Gary Johnson in Sunday Political Talk Show interviews during 2013-2015
On Principles & Values:
2016 support fell from 9% to 3% just before election
Democrats have long complained--with good reason--about the role of the Green Party in depriving Al Gore of the White House in 2000. Nader received 2.74% of the vote, including 1.63% in the critical state of FL that Gore lost by 537 votes. That 2.74%
was a strong showing for a third party, but in 2016, the Libertarian Party topped that total.The Libertarian Party had never before received more than 1.1% of the vote in a presidential election. But with NM Gov. Gary Johnson and former MA Gov.
William Weld serving as their ticket, the party rocketed to 3.24% of the vote. In two of the critical states that Trump flipped, MI and WI, Johnson topped 3.6%. In Pennsylvania, the third normally Democratic stronghold that voted GOP, Johnson received
2.4%.
It is not clear from the polling, but one of the reasons for Trump's surprise victory was the cratering in support for Johnson in the waning months of the election. In September, he was polling at 9%, which fell off heavily by Election Day.
Source: Houston Chronicle on 2016 presidential hopefuls
May 13, 2019
On Foreign Policy:
Knowing all the world facts just means we use military more
Johnson suggested that foreign policy expertise, or even an understanding of where international leaders are from, is what leads to military conflict. "You know what? The fact that somebody can dot the i's and cross the t's on a foreign leader's
geographic location then allows them to put our military in harm's way," Johnson said.The former New Mexico governor has been widely panned for a pair of foreign policy gaffes that have weighed down his long-shot candidacy. First, Johnson responded
to a question about the ongoing civil war in Syria by asking his questioner, "What is Aleppo?" His inability to recognize Syria's largest city, and the epicenter of its humanitarian crisis, was compounded last week when Johnson was to "name one
foreign leader that you respect and look up to." Johnson could not name one and admitted that he was having another "Aleppo moment."
Johnson, like most Libertarians, supports non-interventionist foreign and military policies.
Source: Politico.com on 2016 presidential hopefuls
Oct 4, 2016
On Foreign Policy:
Non-interventionist foreign policies: no regime changes
Johnson, like most Libertarians, supports non-interventionist foreign and military policies, suggesting that U.S. involvement has almost always made international conflicts worse, not better. Under a President Johnson, the United States would only use
its military might to retaliate when attacked. "We put our military in this horrible situation where we go in and support regime change. They get involved in civil wars where hundreds of thousands of innocent people are in a cross fire.
We're literally shooting at ourselves because we support both sides of conflicts, Syria as an example," he said. "We wonder why our men in service and women suffer from PTSD in the first place.
It's because we elect people who can dot the i's and cross the t's on these names and geographic locations as opposed to the underlying philosophy which is let's stop getting involved in these regime changes. "
Source: Politico.com on 2016 presidential hopefuls
Oct 4, 2016
On Civil Rights:
It's racism to judge others by their birth, like Trump does
Q: Trump is looking at replacing Muslim TSA employees who wear hijabs, the traditional head scarf, with military retirees--with veterans. What did you make of the comment?JOHNSON: He has said 100 things that would disqualify anyone else from running
for president but doesn't seem to affect him. That statement in and of itself it really is--it's racist.
Q: You feel that his statement is racist, or do you think he is racist?
JOHNSON: Well, when it comes to Mexican immigration and that he would
call immigrants from Mexico murderers and rapists--look, that's just not true. They are more law-abiding than U.S. citizens and that is a statistic. The stuff he is saying is just incendiary.
Q: Incendiary, but do you think he himself is racist?
JOHNSON: Based on his statements, clearly. I mean, if you look up the definition of "racism," calling a U.S.-born Hispanic a Mexican and his inability to judge others [because he is Hispanic, that's racist].
Source: CNN 2016 State of the Union Q&A with presidential hopefuls
Jul 3, 2016
On Free Trade:
I'm a real skeptic on trade agreements, but I would sign TPP
Q: What's your view on the TPP? Here's what Donald Trump said:TRUMP: Ask Hillary if she is willing to withdraw from the TPP her first day in office and unconditionally rule out its passage in any form.
JOHNSON: I am a real skeptic when it comes
to these trade agreements that, in fact, these trade agreements can be laden with crony capitalism. But based on people that have been advising me that I hold in very high esteem, I am being told that the Trans-Pacific Partnership would,
in fact, advance free trade, and so I would support that document. The devil is in the details, though, and for the most part legislation that passes really
promotes crony capitalism, promotes those that have money as opposed to a level playing field for everybody. So I am a skeptic, but based on what I know, I would sign TPP.
Source: CNN 2016 State of the Union Q&A with presidential hopefuls
Jul 3, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Individual liberty includes supporting gay marriage
Johnson said the party advocates less government involvement and more individual liberty. "People should be able to make choices in their own lives. Always come down on the side of choice," Johnson said. [Johnson was interviewed along with
Vice-presidential nominee William Weld.] Both men described themselves as fiscally conservative but accepting of social differences. They are pro-gay marriage and support protecting a woman's right to abortion.
Source: Eric Duvall on UPI on 2016 presidential hopefuls
Jun 22, 2016
On Civil Rights:
States have the right to display the Confederate flag
Q: Should states be allowed to display the Confederate flag on government property?- Donald Trump's answer: No. "I think they should put it in the museum and let it go," Trump said of the flag during an appearance at his new golf course. "Respect
whatever it is you have to respect, because it was a point in time, and put it in a museum. But I would take it down."
- Hillary Clinton's answer: No, it is a symbol of racism. "It shouldn't fly there. It shouldn't fly anywhere,"
Mrs. Clinton said of South Carolina, where a white gunman killed nine African-Americans last Wednesday during a Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
- Gary Johnson's answer:
Yes, each state should have the right to display any flag they choose.
- Bernie Sanders' answer: No.
- Jill Stein's answer: No, it is a symbol of racism.
Source: 2016 presidential hopefuls: iSideWith.com "Confederate flag"
Jun 17, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Workplace discrimination against gays is like race in 1960s
Should "gender identity" be added to anti-discrimination laws?- Donald Trump's answer: Yes. Asked whether private companies should be able to fire employees simply because they're gay, Trump said that he didn't think sexual orientation "should be a
reason" for letting workers go.
- Hillary Clinton's answer: Yes. "We should ban discrimination against LGBT Americans and their families so they can live, learn, marry, and work," she says.
- Gary Johnson's answer: Yes. In Reason magazine, Johnson
responds that he doesn't believe there should be workplace discrimination against gays, referencing racial segregation & civil rights laws from the 1960s. Specifically asked if there should be laws preventing employers and businesses from discriminating
against gay workers or customers, Johnson says the discrimination should be legally prohibited: "There has to be an awareness, and there has to be consequences to discrimination. And there should not be discrimination."
- Jill Stein's answer: Yes.
Source: 2016 presidential hopefuls: iSideWith.com "Gender identity"
Jun 17, 2016
On Health Care:
Assisted suicide acceptable after psychological examination
- Q: Should terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?
- Hillary Clinton: I don't know the answer to that. I have a great deal of sympathy for people who are in difficult end-of-life situations.
I've gone to friends who have been in great pain and suffering at the end of their lives. I've never been personally confronted with it but I know it's a terribly difficult decision that should never be forced upon anyone.
So with appropriate safeguards and informed decision-making, I think it's an appropriate right.
- Gary Johnson's answer:
Yes, but only after a psychological examination to show they fully understand this choice
- Donald Trump has not stated a position on this issue
- Bernie Sanders: Yes
- Jill Stein: Yes
Source: 2016 presidential hopefuls on iSideWith.com, "Euthanasia"
Jun 17, 2016
On Gun Control:
Carrying guns reduces crime and mass shootings
[Johnson said with regards to the June 2016 Orlando mass shooting], "These atrocities have been happening in gun-free zones. If there were law-abiding citizens that were carrying weapons--I'm not saying they would lessen the impact of these horrible atro
Source: USA Today on 2016 presidential hopefuls
Jun 16, 2016
On Gun Control:
Discuss keeping guns away from mentally ill
Johnson says he has a "nuanced" view of the Libertarian Party platform plank, which opposes "all laws at any level of government" restricting guns. "We should be open to a discussion on keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill," he says. "I
don't know how that manifests itself, but I just want to let people know I have an open mind about how government might interject itself in a lot of the problems we have." Over the past five years, he himself has purchased two guns for self-protection.
Source: USA Today on 2016 presidential hopefuls
Jun 16, 2016
On Gun Control:
Against denying guns to people on government no-fly list
Gary Johnson has come out against proposals to deny Americans on the no-fly list from purchasing guns on the grounds of due process. "Gov. Johnson believes Second Amendment rights are too fundamental to be denied without due process, and being put on a
list arbitrarily by the government is certainly not due process," the Johnson campaign told The Daily Caller.His campaign pointed to a recent blog post by the ACLU titled, "Until the No Fly List is Fixed, It Shouldn't Be Used To Restrict
People's Freedoms." The ACLU is currently in a legal challenge against the no fly list. They say it is "unconstitutionally vague, and innocent people are blacklisted without a fair process to correct government error."
President Obama and Hillary
Clinton have come out in favor of barring people from the no fly list and terror watch list from purchasing weapons. Donald Trump said that he is going to meet with the NRA to discuss these proposals.
Source: The Daily Caller on 2016 presidential hopefuls
Jun 15, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Denying gay couples the right to marry is discrimination
Gary Johnson said he's "disappointed" with President Obama's position on gay marriage. Obama told ABC he would let each individual state decide the gay marriage question instead of seeking federal protection of the right to marry. Johnson noted that more
than 30 states already ban same sex marriage in one way or another.Johnson said, "Instead of insisting on equality as a US Constitutional guarantee, the President has thrown this question back to the states. When the smoke clears, Gay Americans will
realize that millions of Americans in most states will continue to be denied true marriage equality."
Johnson, once a long-time supporter of civil unions, has also "evolved" on the gay marriage question. "As I have examined this issue, consulted with
folks on all sides, and viewed it through the lens of individual freedom and equal rights," he said in December 2011, "it has become clear to me that denying those rights and benefits to gay couples is discrimination, plain and simple."
Source: Reason Magazine on 2016 presidential hopefuls
May 10, 2012
Page last updated: Nov 30, 2021