Governor Fortuno 2012!

Fortuno 2012!

Never heard of him. Went to his website. Very good candidate. I am prolife, he is not. However, he wants to return the issue to the states. That is a good direction to go. I could live with that. Stance on drugs could be a problem. It is a sacred cow to a large cross section of America. Every other issue he has on his platform I am 100% in agreement. He has experience as a governor. Historically, governors make the best presidents. He has the record to prove his principles. The final question is, Does he have the charisma that America demands. I wish the last qualification was not necessary but alas it is:-(

I will be watching this guy.

I wasn't aware that former NM Governor Gary Johnson was running for President in 2012. He would no doubt be a decent choice. I also see that his fan club is out and about here on RIA. More power to them--all the reports I've heard out of him is that he was a good governor. He lowered taxes, left the state with an almost perfect bond rating, and balanced the state budget in the process. I'd go out on a limb and say that 90% of the candidates on this list can't say the same. Johnson also ran the state with business-like precision; a quality which is sorely needed in Washington. I also appreciate the fact that he has experience in government at the executive level. Legislators in the final analysis usually make poor Presidents.

I think he'll take some of the Ron Paul voters, should he officially run. Also Johnson needs to get more aggressive in terms of publicity and making media appearances. He's not going to get a lot of votes if people don't know that he's running. If he plays his cards right, I can definitely see him in the thick of things. There is a lot of weakness right now in the GOP race; right now Mike Huckabee is leading the pack, so anything can happen.

The big knock on his chances for the nomination will probably include a lack of institutional support. Plus I don't see the rank and file lining up behind a pro-choice, pro gay rights, pro drug legalization candidate. Also not helping matters is the fact that he's been out of office for a few years and doesn't have a strong public platform.

In principle he's a good candidate, but he's likely a longshot. He might make it interesting though, especially if he plays his cards right.

Johnson seems to be better than anyone else in the arena at the moment. I like that he's a fiscal conservative without the Achilles heel of being a social conservative. However, I do NOT like that he privatized prisons in New Mexico. Although it saved the state money, it also turned incarceration into a for-profit venture. NOBODY should profit on people going to prisons, otherwise the motivation is to imprison more and more people. We need to be accountable and pay directly for the justice we want.

The good ideas of Ron Paul, but without the nuttiness. Also, demonstrated experience in keeping gov't growth in check, keeping taxes low, and being a fiscal conservative without the social conservative baggage.

He is the man for the job! He is the only one with the courage to stand up for liberty and with a record of doing exactly that.

He has and will attract the center & many 'Reagan Democrats.'

A younger "Ron Paul." I like him.

Gary Johnson is my top pick to be our next United States President!

Freedom ftw!!!

The perfect Republitarian for 2012. Excellent choice to be the Goldwater/Reagan voice once heard in the 1960s and 1970s. Perfect timing after dealing with Obama to bring this country back to _REAL_ conservatism.

Quite possibly one of the only Republicans I would support.

Our national Welfare Warfare State is bankrupting us, rendering us vulnerable to a collapsed dollar, enemies abroad and fewer jobs. Gary's proven himself as a government executive, winning twice in a DEMOCRAT state. He's focused on reducing bureaucratic interference in entrepreneur's creation of jobs, while introducing more educational choice for parents and better government service by exposing the bureaucracy to competition for what they provide. Gary understands that opportunities stem not just from economics and jobs, but also from creativity and individual pursuits of happiness - he would end the Drug War and restore maximum Civil Liberties. Fiscally conservative and socially open - that's the winning recipe that can unite conservatives, liberals, libertarians and independents.

Gary Johnson had the best record of any governor, in decades, for shrinking the size of government during his tenure as Governor of New Mexico. We really need someone like him to reign in the size of the bloated federal government.

i'm from n.m. and gary johnson is the reason i got involved in politics 14 years ago...i went from apathy to activist overnight...he's the best!

A Johnson/Paul or Paul/Johnson ticket would be my dream.

He is Ron Paul but young!

The grassroots are organizing around this guy!

A strong fiscal conservative who supports civil liberties, drug reform, and was against the war in Iraq from the start. What's not to like?

Liberty Candidate 2012!

I think Gary Johnson would be a great president. He is an independent thinker and was an excellent and fiscally responsible governor in New Mexico.

The guy is Anti-war, anti-Federal reserve, pro-Legalization and actually Managed to cut taxes -a feat I thought was only reserved for legend. However, both Dems and Repubs like to be stupid and show only their Weakest candidates at election time. Throw in the fact that a lot can happen in three years and I am loathe to make predictions either way. That said, if things stay as they are I can see voting for this guy in 2012.

According to http://www.garyjohnson2012.com Gary Johnson vetoed 1000 spending items while governor of New Mexico. I can only imagine the amount of waste he could get rid of in Washington.

Its early days yet, but this guy might prove to have some legs down the stretch (assuming he decides to run)

He has a decent resume, seems pretty articulate and there doesn't seem to be an Appalachian Trail for him to hike on in New Mexico *chortle*

He's worth keeping an eye on, particularly given the thoroughly mediocre field of candidates the GOP is coughing up so far. Three stars for now, but it might well go up. Although I'd be wary of assuming a bandwagon of support based on a Drudge Report story....

A younger more politically practical Ron Paul style former Gov.

The MSM and even the party leaders will try to act as if he is not a real candidate but if he gets grassroots support that has exploded over the last few years, he will be a huge player in 2012 make no doubt about it. A great story, leader and his stances on issues are a good mix from each parties base.

I hope he runs and hope makes big splash.

Johnson is the only person in the running that will be strong enough to beat out Obama in 2012. Mainstreamers like Huckabee and Romney are too soft on gun issues and spending so the conservatives don't come out in droves for them. There's not one bad thing a conservative can say about Johnson and his record. I can't wait to start campaigning for him in NH. Rock on!

I rate this man 5 stars. The liberals in Santa Fe didn`t like him, but the rest of the state loved him
Quahadi Hill

Believes in drug legalization which would allow us to put the "drug war" resources into something more fruitful.

I'm gonna step right the hell out of line with the flood of unique and unconnected ratings of 5 and rate this guy a 2, seeing as it reads "marginal candidate" for the rating of 2 and I've never heard of this guy. See what happens when I get bored and look at all reviews?

Two-term New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is one of the few people in politics today who actually stays true to their principles. Johnson believes in limited government, lower taxes, individual liberty, and a foreign policy of self-defense. Known for vetoing 750 bills (more than all the vetoes of the other 49 Governors in the U.S. at that time, combined), Gary earned the nickname "Veto" Johnson. An aggressive tax cutter, spending cutter, and libertarian conservative, Johnson poses a serious threat to Obama in 2012.