Gary Johnson Quotes & Sayings

Getting elected Governor of New Mexico, I really did enjoy that job. I thought I made a really big difference, and I think the same running for president of the United States - that I could make a really big, positive difference. — Gary Johnson

Most Americans are fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I'm advocating a balanced budget. But along with that, look, there should be gay marriage equality. A woman should have the right to choose. Let's not build a fence across the border. — Gary Johnson

I'm going to make the claim that I'm stronger than Obama when it comes to civil liberties, and I'm going to make the claim that I'm stronger than Romney when it comes to dollars and cents. — Gary Johnson

I leave abortion to the woman. I just fundamentally end there. I absolutely support a woman's right to choose. — Gary Johnson

I have not watched Glenn Beck. I don't watch him. — Gary Johnson

I don't seek the counsel of God. God doesn't speak to me on what I should or shouldn't do. — Gary Johnson

This country would be a better place to live in if all the resources we currently put toward criminalizing marijuana were instead spent by law enforcement on protection from real crime, as opposed to victimless crime. — Gary Johnson

I'm asked, what about criminal prosecution of those on wall street? You know what, it's probably because none of them committed any crimes. They just made some incredibly bad decisions. — Gary Johnson

My next-door neighbor's two dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this current administration. — Gary Johnson

I've always considered myself a Libertarian. While I was running for governor of New Mexico, the Republicans were totally inclusive of me; the party was open-armed, but they never thought I'd win. I delivered in a really big way; I exceeded their expectations and think I'm still highly regarded by the GOP in New Mexico. — Gary Johnson

The retirement age needs to be raised. A portion of Social Security ought to be privatized, if not all. And there probably needs to be some means testing. It's a Ponzi scheme that's not sustainable. — Gary Johnson

In a zero corporate tax rate environment, if the private sector doesn't create tens of millions of jobs, then I don't know what it takes to create tens of millions of jobs. — Gary Johnson

The current prohibition laws are forcing drug disputes to be played out with guns in our streets. We need to put a stop to this criminal drug element in our country. — Gary Johnson

I'm ready for a different America. — Gary Johnson

It kind of scares me, the notion that we're going to be injecting ourselves into other countries' affairs when they're not posing a threat to our security. I wouldn't be telling Israel what to do. — Gary Johnson

We're on the verge of a financial collapse unless we balance the budget, and that means some really, really tough decisions. — Gary Johnson

I'd like to think I would have signed the Civil Rights bill and wouldn't have had any issues with it. — Gary Johnson

My fear is that people associate Rand Paul's social conservatism with libertarianism, when it's not. — Gary Johnson

I ran two campaigns for governor in a state that's 2-1 Democrat where I did not mention my opponent in print, radio, or television. I don't know if any other politician at a gubernatorial, congressional, or a senatorial level can make the claim. — Gary Johnson

I think the government should be out of the marriage business and leave marriage to the churches. — Gary Johnson

If there's a clear genocide somewhere, don't we really want to positively impact that kind of a situation? Isn't that what we're all about? Isn't that what we've always been about? — Gary Johnson

I reject the insurance model. I think we should have a free-market approach to healthcare. — Gary Johnson

We live in America. We live in a free society where we are able to make choices. It's about giving individuals freedoms and holding them accountable. — Gary Johnson

I agree that the two-party system stomps on any kind of competition. A great first step is to open the presidential debates to all qualified candidates, including the Libertarians. If that happens, the Libertarian party will experience unprecedented growth. — Gary Johnson

I would have never signed the Patriot Act. I would have never signed the National Defense Authorization Act allowing for arrests and detainment of you and me as U.S. citizens without being charged. — Gary Johnson

I don't smoke marijuana anymore. I don't drink. Marijuana is a handicap. So is alcohol. Alcohol is a terrible handicap. But in spite of being a handicap, it shouldn't be criminal. — Gary Johnson

Government Picking Winners and Losers = Corruption. When government tries to pick winners and losers, the inevitable consequence is corruption. Yes, corruption. If not in a legal sense, certainly in a moral sense — Gary Johnson

Immigration is a good thing. We should make that as easy as possible. — Gary Johnson

I see the demographics increasing, and by that I mean the notion of social acceptance is growing, not decreasing; I think the notion of fiscal responsibility is growing, not decreasing. And Republicans seem to be moving further away from those two categories than closer. — Gary Johnson

At the earliest age, when I saw a 'wet paint' sign, I had to touch the paint to see if it was wet. When I get stopped at the stoplight in the middle of the night, and there's just no cars coming, and the light is red, I go. I don't think I'm putting anyone in harm's way, and I'll just take the consequences. Because I'm a Libertarian. — Gary Johnson

This is something that I witnessed out on the campaign trail for three years, which is that there is a total disconnect between the rhetoric regarding immigration and the reality. And I'm speaking as a border state. — Gary Johnson

A wasted vote is voting for someone that you don't believe in — Gary Johnson

All I suggest is to make K-12 like higher education. Higher education in the United States is the best in the world because these institutions compete with each other for your tuition dollar. Let's just bring competition to public education. — Gary Johnson

I had a 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' experience as governor. — Gary Johnson

Seek reality and base all your decisions and actions upon it. — Gary Johnson

I don't think you'll ever hear me invoking God in anything I do. — Gary Johnson

90% of the problem with marijuana is prohibition related, not use related. — Gary Johnson

We own the Federal Reserve. There is this misconception that the Federal Reserve is some private entity. But if I might give an analogy here, we - U.S. taxpayers - own all the stock in the Federal Reserve. — Gary Johnson

Politics is a herd mentality. Politicians don't really lead. Politicians reflect what they think is consensus opinion. — Gary Johnson

I think that the best that government can do for you and I as individuals is to empower you and I to make decisions that only you and I should make. — Gary Johnson

There are five key characteristics that will tend to explain how quickly an innovation is adopted. They are (in order of importance):
1.Relative advantage is whether the innovation is better than what is out there already. This can be in effectiveness, economic or even prestige terms.
2.Compatibility is the extent that an innovation is consistent with existing values and norms.
3.Simplicity is the degree to which innovations are perceived to be easy to understand and use.
4.Trialability is the extent to which innovations can be experimented with on a limited basis. Trialability is particularly important to early adopters, as they have no vicarious experience to draw on.
5.Observability is the extent to which the results of an innovation are visible to others. — Gary Johnson

It is clear from the reaction to our campaign so far that our message is resonating. I look forward to continuing to take this message to all Americans, and showing them that I can be as successful running the country as I was running the state of New Mexico. — Gary Johnson

I don't want to put one innocent person to death to put 99 that are guilty to death. So philosophically I'm a tooth-for-tooth guy, but the reality is the death penalty as public policy is flawed. — Gary Johnson

Marriage equality - I think that it's a constitutionally guaranteed right. Let's end the drug wars. Let's balance the federal budget, and that means reforming the entitlements - Medicaid, Medicare. — Gary Johnson

Be honest to all people all the time. — Gary Johnson

I hope that people will see that we don't have to sit by the sidelines and watch as the two major parties limit their choices to slightly different flavors of the status quo. It is, in fact, possible to join the fray, stand up for principles and offer a real alternative. — Gary Johnson

Every time you pass a law, it is a little bite out of freedom. — Gary Johnson

My supporters are people who believe in being fiscally responsible and socially accepting. I think most people are in that category. Speaking with a broad brushstroke, those are my supporters. — Gary Johnson

Ron Paul's revolution isn't a fluke. It's the future. — Gary Johnson

At the base of Ron Paul support, in my opinion, are people with brains. — Gary Johnson

I don't believe there should be any restrictions when it comes to firearms. None. — Gary Johnson

The excitement right now is coming from the Liberty movement. And the Republicans want a piece of it. — Gary Johnson

Balance the federal budget now, not 15 years from now, not 20 years from now, but now. And throw out the entire federal tax system, replace it with a fair tax, a consumption tax, that by all measurements is just that. It's fair. — Gary Johnson

My issue with campaign finance is 100 percent disclosure. Wear a suit with patches from your big contributors. Depending on the size of the contribution, that's how big the patch should be. — Gary Johnson

Using a broad brushstroke, I think Libertarian - most of America are socially accepting and fiscally responsible. I'm in that category. I think, broadly speaking, that's a Libertarian. A Libertarian is going to be somebody who's really strong on civil liberties. — Gary Johnson

Regardless of who wins, an election should be a time for optimism and fresh approaches. — Gary Johnson

Would the world be a better place if all drugs were legalized tomorrow? Absolutely. But pragmatically speaking, you're not going to go from the criminalization of all drugs to the legalization of drugs overnight. — Gary Johnson

I think we should balance the federal budget tomorrow. I'm optimistic. I think Americans are optimistic. We went to the moon; we can balance the federal budget. — Gary Johnson

We do live in an environment of crony capitalism, and the main reason we do is that loopholes are for sale, and both parties have their hands out through those loopholes. — Gary Johnson

My vision of the border with Mexico is that a truck from the United States going into Mexico and a truck coming from Mexico into the United States will pass each other at the border going 60 miles an hour. Yes, we should have open borders. — Gary Johnson

I was raised a Christian. I'd like to think I have Christian values. I don't attend church. — Gary Johnson

Find a job you love and make a difference. — Gary Johnson

One of the things government should be around for is to deal with catastrophes. It should do that well. To me, that's a government function, and we shouldn't be playing political games with it. — Gary Johnson

That's the first sign you know you're a Libertarian. You see the red light. You stop. You realize that there's not a car in sight. And you put your foot on the gas. — Gary Johnson

Everyone else is parsing it in terms of lowering the corporate income tax. Eliminate it. It's not that big of a generator of income, and it's a double tax. Get rid of it, and you would have an explosion of hiring. — Gary Johnson

If there were no government-guaranteed student loans, college tuition would be much lower. — Gary Johnson

I'm absolutely a Ron Paul fan. — Gary Johnson

I'm finding myself really angry over spending and the deficit. I'm finding myself really angry over what's happening in the Middle East, the decision to stay in Afghanistan indefinitely. I'm angry about cap and trade. And I've been on record for a long time on the failed war on drugs. — Gary Johnson

I think I view the system the same way that Ayn Rand views the system - that it really oppresses those that create, if you will, and tries to take away from those that produce and give to the non-producers. — Gary Johnson

I would say that a wasted vote is voting for anybody you don't believe in. If you believe in the third party, that's the guy you need to voice for. That's how you change things. — Gary Johnson

We should make it as easy as possible to be able to get a legal work visa - not citizenship, not a green card. Just a work visa, with a background check and a Social Security card so that applicable taxes would get paid. — Gary Johnson

I was opposed to the government mandating that restaurants not allow people to smoke, believing it becomes the customer's choice whether they go in or not. But then, I thought, 'What about the employees? Aren't they hostage to a smoking environment, even if they don't smoke?' — Gary Johnson

Politicians shouldn't spend most of their time in office trying to get reelected. — Gary Johnson

Would this country be better off if no one drank? Yes, it would be, but we tried that; it doesn't work. I don't want to tell anybody that they can't have as many drinks as they want every single night of the week as long as they don't get behind the wheel of a car. — Gary Johnson

I never, ever, when I entered this process of running for president of the United States, thought I would be excluded from the debate table. Ever. What does two terms as governor get you? — Gary Johnson

Am I not correct in saying that Iran has never voiced that they are developing a nuclear weapon, nor do they have any intention of using a nuclear weapon against the United States? That's never actually been voiced. I don't know where that has come from, but it hasn't been from Iran. — Gary Johnson

Regardless of my legislation, spending has to be stopped. — Gary Johnson

I think the world looks down on Republicans for their socially conservative views, which includes religion in government. — Gary Johnson

I climbed Mount Everest. I don't quit. — Gary Johnson

If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. The first people who are going to be in line to turn in their guns are law-abiding citizens. Criminals are going to be left with guns. I believe that concealed carry is a way of reducing gun violence. — Gary Johnson

I think very fundamentally to being Libertarian is not having a social agenda. I accept who you are and the life that you live as long as your life does not adversely affect mine. — Gary Johnson

Let's end the unworkable marijuana prohibition and put our money where our mouth is. Let's solve the problems like border crime. We can do it with pot legalization. — Gary Johnson

Tonight was a great opportunity to take on the political status quo that has given us trillion dollar deficits and put millions out of work. Our objective was to inject some common sense into the conversation among Republicans at a time when business-as-usual simply won't work. — Gary Johnson

Let's abolish the IRS, let's eliminate income tax, let's eliminate corporate tax, let's balance the federal budget, and if we need a tax, it can be one federal consumption tax. — Gary Johnson

Acknowledge your critics, but do what's right. — Gary Johnson

I don't want to close the door that if any of us were president of the United States that we would sit idly by and watch something like the Holocaust go down. I don't want to close the door on the United States involving themselves and putting a stop to that. Can we spend money on that? Yeah, I think so. — Gary Johnson

Having a debate right now over whether or not to legalize marijuana is kind of like having a debate over whether the sun will come up tomorrow. — Gary Johnson

Pot smokers may be the largest untapped voting bloc in the country ... A hundred million Americans have smoked marijuana. You think they want to be considered criminals? — Gary Johnson

As I told the students every time I visited a campus, you are the director of your own movie, and if you aren't enjoying what you are doing, change it. — Gary Johnson

I'm one of those who believe the bumper sticker: If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. The first people who are going to be in line to turn in their guns are law-abiding citizens. Criminals are going to be left with guns. — Gary Johnson

Any movement at all that reduces disease, that reduces overdoses, that reduces property crime, that reduces violent crime, is good. — Gary Johnson

There was a big difference between Ron Paul and me when it came to the 'no.' His 'no' was philosophical. It was reasoned. It was right. My 'no' actually put a stop to legislation. It cut spending. Mine carried further than just no. — Gary Johnson

People are clamoring to hear good ideas as opposed to the lesser of two evils ... Either the Democrats are going to win or the Republicans are going to win, but the losers are all of us out here as citizens that really do want meaningful change, and none of it's happening. There's no dialogue regarding meaningful change. — Gary Johnson

As governor of New Mexico, I would have - I signed a bill banning late term abortion. I've always favored parental notification. I've always favored counseling. I've always favored the notion of no public funds used for abortion. — Gary Johnson

I'm outraged that we're building roads, schools, and hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that we're doing it with borrowed money from China that we're paying interest on. I'm outraged. — Gary Johnson

There's an unintended consequence when it comes to drone attacks in Yemen. Yeah, you take out the al-Qaida stronghold, but you also wipe out the other half of the block. That makes Yemenis against the United States for the rest of their lives and all their descendants. — Gary Johnson

Montana
A great many small failures have brought me to this
Dark room where, against the teachings of the church,
I lie in the forgiving dark with you and we kiss
And loosen our clothing and feel the hot urge
Toward nakedness, man's natural destination,
The slow unbuttoning, unclasping, until at last
We lie revealed. The fine sensation
Of you on my skin. A slender woman as vast
As Montana and I am now heading west
On a winding road through the dark contours
Of mountains and into a valley, coming to rest
In a meadow that I recognize as yours.
This is what I drove across North Dakota to find:
This sweet nest. And put all my failed life behind. — Gary Johnson

By bringing about a rational drug policy, we'd be freeing up a lot of resources for real crime. Drug disputes would get played out with courts rather than with guns. So it would make this country a much better place overnight. — Gary Johnson

I was your C student. I paid attention in the classes that were about how to get elected. — Gary Johnson

We have the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. 'America, land of liberty and freedom?' You know, that's baloney. More than 2 million Americans are behind bars now. Communist China has four times the population and they have 1.5 million people behind bars. — Gary Johnson