Gary Johnson throws his hat into the GOP presidential ring, will he be the 2012 Ron Paul?

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who once scaled Mt. Everest, spoke to a sparse crowd Thursday at the steps of the New Hampshire statehouse to announce another difficult journey: his desire to seek the Republican nomination for president.

"I'm going to spend a lot of time in New Hampshire, where you can go from obscurity to national prominence overnight with a good showing," Johnson, 58, a former two-term governor, said to dozens.

Johnson is a conservative with a libertarian bent, much like Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who ran unsuccessfully in the last presidential race. Both men favor the legalization of marijuana and oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and runaway federal spending.

While Paul is affectionately known as "Dr. No" for his rigid stance to "never vote for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution," Johnson was equally tough as a governor, proudly vetoing 750 bills while in office, earning him the nickname "Governor Veto."

After unseating incumbent Democratic Gov. Bruce King in 1994, Johnson successfully maintained his seat by beating Democratic Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez by 10 points in 1998. Johnson was forced to step down after his second term because of term limits.

"Today's mess didn't just happen. We elected it -- one senator, member of Congress and president at a time," Johnson said in a statement. "Our leaders in Washington, D.C., have 'led' America to record unemployment, a devalued currency, banking scandals, the mortgage crisis, drug crisis, economic crisis, loss of our nation's industrial might -- and a long list of other reminders our nation is way off course."

 

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Note: Andrew Malcolm is on vacation

-- Tony Pierce
twitter.com/busblog

Photo: Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson announces his plans to seek the Republican nomination for president in front of the Statehouse, Thursday, April 21, 2011, in Concord, N.H. Credit: AP Photo/Jim Cole

Comments

[Bill Moore]

Gary Johnson is the candidate that can bridge the Replicans and the Tea Party and beat Obama.

[Miss Picky]

I thought Ron Paul was the next Ron Paul in 2012.

[JP]

Ron Paul is the 2012 Ron Paul! GJ is ok but he has some skeletons in his closet and he's just not a very good speaker. Saying that, Im happy to see two non-statists on the stage this time around.

[Freedom Lover]

Ron Paul will be the Ron Paul of 2012

[Chance Lonestar]

actually his nickname was Veto Johnson. Get your facts straight!

[Matt]

Ron Paul and Gary Johnson both make excellent candidates. Neither Paul nor Johnson want to fight wars. I can sum up our choices for 2012 already:

Obama = inherited 2 wars and now presides over 3
Huckabee = Supported Bush in 2000 and 2004, loves war
Romney = Supported Bush in 2000 and 2004, loves war
Pawlenty = Supported Bush in 2000 and 2004, loves war
Paul = Opposed Bush all along, wants to avoid war
Johnson = Opposed Bush all along, wants to avoid war

[Brad]

Gary Johnson is not the 2012 Ron Paul. He is just the candidate of the DC (Koch Brothers) wing of the libertarian movement and will probably not do very well. The libertarian movement centered around the Mises Institute (which is the much larger libertarian movement) will stay loyal to Ron Paul, as will the Campaign for Liberty.

Johnson should drop out of the race before Iowa and New Hampshire unless he wants to split the libertarian vote and undermine Ron Paul's chances of getting the nomination. If he remains in the race and his most prominent supporters spend the campaign smearing Ron Paul and telling people to vote for Johnson instead, he will alienate the movement Ron Paul has built. He should have waited until 2016.

[myagent2000]

We MUST stop spending. GARY JOHNSON is a true leader and businessman. He can and will do it. If America truly wants a choice, here he is. Elected and re-elected in a deep blue state. VETOED more spending bills than all 49 other govs of the time COMBINED.
America, here's ur man !