Introducing Gary Johnson

As the next presidential election rolls around, few Americans are happy with a state of the union. The Fed is inflating the dollar, the government won't stop wasting money on inefficient programs and needless wars, and there is less transparency than ever. Obama was elected on change, but his policies are not unlike a moderate Republican 20 years ago. He is seeming more and more like a neoconservative, giving bailouts and tax breaks to huge corporations while the average American gets the shaft. But up until now, the GOP offered no sound alternatives. All corporatists, from Newt to Mitt to Santorum, or jokes, like Palin or Trump.

Today, I have slightly more hope. Not just because Ron Paul announced his candidacy. I like Paul, but he is more socially conservative than I would like and can come across as old and kooky. Rather, someone I've had my eye on for awhile, someone actually feasible, practical, logical, intelligent, entered the race for the GOP nomination: Gary Johnson.

Johnson is the former governor of New Mexico. His tenure was significant for a number of reasons. New Mexico is a 2 to 1 Democrat state. He was elected and reelected. In the process, he vetoed more bills than all other governors combined. No corporate welfare. No useless spending. That was his policy. When he did leave office, New Mexico was one of four states with a surplus. On the personal level, Johnson is a libertarian. He believes in the individual, and he lives as an example. Out of college, Johnson built a construction business from the ground up. By the time he sold the company 23 years later, it was one of New Mexico's largest construction companies, with a multi-million dollar value and over 1000 employees. On top of this, he participates in triathlons, climbed Mount Everest - and he's only 58. Unlike Paul, he's pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and pro-immigration. Like Paul, he advocates ending the War On Drugs and legalizing marijuana, and rejects auto and banking bailouts, state bailouts, cap-and-trade, card check, and the mountain of regulation that protects special interests rather than benefiting consumers or the economy. Personal freedom is what Johnson is all about.

Though I don't see Johnson winning due to his low recognition status, his and Paul's presences in the debates will surely bring a new dynamic. The GOP can't deny the problems with these two loudmouths around. I have faith that this election cycle might actually usher in some real change - at the very least in the direction of freedom and in the heart of the average American rather than the Forbes 500.