Gary Johnson Gary Johnson Playboy Interview (January 2001)

[svf]

Very interesting read from back in the day...

Part 1 of 2
http://mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n1854.a07.html

Part 2 of 2
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n1855.a01.html

A few choice quotes:

Every year since I have been governor, our state legislature has overspent an average of $30 million a year. Without exception, all my vetoes are about new programs that we can't pay for. Yes, some good programs fall to my veto pen. But I won't raise taxes. I've vetoed more bills since I have been in office than all the other governors combined-550 or so. Most of the vetoes have to do with spending money we don't have. I am a fiscal conservative.

You hear you're going to lose your mind and go crazy and even die if you smoke marijuana. I said, "You know what? I smoked marijuana, and when I smoked it, none of those things happened. In fact, it was kind of cool." You have to tell the truth. When kids realize you're lying, they will no longer listen to you. They may think the stuff you've been telling them about other drugs isn't true either. So part of a useful education program about drugs is honesty. People try pot and they don't go crazy. They don't get into crime. It doesn't destroy their lives, necessarily. We have to be honest.

I'm one of those who believe the bumper sticker: If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. The first people who are going to be in line to turn in their guns are law-abiding citizens. Criminals are going to be left with guns. I believe that concealed carry is a way of reducing gun violence.

PLAYBOY: Where do you stand on abortion rights?

JOHNSON: It should be left up to the woman. If my daughter were pregnant and she came to me and asked me what she ought to do, I would advise her to have the child. But I would not for a minute pretend that I should make that decision for her or any other woman.

PLAYBOY: What other drugs did you try?

JOHNSON: Cocaine. I quickly came to understand why people get addicted to cocaine. Whew. For me personally, it wasn't anything I was going to get involved with.

PLAYBOY: Because it's seductive?

JOHNSON: I saw danger. It wasn't anything you wanted to be doing.

PLAYBOY: Did you try anything else--psychedelic drugs? Heroin?

JOHNSON: No, but I had a lot of friends who did them. I have friends who did heroin--I saw them do heroin--and they never were addicted. They just experimented with it. So that's another myth: Everyone who tries heroin becomes an addict.

If there's a criticism about me that I love, it's that I'm a Libertarian. If people call me a Republican Libertarian, great. I separate myself from the party when it wants to legislate morality. You can't legislate morality. You lead by example, but you can't tell people how to live, which, ironically, is a Republican assumption. A law against smoking marijuana just does not work. There are other ways to try to get people not to smoke.

 

[torchbearer]

nice. real.

 

[Trassin]

I'll be voting for him here in Florida as soon as early voting starts and I really hope he runs again in 2016.

 

[Gravik]

I'll be voting for him here in Florida as soon as early voting starts and I really hope he runs again in 2016.

Don't know why he wouldn't. He'll have 4 years to really get his name out and hopefully be a force to recon with in 2016. Rand Paul/Gary Johnson or Gary Johnson/Rand Paul would make for an interesting ticket.

 

[DeMintConservative]

Putting together:

- the people I know who are considering voting for Gary Johnson
- the stuff I read in the internet from his supporters
- the issues his campaign and its press coverage is focusing

I'm starting to believe he'll steal more votes from Obama than from Romney. I wish the exit polls guys poll the 2nd preference of his voters and publish it.