The ex-Marine was battling a head cold, although he looked trimmer than we expected.

We asked whether capitalism was the common thread running through the game show and his work for the libertarian rag. Actually, he corrected us, “Price Is Right” is about consumerism. “My friend said it’s the only show where you can’t TiVo past the commercials,” he said. “The commercials are part of the show.”

His work for Reason, however, is all about policy. His first video, posted earlier this month, was about traffic policy, and the next will take on marijuana laws.

Reason spokesman Chris Mitchell said Carey’s been involved with the magazine since the 1990s, when he joined senior editor Jacob Sullum at a “smoke-in” as California was banning smoking in public places.

Carey volunteered to be the public face of the new project. “He’s always been saying, ‘You have great ideas, but you need more sizzle,’ ” Mitchell said.

Joining Carey at Reason’s new Connecticut Avenue offices were a few of the models from the show, formerly known as “Barker’s Beauties.” So have they got a new moniker in honor of the new host? “I just call them by their names,” he said, explaining that he thinks calling women by nicknames is kind of a ” ’60s and ’70s thing.”

He said he can’t really proselytize on his new daytime job. “It runs too fast” for him to opine on issues, he said, as opposed to “Power of 10,” his other game-show gig, on which he can say whatever he wants.

He did, however, tell the Marijuana Policy Project’s Rob Kampia that he’d be happy to join the group for its annual party at the Playboy mansion.