I’m Into Threesomes–I mean third-partysomes

My first voting event was Bush the Elder v. Clinton the Male-r.  Ross Perot gave it a go in that election, and after the debate in MO, I was sold.  Sadly, he dropped out of the race before I could cast my first vote, and my first Third Party vote.  But, the damage was done to my Red v. Blue socialization, and I’ve longed for a viable Third Party candidate ever since.

What I want in a candidate is this:

• Economic conservatism
• Social liberalism
• A foreign policy of peace and non-interference
• Strong backing for State’s rights
• and I want someone who doesn’t try to win my vote by waving a crucifix at me

I’m actually pretty excited about Libertarian, Gary Johnson, this year.  His mini biography from his website says this:

[Gary Johnson] has been an outspoken advocate for efficient government, lower taxes, winning the war on drug abuse, protection of civil liberties, revitalization of the economy and promoting entrepreneurship and privatization.

I like that.  Nothing not to like there.

I also like statements like this:

• The government cannot pick and choose which of our constitutional rights it must uphold.
• America is a land of immigrants. Legal immigration should focus on making it easier and simpler for willing workers to come here with a temporary work visa, pay taxes, contribute…
• Civil liberties are so foundational to America that the first eight amendments to the Constitution address them directly. These amendments enshrine government’s duty to protect individual liberties, including the rights to free speech and free association.
•  But today, government has created for itself sweeping powers to monitor the private lives of individuals and otherwise intrude upon our daily activities, our households and our businesses. The extent of the government’s reach today would be unrecognizable to the Founders.
•  Much of the recent erosion in civil liberties has occurred in the name of national security. But we can – and must — combat threats to our safety while adhering to due process and the rule of law.

Again, nothing not to like there.  There are a lot of pros in Johnson’s column, and just a couple of cons.  The biggest con is that he is a Third Party Candidate.  Well, that’s a con to a lot of voters because there is a mythology that voting for anyone other than a Democrat or a Republican just helps the guy you hate win an election.

Johnson addressed this, and I’ll let the man speak for himself:

“Wasting your vote is voting for somebody that you don’t believe in.  That’s wasting your vote. I’m asking everybody here, I’m asking everybody watching this [debate] nationwide to waste your vote on me.”  From the Washington Post–great article, btw.

I can’t vote for a man who sends drones in to murder children, and who fought to retain the ability to indefinitely detain American citizens.  I can’t vote for a man who would further deny civil liberties to my fellow citizens based on their sex, or sex-preferences (or whose positions I can’t quite figure out in the first place.)  Gary Johnson is against drone strikes on innocent parties and indefinite detention of citizens.  He is for gay marriage and women’s rights.  He is against deficit spending, and for education reform.  He is Third Party, but he is top choice for me.

Let’s make it official:  The Outside Lane endorses Gary Johnson for President of the United States.