Gary Johnson: "The Libertarian Party is more in tune with the American electorate than any other party at the moment"

Local news site Allvoices covers a Gary Johnson talk at Santa Clara University:

Johnson reiterated his support for the Fair Tax and directed people in the audience to www.fairtax.org to learn more. Johnson promised that as president, he would advocate for a complete scrapping of the current U.S. tax code, going so far as eliminating the I.R.S. and ending payroll withholdings. In place of today's tax system would be a 23 percent consumption tax – dubbed the "Fair Tax" by its supporters—on all new goods and services.

The consumption tax would be offset by what Johnson terms "prebates," monthly $200 checks for every American. The annual sum of $2,400 would offset the cost of the consumption tax up to the poverty level, currently calculated at $10,800 for an individual and $22,350 for a family of four….

Johnson said he would consider [being Ron Paul's running mate if the opportunity arose], but that Paul had signed the Susan B. Anthony Pledge which affirms the candidate's commitment to "advance pro-life legislation," according to the language of the pledge.

"I believe in a woman's right to choose," Johnson said, adding that he didn't think he would qualify under the terms of the pledge….

Johnson, who has been excluded from 14 of the 16 Republican debates by what can only be described as "Catch-22" logic, has been the subject of recent speculation that he might end his GOP bid and seek the Libertarian Party's nomination. Johnson added that by shutting out its libertarian voices, "The Republican Party is abandoning a lot of the electorate. The Libertarian Party is more in tune with the American electorate than any other party at the moment."

Reason.tv interview with the former New Mexican Gov. Johnson: