, you guys act as if Gary was an X-Game mountain climber who just decided to run.

Granted this 30 seconds would play well with many GOPers:

 

[Trassin]

Christian Science Monitor just released a really well written profile of Gary Johnson. I highly recommend giving it a quick read. Especially those of you who seem to think that he doesn't have a strong libertarian record or is some new comer just trying to steal Ron Paul's message.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Electi...01-Who-is-Gary-Johnson/What-are-his-strengths

From the article:
"Indeed, Johnson’s performance as a two-term governor of mostly-blue New Mexico is his strongest card. And his legacy of vetoing a record 750 spending bills and leaving the state budget with a $1 billion surplus could be a strong selling point in a race where soaring government spending are likely to be front and center."

 

[specsaregood]

//

 

[BamaFanNKy]

Gary's donations were in an article yesterday, I don't remember the exact number, but they weren't large. Ron is leading everyone, including Romney, in fundraising last quarter.

And yes Ron built on those who went before, but he didn't try to snatch their torch from their hands when they had just fueled and lit it.

--

BamaFan, it's fine if you prefer Gary. But you honestly have the wrong idea about Ron. You didn't expect that PPP poll, did you? And had you kept up on primary fundraising?

Ron leads all in fundraising, has 600,000 members in his Campaign for Liberty, was tied for first when he wasn't competing in a poll for senate in Texas against someone who WAS competing.....and has over 70 % name recognition nationally. He polls well against Obama in the general election, as well.

Against that, is his age and that he has been marginalized enough that it we will need to get people to take a fresh look. But he isn't a marginal candidate.

Actually it was a GOP Primary and not statewide election poll so, I am not gaga over it. Also, I am referring to Gary when he ran for Governor.

I am voting for Ron or Gary. Fact is, neither are going to win. The delusions on this board that the system is not rigged is comical.