Who the hell is Gary Johnson, this election’s ‘other’ guy?

He visited UVA’s Miller Center and told us just who the hell he is

Yes, we’re all tired of this election. I’m proud of you for even clicking on this article, truly proud. But after all of the name calling, offensive comments and he said-she said offered by both of the primary candidates’ campaigns, maybe you need a little Gary in your life.

Gary Johnson currently has about 6% of national voters’ support according to recent general election polls. Yeah, he’s not exactly up there with Clinton and Trump, but with a surge in Americans self-identifying as “independent” in recent years, there is some unknown territory out there that Johnson could conquer.

Now let my start by saying this article is by no means trying to get support for Gary Johnson. I knew very little about his third party candidacy prior to his visit to the Miller Center, but since he made the effort to come to UVA, I decided to make the effort to write about him. Just take this time to read about another, less visible candidate, and then you can eye roll, scoff, or even write an incredibly long and unnecessary comment on the nearest “Never Trump” or “Crooked Hillary” fan page, because according to both sides, one of them should probably be arrested.

Johnson wants to drastically cut federal spending and appeals to young voters due to his position that the young should not carry the financial burdens of the old (i.e. Medicare). But his policy plans tend to lack specifics and some of his proposals are pretty radical for a candidate who’s trying to win a general election. Gary is not the ideal candidate whose been hiding behind the walls this whole time and you are not going to be the Joyce to his Will (if you don’t watch Stranger Things, stop reading and go watch), mostly because there’s no such thing as an ideal candidate—he’s like Clinton and Trump as he too has flaws of his own.

However, I’ve provided some info below to help you make up your own mind about whether you think Gary Johnson is worth casting a ballot for on November 8th.


The Party

Gary Johnson is the former governor of New Mexico and represents the Libertarian party.

During his live taping for the public affairs program American Forum, which is filmed at the Miller Center, Johnson (I should probably not call him Gary anymore) described the Libertarian party as “fiscally conservative and socially inclusive” that is rooted in a belief that smaller government is better government.


The Issues

Since my take is most people don’t know what Gary (it just feels right) stands for or have just seen that John Oliver segment on him, I thought I’d give a general overview of where he stands on some of the key issues of this election as well as what he focused on most during his visit to the Miller Center.

Taxes (because why not start off with the most interesting topic?)

  • Gary (never mind about before) wants to eliminate the federal income tax in favor of one flat-rate consumption tax (also known as the FairTax proposal).
  • What the hell does that mean? Well, first off it’s a pretty radical stance because that means instead of paying a portion of your annual income to the government, you’re instead paying a high percentage in taxes of every good you purchase (there’s no proposed percentage as of now).
  • What do the critics say? Many people are skeptical of introducing a consumption tax because because of how it would cut government revenue, some say by drastic proportions.
  • What does Gary say? He says that the new tax policy would be revenue-neutral, meaning it would not affect government spending ability. Also, he says we might as well “eliminate the IRS’ while we’re at it.

Drug Policies (Yep, the cool, laid back sibling who rolls in right after her nerdy sister Debbie, who is also known as Taxes by close family and friends)

  • Legalize it. Although the libertarian party’s general consensus is that all drugs should be legalized, Gar-Bear (ok, I’ll stop now) says his platform only supports the legalization of marijuana. 
  • What do the critics say? This issue is a hot topic in America today, with some politicians giving a hard no, some like Bernie Sanders are getting on the let it “Bern, baby, Bern” bandwagon and others, like Hillary Clinton, are getting slowly dragged behind the bandwagon with a half-limp peace sign in the air.
  • What does Gary say? During the American Forum taping, he stated that drug use should not be “treated as a crime” but rather “a health issue.” Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that he was named the CEO of Cannabis Sativa Inc. (also known as a pot company for those who are too stoned to catch on) in 2014.

Immigration 

  • Johnson said at the Miller Center all immigrants should be able to enter the country “as long as they have a job,” go through “a thorough background check” and receive a social security card in order for them to pay taxes.
  • What do the critics say? Well, we all know Donald Trump wants to build his infamous wall to keep everyone who can’t provide a U.S. birth certificate on the other side. Hillary Clinton is more with Johnson on this one, urging for immigration reform that gives immigrants a path to citizenship.
  • What does Gary say? He believes Trump’s wall idea would “put us on the wrong side of history.” He also says his experience as a border state governor serving New Mexico has helped him understand the positive effect immigrants have on the economy, adding that in the end they’re largely “taking the jobs we don’t want.”

Education and Student Debt

  • Gary believes that there should have never been guaranteed government student loans. He thinks this type of student loan is a major reason why college tuition is so high. At the Miller Center, he said that if guaranteed government student loans had never existed, then tuition would be “cut in half” of what is today, but he did not offer too many specifics as to what that would mean for those carrying the burden of student debt now.
  • Johnson is all about saving our country money and by that he means “eliminating the federal Department of Education.”
  • What do the critics say? Let’s just say most aren’t too jazzed about it.
  • What does Gary say? It’s going to help with his plan to reduce federal spending by 43%, and that he’s willing to do it big.

Gary with actual students, including Brandon Ancarrow

Aleppo (because I couldn’t not)

  • Johnson made a serious political gaffe on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show in September by “forgetting” what Aleppo is. Refresher: Aleppo is a major Syrian city currently embroiled in the Syrian war and has been an area of contention between American and Russian forces. Another refresher: It’s the city where the picture of the shocked and bloody little boy that has become a symbol for the horrific turmoil the war has caused. A third refresher: You don’t have to know it, but the potential next president probably DEFINITELY should.
  • While at the Miller Center, Johnson addressed the Aleppo incident saying the question was not brought up “in the context of Syria,” but that “it’s no excuse” for his lapse in memory. He went on to say we should care about what he stands for and not what places he can or cannot name on the globe.

There are more issues, always, so check Gary Johnson-On The Issues page for a non-partisan look at what it could look like with Gary as president.

If you feel like Johnson is who you’ve been waiting for, but don’t know if you should vote for him in this polarizing election, he would want you to know that he’s “on the ballot in all fifty states, including Washington DC,” oh and this:

Check out American Forum, which is filmed weekly at UVA’s Miller Center. There is a corresponding Media Studies class “Public Affairs Production” which allows you to act as an associate producer for the program. The show is a great chance to listen to influential people in politics and learn more about our political landscape.

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