by Publius
By October, presidential candidates typically have locked up their base within their respective parties. This allows them to be focused on appealing to the electoral at large. In the case of Gov. Gary Johnson, it isn’t quite that simple. Despite locking up his party’s nomination in only two ballots, he has faced consistent opposition from on his home front due to being seen as not “Libertarian enough.” One of the more prominent critics has been libertarian icon, former presidential candidate, and former U.S. Representative Ron Paul.
While Paul has been seen as the face of the Liberty movement by many, there are actually a number of issues where Gov. Johnson is arguably more Libertarian than the man himself.
1. Gay Rights
One area where Gov. Johnson is more libertarian than Ron Paul is that of gay rights. Johnson supports equal protection under the law for gay Americans, including recognition of same-sex marriage. Paul has stated that he supported the Defense of Marriage Act, and chastised President Obama for opposing it. Even though he gave a so-called “libertarian” argument for his support (that no more people should be granted federal benefits under any circumstances), his stance is directly at odds with the principle of equal protection under the law.
Johnson also supports adoption rights for same-sex couples. Ron Paul on the other hand once voted for an amendment to an appropriations act which would have specifically outlawed gay adoptions in the District of Columbia. Paul also in a 2008 debate seemingly defended the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy, suggesting it was a “decent policy” before pivoting toward a broad discussion on individual as opposed to group rights.
2. Death Penalty
While Ron Paul has been consistently against the federal use of the death penalty, he has maintained that he believes that the states should be able to put people to death as they see fit. He stated, “As far as the state goes, yes capital punishment is a deserving penalty for those who commit crime.” This of course isn’t libertarian at all.
In addition to this, the idea that we should give the government the right to kill citizens when they aren’t an active threat is also in and of itself against libertarian philosophy. Gov. Johnson on the other hand, despite previously supporting the death penalty, has come to understand its problems and has come to oppose the practice as a whole.
3. Immigration and Border Security
Gov. Johnson has been very vocal on his support for immigration. A pillar of his campaign has been decrying the anti-immigrant sentiment of many in the GOP and making fun of the idea of a border wall that most agree will do little to curb illegal immigration. He has also been a longtime proponent of overhauling our immigration system and in doing so bringing down illegal immigration.
Ron Paul on the other hand has taken a much more conservative and less libertarian stance. While he is no Trump, Paul did vote for the Secure Fence Act of 2006 and has spoken out against birthright citizenship, even calling for a Constitutional Amendment to end it. He also served as an adviser to the staunchly anti-immigration Pat Buchanan in his 1992 presidential campaign.
4. Free Trade
While Ron Paul has always been a rhetorical supporter of free trade, his voting record is a bit grey. While in Congress, Ron Paul opposed nearly every free trade deal that was put to a vote. His argument has been that these agreements aren’t free trade, but managed trade. While that is rhetorically sound, free trade agreements are what keep trade between nations free and preventing targeted regulations and barriers to trade. For this reason, the Cato Institute, the top libertarian think-tank in the country, supports these agreements.
Additionally, Paul’s support for the anti-trade Pat Buchanan in 1992 is a damning detail. Gov. Johnson has taken a stance opposed to Paul’s line of thinking. He has supported nearly every free trade agreement in recent memory. He has even given tentative support to the controversial TPP.
5. Electoral College
One aspect of Ron Paul’s policy that may have been libertarian circa 200 years ago is his promotion of the electoral college. While in theory this gives the states influence in determining the president, this is obviously not how it works in practice. In reality, it creates a privileged class of voters in certain states whose votes count for more. This is either because their neighbors are split politically which makes their state a swing state, or because their state is small. In the latter case, the voter has a higher impact in the college due to the college’s structure that guarantees a certain number of electoral votes.
Gov. Johnson on the other hand is well aware of the warping effects of the college. Because of this, he has consistently supported a national popular election for president. This would make all voters equal and end the practice of some voters being more important than others. It almost goes without saying that equality among citizens is a pretty basic libertarian idea.
Honorable Mention: Abortion
The reason this is marked as “honorable mention” is because this issue is still hotly-debated in libertarian circles. There is not one “libertarian answer” to abortion. Ron Paul has always been very firm in his anti-abortion stance. He has supported legislation that would have defined life as beginning at conception at the federal level. Gov. Johnson in contrast has stated that he would almost always defer to the woman. His only stated limit has been that he opposes post-viability abortions.
The two do share one important belief in regards to abortion. Both have been clear that it is mostly a state issue and subject to federal dictate.
This all isn’t to say Ron Paul isn’t a great libertarian; he most certainly is. The point is that as long as we demand some inhumane purity from candidates, we won’t have any. Despite what many want to say, Gov. Johnson is a Libertarian (and a libertarian). Instead of humoring individuals such as Darryl Perry who are trying to undermine Gov. Johnson, libertarians should stand behind him. Like everyone else, he’s not perfect. What he is though, is a huge step in the right direction and a voice for liberty.