Who is behind the new Repuke candidate Johnson?

[flamingdem]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-gary-johnson-ron-paul,0,5388217.story

* I always wondered if they'd launch someone from the wings to replace Mittens .. wonder if he's Christian, well of course he is.. and a libertarian but more attractive than Paul.

Gary Johnson is an avid triathlete, so he is no stranger to running far and hard. But that hasn't helped the libertarian former governor of New Mexico break out of the pack in his run for the GOP presidential nomination.

Johnson, 58, gets a chance to bask on the national stage Thursday night when he joins with other Republican aspirants in the Fox News/ Google debate. It will be Johnson's first shot at the kind of national publicity that helps fuel a candidate's dreams, but ironically, it will also pit him against Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who helped define the modern libertarian.

"We are obviously very pleased to have this opportunity to participate," Johnson said in a statement posted on his website. "I am bringing forward a voice to the debate that has gone largely unheard thus far, and I am convinced that a lot of voters are ready to listen. I'm promising to submit a balanced budget in 2013 and I am further pledging to veto any spending legislation that exceeds revenue."

Johnson is a self-made businessman who started a construction company that he helped grow into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. He served as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, where he was known for using his veto to slash spending. He backs school vouchers, favors decriminalizing marijuana usage and is hard on crime and taxes.

[SpiralHawk]

1. You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay

But you doesn't have to call me Mr. Johnson

[MADem]

2. That was the FIRST thing that crossed my mind as well.

ACE Trucking Company--they used to do bits on Tom Jones's show....!!!!

Showing my age....

[Laf.La.Dem.]

5. you are showing your age

that was always a funny skit

[rurallib]

3. he's been running for a year or so

apparently not doing to well.

[brooklynite]

4. This isn't "someone from the wings"...

He's been running, without anyone paying attention, for months. Apparently he cracked the 1% barrier so they decided to let him in...or Fox News had already paid for a podium for Tim Pawlenty and didn't want it to go to waste. Fundamentally, he's Ron Paul with sanity, a pure economic and relatively social libertarian, who as a Governor has had to blend his political philosophy with the real world.

[Name removed]

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