Gov. Gary Johnson "Didn't Create a Single Job"

There have been some rumors floating around about presidential hopeful and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, and he released a statement today clearing the air. Former Reason intern Amanda Carey reports:

"The fact is, I can unequivocally say that I did not create a single job while I was governor."…

"Don't get me wrong….We are proud of this distinction. We had a 11.6 percent job growth that occurred during our two terms in office. But the headlines that accompanied that report—referring to governors, including me, as 'job creators'—were just wrong."

Johnson went on to take credit only for "keeping government in check" and "the path to growth clear." 

Learn more about the economic vision of the man who doesn't take credit for creating jobs in this Reason.tv video:

Comments

[Jim]

I like this guy more by the minute.

[Mnemone Jones]

Awesome. I liked him before. I love him now. (Even in that way.)

[Trespassers W]

ME TOO GUYS.

[sounds real good]

hell yeah.

[yonemoto]

it would have been better if he said "let me be clear. I can unequivocally say that I did not create a single job while I was governor."

[Brett L]

Epic. Now I understand why the media must kill this campaign. The man behind the curtain will be exposed.

[Fred]

Exactly. My first thought was: his campaign shows everything that is wrong with American politics. The most principled, accomplished, and honest person in the race (no slight intended to Paul) is marginalized by "the people" and the media alike.

[Fatty Bolger]

"The people" have never heard of him.

[Pro Libertate]

Because the "media" has decided to ignore him.

[CoyoteBlue]

The Media really likes that nice Huntsman fellow. Why don't you all pay attention to him?

[H man]

No relation.

[Brett L]

Only because he's so milquetoast, they know he won't fight when then shank him in the general.

[Doc S.]

Yeah.. I actually like this guy. Which is something i haven't said about a presidential candidate since like 1st grade

[Zeke Hyle]

I donated $40 to his campaign. For the marijuana.

[JohnG]

^This... GJ is the first candidate of any kind that I'm actually excited about, and furious over the lack of exposure. He is what politics should be.

[MP]

Can I vote for him now, please?

[techreseller]

I would vote for this guy without knowing anything else about his positions. But he will not last long. He appears to be honest.

[SugarFree]

Liking something a politician said this much makes my tummy hurt.

[Jim]

I would go gay for him.

NTTAWWT.

[Pro Libertate]

I just sent him a donation. Just for saying that.

[Brett L]

Me too.

[Pro Libertate]

Nice.

[WTF]

"The fact is, I can unequivocally say that I did not create a single job while I was governor."...

"Don't get me wrong....We are proud of this distinction. We had a 11.6 percent job growth that occurred during our two terms in office. But the headlines that accompanied that report?referring to governors, including me, as 'job creators'?were just wrong."

Wait, was this really spoken by a politician? Have I stepped into some bizarro universe? No wonder he was banned from the debate.

[pmains]

"Our" two terms in office? Does he have a politically accomplished mouse in his pocket?

[Pro Libertate]

It's a double-edged sword. "We" sounds like royal we arrogant bullshit, but it's also true that the governor doesn't do jack by himself, so saying "I" all the time comes off as arrogant, too.

[SugarFree]

"Don't get me wrong....We Deez nuts are proud of this distinction. We Deez nuts had a 11.6 percent job growth that occurred during our Deez nuts' two terms in office. But the headlines that accompanied that report?referring to governors, including me Deez nuts, as 'job creators'?were just wrong."

[Pro Libertate]

Perhaps saying "me and my staff" before going into "we" mode would work. Or, perhaps, "me and my bitches" would be better.

[Zuo]

"My posse and I"

[TRTB]

The Johnson Machine

[Pro Libertate]

Me and Charlie Murphy!

[SugarFree]

FUCK YOUR COUCH!

[ClubMedSux]

Perhaps he did. There are a lot of ellipses in that block quote.

[Sean]

Car Ramrod

[JW]

I think that would be the one possible thing that could make Gary Johnson even more likeable than he is now.

[sage]

If I were gay, I would be boinking him right now.

No homo.

[Joe M]

But did he save any jobs? Seriously, it's borderline criminal that he's being ignored so much, and he's not even being included in most polls anymore. I guess since he wasn't in the debate, no point in polling his support anymore. Convenient, that.

[Pro Libertate]

He's not relevant because he's not relevant. If he had been relevant, we'd have declared him pre-relevant to understand his relevancy. Can't have an irrelevant candidate saying irrelevant things. Could've been relevant if he'd been more relevant before.

God could run for office, in a perfect state of benevolence, wisdom, and goodness, and the media would ignore him because he hadn't passed whatever cryptic litmus test their pre-anointing process requires. He's not "electable."

[Jim]

He's not "electable."

No one who had the power to prevent my complete hairloss in my late teens/early 20s, but chose not to use that power, will ever get my vote.

[Pro Libertate]

So Romney is right out then? Because he clearly has hair-breeding powers.

[Jim]

You know, considering the gov. of my state is named "Gov. Goodhair", you'd think that I, as a voter, could get some love. But no dice.

[SugarFree]

Could God make a pompadour so thick, even He couldn't comb it?

[sloopyinca]

[keels over]

[Ska]

Could Gillespie pomade up a pompadour so thick, even Virgina Postrel couldn't comb it?

[SugarFree]

The Jacket can do anything. Except feel the emotion humans call "love."

[Pro Libertate]

Ah, one of your Earth emotions.

[Tim]

Fascinating.

[Pro Libertate]

Nimoy's American. Is he at all a libertarian? 'Cause the Spock vote might be pretty big.

[Tim]

HE's an actor, from Boston, a green blooded son of a bitch.

[Pro Libertate]

He's Jewish, so there's that whole identity politics vote that worked for Obama.

[Episiarch]

"You have, and always shall be, my Vice President."

[Pro Libertate]

Love it, though that begs the question: Who would his VP be?

Sulu?

[Tim]

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!

[Pro Libertate]

Mexican and deceased. Unfortunately.

[SugarFree]

Spock/Tuvok 2012: I bet you didn't even know there were Black Vulcans, bitch.

[Tim]

"Random chance seems to have operated in our favor" -- Spock
"In plain, non-Vulcan English, we've been lucky" -- McCoy
"I believe I said that, Doctor" -- Spock (The Doomsday Machine)

[Pro Libertate]

Come on, you know that they have to be from different states/planets. Besides, don't you think that ticket is a little too Vulcan? What about the Southern vote?

[SugarFree]

Spock/Tuvok can bring in the Southern vote. White bitches in the South go crazy for that Pon Farr cock.

Once you go huge, green-veined and logical, you never go back.

[Pro Libertate]

Are you kidding? Women hate logic.

I figure either Nimoy/Takei (Japanese internment camp/gay vote) or Nimoy/Romney, with Nimoy forcing Romney to cut his hair Spock-style.

[SugarFree]

No one hates a nice hard logical fucking.

No one.

[Pro Libertate]

Every seven years? Are you mad?

[Speaker to Animals]

That seems to be the schedule my wife is on.

[Pro Libertate]

You need to find a sentient mate.

[Zuo]

Quark/Neelix 2012

[Urkobold?]

JERI RYAN/JERI RYAN. HER LEFT TIT FOR PRESIDENT, HER RIGHT TIT FOR VICE PRESIDENT. OBAMA WILL RESIGN RATHER THAN RUN AGAINST HER. TRUST THE URKOBOLD, HE HAS INSIDE INFORMATION.

[Jim]

She actually went to my old high school in Kentucky. I have her in one of my yearbooks.

[CE]

She'll win 7 of 9 primaries.

[Malcolm Excellent]

"He's not electable"...that's unfortunately likely to be true, and the best "elecatble" hope for libertarians would probably be something like a Romney-Paul or Perry-Johnson ticket. I guess I'd swallow hard (hurr hurr) and pull the lever for one of those.

[Pro Libertate]

See, I don't agree. Tossing aside the question of whether there's enough of a libertarian streak in America for Paul or Johnson to win, I think many voters crave someone who isn't full of shit. There's about two candidates that's true of, and they both happen to be the libertarian options.

Wonder what the LP would do if Paul or Johnson got nominated?

[NoVAHockey]

"I think many voters crave someone who isn't full of shit"

the trick is building a coalition around that with your disaffected as the core.

[Joe M]

head explody!

[Zuo]

ATM I'm leaning for Perry-Johnson. Perry seems pretty decent in his own right (is that libertarian apostasy- idk), and it would give Johnson the national spotlight for some true blue libertarian leadership in the future. He has the credentials (unlike Ron), just lacks the exposure (unlike Ron). If GJ can pull it off this time, then great, but he's been pretty succesfully marginalized with like 5% name recognition. That anonymity could be an asset as VP, especially with his awesome record. Fools will be like "how come I never heard of this dood b4?!"

[Spoonman.]

Perry is a socon out the wazoo, but it's worth remembering that the President really can't do much about social issues.

Perry did veto a ban on texting while driving and he pretty much leaves well enough alone, so there's a lot to like there.

[Joe M]

He's got that day of prayer lined up for August 6th, don't forget. There's a simultaneous day of sin lined up.

[Malcolm Excellent]

I agree on the socon issues - I mean, we kept hearing how GW Bush was this hardcore evil Christianist most conservative administration eva etc. So what did we get - the feds out of the stem cell busines, but no ban on private study. Did abortion become illegal during his 8 years (yeah he tried with PBA but I think polls show a clear majority of Americans support banning PBA anyway)? Are there mandatory prayers to Jesus in public schools now? Did gays become LESS allowed to marry? No, no and no. Socon is lip sevice pols give to lock up some alleged "southern Christian social conservative" vote, and then to be essentially ignored once in office.

[T]

Perry is abysmal. Listen to those us in Texas who pay attention when we say: fuck that aggie hairfarmer.

[deified]

It's beautiful hair and it makes me jealous.

[Brett L]

I don't know if he can still pull off the old story about him that "as the race gets tighter so do his jeans".

[cynical]

Dude, no one is going to run a libertarian as vice president for the same reason that (at least pre-Obama) no one would run a black guy as vice president. Ask Chris Rock to explain it to you.

[Zuo]

Chris is an annoying jackass thats never been right about one of his moronic race-whining opinions in his life.

But the republicans are desperate to fill their identity politics quota. Most commonly they promote that sub-1 term war criminal Alan West as VP, followed closely by their favorite "clean articulate wetback",

[Zuo]

(WTF, website). ... sub half term senator Rubio. Republicans are enamored with identity politics.

GJ is a fiscally responsible, individual rights former 2 term republican governor. Sounds like a great pres/VP candidate. Unless you prefer to select your candidates the same way school text books choose their covers.

[Britt]

You're not one of the idiots who think the Geneva Conventions apply to terrorists do you?

[H man]

Well God does have that no killing position which I think would be a major political liability.

[Pro Libertate]

President God is soft on crime! In fact, he's been known to forgive criminals!

[SugarFree]

President God once again ducked reporters questions about all the little kids with cancer he won't heal with a simple executive order.

[Pro Libertate]

Hey, let's be fair. While Citizen God has enormous power, personally, President God respects the limits imposed upon His will by the Constitution.

[SugarFree]

Childhood cancer has more of an impact on interstate commerce and growing weeds for your own consumption

Of course, think of all the interstate commerce lost by kids who don't have cancer...

MANDATE!

[sounds real good]

God can kill anyone he wants, in his wisdom. But as far as I know, he doesn't grant license to kill to law enforcement or the military.

[Homer]

Hmm..I don't agree with his Bart-killing policy.

But I do approve of his Selma-killing policy!

[Krusty]

Well... he did try to frame me for armed robbery but man, I'm aching for that upper-class tax cut.

[MJ]

The litmus teat is not cryptic, not believing that government is the source of all goodness and light in a given jurisdiction is an obvious disqualifier. If Johnson cannot be ignored he must be destroyed.

[Bill]

"Litmus teat"? I know what you meant, and you make a good point, but it's more interesting to consider what you could have meant.

[Neu Mejican]

What about all of those jobs in the private prisons he helped create? (~_^)

[SugarFree]

What happened at the private prisons?

[Appalachian Australian]

Hopefully nothing as heinous as happening in California's state-run, unionised prisons.

You know, the prisons so bad the rather not-soft-on-crime Supreme Court had to declare them cruel and unusual punishment.

[Neu Mejican]

sugarfree,

Well...they hired a bunch of untrained yahoos (not enough by most accounts), some people got killed, your basics NM prison tale...but certainly Johnson gets to take credit for creating those jobs as he designed the privatization program.

[Old Soldier]

I thought he wasn't taking credit?

[Neu Mejican]

He wasn't.
I am mostly just kidding, but his claim is not honest. He created a whole category of new jobs in NM, private prison worker. He created those jobs. To say he didn't is inaccurate. He is pulling the wool over your eyes, see (~_^). Really. Don't make too much of it.

Johnson will point to those private prisons as a success of his as governor...but he managed them very poorly (to the point that people died earlier than they otherwise would have as a result). Sure, the state saved some money, but the private prisons are hardly a feather in his cap.

[Grass Roots]

Gary. Gary! GARY! GARY!!

[sage]

<blink tags>

GARY!!!!

</blink tags>

[Pip]

Old Town Tavern?

[Night Elf Mohawk]

Nice.

[Jack it]

Is this the reason he was kept out of the debates, he doesn't take credit for stuff he didn't do. Called honesty.
Damn, this guy is it for me and he should be it for the Libertarian party, even if he is nominated by the Republican, which, may not seem like the long shot it is.
Once more Republican hear about him, the more they will like him.

[Joe M]

Once more Republican hear about him, the more they will like him.

That's precisely what they're trying to prevent.

[mofo]

^^ This

Applies to all above comments

[Yes, but....]

...how many did he "save"?

[Zuo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59aN8WTA2-s

Like others, I'm amazed that someone who's been able to get elected to statewide office can be this honest and humble. How did he do it?

[Pip]

Off-topic, but I just walked past Talbot's, a womens clothing store. They are promoting their Red Hanger Sale.

If that doesn't scream back-alley abortions, nothing does.

[SugarFree]

Doubt it. No woman who shops at Talbot's is pre-menopausal.

[Old Soldier]

Damn!

Back alley Hysterectomies?

[Tim]

Man if you were within 100 feet you just violated the restraining order.

[Res Publica Americana]

Freaking video won't work -- can somebody summarize what he said?

[SugarFree]

He said your mom needs to fucking shave.

[Brett L]

I knew better, but still I clicked... This is why I hate hippies and the French.

[Dan]

No wonder CNN wouldn't let him into the debates.

[creech]

Is that ice forming on the Styx? A politician who doesn't claim to walk on water or change it into wine? Next you'll be telling me he doesn't wear magic underwear or leer at interns.

[sevo]

If Obama had some of the truth serum Johnson's taking, he'd be run out of town on a rail.

[Tim]

There was an episode of Bewitched like that.

[Mr. FIFY]

I think politicians should be sworn under oath to tell the truth, and be thrown into the dankest-assed prison to be raped by STEVE SMITH if they are caught lying.

Er... "when", not "if".

[JoergeMon]

lol, OK that dude totally cracks me up dude.

http://www.real-privacy.no.tc

[CoyoteBlue]

Don't forget his role in Spaceport America.
[which may or may not be a total boondoggle but has it's own tax district]

[Neu Mejican]

What role did Johnson have in Spaceport America? I was unaware that he was involved. (not saying he wasn't, just didn't know he was). The state didn't get involved until Richardson, iirc.

[Anonymous Coward]

"But the headlines that accompanied that report?referring to governors, including me, as 'job creators'?were just wrong."

Wow. A politician telling the truth. That gave me wood. Excuse me for a few minutes.

[Res Publica Americana]

The fact that he's this honest genuinely put a smile on my face. Damn it, we probably won't see it from anybody else in politics, ever. Savor the moment.

[Mr. FIFY]

"Gary Johnson didn't create a single job"

Neither has Obama.

[sevo]

Mr. FIFY|6.23.11 @ 3:42PM|#
""Gary Johnson didn't create a single job"
Neither has Obama."

Yeah, and only one of them is honest about it.

[shrike]

How DARE you speak ill of my personal saviour, the great and wise capitalist Obama!

[Brandon]

Like the email address.

[Old Soldier]

Only one of them has destroyed 7 million private sector jobs.

[Barack Obama]

Hey... I'm destroying jobs as fast as I can. Give a brother a break, yo.

[jeff perren]

How did he get elected - twice! - in a state almost as far left as Vermont!

[Res Publica Americana]

Wasn't Vermont absolutely kick-ass until leftists from surrounding areas starting moving in and utterly fucked everything but its gun laws up?

[Au H20]

New Mexico is now Vermont?

[JD]

From what I hear, Vermont used to be like New Hampshire is now. Of course now the Massholes are moving in and trying to fuck up NH too.

[Neu Mejican]

How did he get elected - twice! - in a state almost as far left as Vermont!

So far left that elections are frequently decided by dozens of votes. The left/right lean in NM is very regional within the state. By the time you get to statewide elections things are fairly evenly balanced.

[Middle Age Crazy]

I like what I've seen of Johnson, so far. From Wikipedia:

According to a profile of Johnson in the National Review, "During his tenure, he vetoed more bills than the other 49 governors combined ? 750 in total, one third of which had been introduced by Republican legislators. Johnson also used his line-item-veto power thousands of times.

That's good stuff. However, I'd also like to know how vulnerable he is to the inevitable character assassination attempts. For example, how much dirt lies under his 2005 divorce. That shit shouldn't matter, but let's face it, it does.

Also, from the Issues section of his campaign website, there's good stuff on Medicare reform, but only this on SS:

Fix Social Security by changing the escalator from being based on wage growth to inflation. It's time for Social Security to reflect today's realities without breaking trust with retirees.

There's no way the average voter understands that. I'm not even sure I do.

I'd like to persuade Mrs. MAC that we should send him money, but I'm not quite there yet.

[Libertymike]

Hey, I'm sure there are things the deprivation of which Mrs. Mac could not long endure.

If the end is electing Gary in 2012, then who are we to question the means of intra-matrimonial extortion?

[Middle Age Crazy]

Whoa! WHOA! Don't even go there.

Marital relations is one of the few things I haven't fucked-up yet, and one of the best things about my bourgeois existence. That, and expensive whiskey.

[Brandon]

NYT front page tomorrow: GARY JOHNSON ADMITS NOT CREATING A SINGLE JOB!!!

[Old Soldier]

He wanted to abolish agencies! My hero!

[Paulie Krugnuts]

Heresy! The public sector is INFINITELY superior to that dirty, profit-grubbing private sector!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Such a large circle jerk that took place here, certainly a hand job slipped in somewhere. If so, post-governorship Gary Johnson does, indeed, have a job under his belt.

[Andrew Alexander]

This company didn't seem to ignore him:

http://www.benzinga.com/market.....-president