Do you want to elect a governor for president? Tired of lies, corruption, and empty bravado? How about someone with a good track record? No, this isn’t pie in the sky, even with Trump and Hillary as the respective Republican and Democratic candidates. There actually is an option — on the ballot in all fifty states! — that gives you sanity in a crazy election cycle.
And it’s the Libertarian! I know, sanity and Libertarians don’t always mix. One of their candidates actually stripped to his underwear at the convention. But when Democrats nominate a felon and Republicans nominate a buffoon, a ticket with two governors can seem very refreshing.
In their first ad, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld have a dialogue about what they believe, and introduce their results-oriented leadership to America.
Johnson: As the governor of New Mexico, I vetoed wasteful spending 750 times, cut taxes 14 times, and left the state with new highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, and a billion dollar surplus without raising taxes a penny.
Weld: As governor of Massachusetts, I cut taxes 21 times, and took unemployment from the highest rate among the 11 industrial states to the lowest.
Johnson: And he did that in his first term.
Weld: It was easy!
Johnson: As a Republican, I was re-elected by my democrat state in a landslide.
Weld: Ditto.
Impressive, right? But when the two actually lay out what they believe, it gets even better.
One of the problems with running a conservative like Ted Cruz or a liberal like Bernie Sanders as a third party option against Trump and Hillary is that Cruz or Sanders won’t be able to appeal across party and ideological lines. But Johnson-Weld have a fascinating approach (ok, it’s more of a traditional Libertarian approach) that seems rather refreshing in our hyper-partisan era.
“I support marriage equality,” Johnson declared. “I support a woman’s right to choose,” Weld added. These positions may alienate some conservatives, but then Johnson called for term limits.
“I want government out of your pocketbook and out of your bedroom,” Weld proclaimed. Who doesn’t agree with that?
Johnson’s call “to end the wars and use those dollars here at home” also strikes a nerve among both Republicans and Democrats. Liberals who prioritize infrastructure and conservatives who focus on budget deficits can get on board with this idea — so long as the governors keep America safe.
Weld said he wants “small, efficient government that treats the American people like family instead of livestock.” How can you disagree with that?
Next Page: The ad’s impressive finish — if you decide you don’t like peace, prosperity, and freedom, you can always vote Trump or Hillary next time!
The ad also has a very strong finish.
Johnson: The difference between the two of us and the other candidates running for president is that we’ve been there.
Weld: Done that.
Johnson: We’ve both balanced budgets.
Weld: We’ve both battled corruption and won.
Johnson: Give us one term, America, and if after four years you decide you don’t like peace, prosperity, and freedom, you can always vote a Trump or a Hillary back into office.
Then comes the caption: “Credible. Proven. Capable. Honest.” Does it get any better than that?
YouTube Screenshot, Johnson-Weld Best America Yet
Unlike the possible #NeverTrump third party candidate who might be forthcoming from the Better for America organization, Johnson-Weld will be “on the ballot in all fifty states in 2016.” Even Better for America can only hit 40 states.
Nevertheless, the organization is right to point out that a recent poll showed a majority of American voters (65 percent) and a whopping 90 percent of millennials want to see an independent candidate run. But an independent candidate is already running, and that ticket is Johnson-Weld.
Here’s the ad:
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