Dear Friends,
By now, you have probably heard the news.
This morning, I stepped before the microphones
at a news conference in the New Mexico capitol and announced that I am
seeking the Libertarian nomination for President of the United States. The
Libertarian Party nominee will be on the ballot in all 50 states – as was
the case in 2008.
It was both a difficult decision – and an easy
one. It was difficult because I have a lot of Republican history, and a lot
of Republican supporters. But in the final analysis, as many, many
commentators have said since watching how I governed in New Mexico, I am a
Libertarian - that is, someone who is fiscally very conservative but holds
freedom-based positions on many social issues.
Frankly, I have been deeply disappointed by
the treatment I received in the Republican nomination process. Other
candidates with no national name identification like Herman Cain, Rick
Santorum and Jon Huntsman were allowed to participate in the debates.
Incredibly candidates with no executive
experience like Michelle Bachmann and Rick Santorum were allowed to
participate while I, a successful two-term governor with a solid record of
job creation, was arbitrarily excluded by elitist media organizations in New
York. My appeals to the Republican National Chairman for basic fairness were
ignored.
I had hoped to lay out a full libertarian
message on all the issues in the Republican contest. I think this election
needs a libertarian voice. While Ron Paul is a good man and a libertarian
who I proudly endorsed for president in 2008, there is no guarantee he will
be the Republican nominee.
When I announced that I was running for
president, I promised you I would be a voice for bold ideas to bring
government and its spending under control. I promised I would put my record
as the ‘most fiscally conservative’ governor in the nation in front of the
voters. And I said that, unlike too many Republican politicians, I think
Americans’ government should be smaller and less intrusive and let people
make decisions for themselves.
My Agenda for America is clear:
- I want to end deficit spending and cut
federal spending by 43%.
- I want to enact the Fair Tax to stimulate
real economic growth and jobs.
- I want to end the manipulation of our money
by the Federal Reserve.
- I support the Second Amendment and oppose
gun control.
- I oppose expensive foreign wars in places
like Libya and Afghanistan.
- I support a woman's right to choose.
- I support marriage equality for gay
Americans as required by the Constitution.
- I support legalization of marijuana, which
will save us billions and do no harm.
- I support returning strict adherence to
Constitutional principles to our government.
It is clear that the elite national media and
the political “ruling class” don’t want this message heard. It frightens
them. It frightens them because they know our message is one that actually
reflects the true beliefs of millions of Americans – and they don’t want
those millions of people to know there really is a candidate for president
who represents them, whether they are Republicans, Democrats, Independents
or Libertarians.
Sadly neither the Republicans nor Democrats
will offer this agenda to the American people.
They can’t handle the notion of a successful
two-term governor, elected and reelected as a Republican in a Democrat
state, who could veto 750 spending bills to shrink government -- while
refusing to play the special interest game or impose a social agenda on
people who prefer to make their own judgments about “values”.
In other words, there is no room in the
national two-party club for a candidate who actually proved that governing
as a libertarian works – and whose platform on every issue is clearly
supported by a majority of the American people.
Sometimes the best answer is the simplest. I’m
a Libertarian in belief. I successfully governed as a Libertarian in
everything but the name, and I am running for president as a Libertarian.
Even before I announced my decision, polls are
showing that I would today gain more votes than any Libertarian presidential
candidate in history – and have a very real impact on the election
nationwide. And that is before our campaign even begins.
If I earn the Libertarian nomination, I will
be on the ballot in all 50 states. I will not be held hostage to a system
rigged for the wealthiest and best-known candidates in a handful of states
who happen to have early primaries. And most important, we will offer a
political “home” for millions of Americans who are not finding one in the
current political establishment or its candidates.
I am excited. I am liberated. And I am
committed to shaking the system as it has never been shaken before. Just the
speculation that I might run as a Libertarian has garnered more national
media attention than I ever received as a Republican candidate whose voice
they didn’t’ want to hear.
Depending on which poll you read, at least 40%
of Republicans are not satisfied with the “field” of candidates the media
has produced for them. At least 1 in 4 Democrats is having real second
thoughts about Barack Obama. Do the math, and it confirms what I have seen
for months on the campaign trail: The only political majority in America
today is the one made up of voters who are looking for leadership they haven’t
found yet. America is ready for a President who will restore common sense to
our fiscal and foreign policies and get government out of the boardroom and
the bedroom.
A credible Libertarian candidate for president
is the real path to liberty, opportunity, and a government that is put into
its proper and limited role.
In a recent national poll 63% of Americans
said they wished there was a third choice for 2012. There is, and I intend
to educate the voters about what we offer America.
Together, you and I are going to offer that
majority a choice. They will see that Your support in the past few months
has created this amazing opportunity. I may be the messenger, but this isn’t
about me. It is about seizing a moment in history and bringing America back
from the brink.
I want you to be with me as we launch this
great endeavor. I ask for your continued support. I ask for your advice. And
I am asking for your contribution today to provide the spark for the
movement we are igniting.
You are one of my most generous supporters,
and I must depend on you to be as generous as you can once again. Please
send your contribution of $2,000, $1,000, $500, or $250. It will be used
wisely to take our message to every corner of this great country, and to
provide a voice that will otherwise never be heard in 2012. Go to: Gary
Johnson 2012.com.
As a candidate for the Libertarian Party
nomination my campaign will be eligible for Federal Matching funds -- which
means whatever you send will ultimately be matched. A $100 contribution is
worth $200. A $250 contribution is worth $500. Please send your maximum
contribution today.
Thank you for your support and your
friendship. It means more to me than you will ever know.
Sincerely,
Gary
P.S. For those who say my decision to run as
the Libertarian Party candidate will only draw votes from the Republicans
and re-elect President Obama let me predict that, as my full platform based
on freedom becomes known, my candidacy will draw votes from both the
Republicans and Democrats and many, many independents.
Join us on Facebook Follow us on
Twitter Make A Contribution
This message was sent to dredelstein@... from:
Gary Johnson 2012 | 731 E. South Temple | Salt Lake City, UT 84102,
USA
Email Marketing by
Unsubscribe