Libertarians of the world, rejoice! You haven’t heard the last of Gary Johnson yet.
The former New Mexico governor and 2012 Libertarian presidential candidate announced on Tuesday that he would be launching a speaking tour on college and university campuses, to begin in April.
Johnson participated in Reddit’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Tuesday and answered questions about a variety of topics, including the media, campaigning, gun rights and the economy. He advocated for spending cuts and criticized the media for playing into the two-party system of government.
On gun rights, one of the most hotly contested issues in the nation right now, Johnson contradicted President Obama’s proposal for universal background checks.
“I am open to a reasonable conversation about preventing those with serious mental challenges from getting guns,” he wrote. “However, I am extremely concerned about the government coming up with criteria for your and my mental “competence”, with the result being a lot of people being declared incompetent! A universal background check means a universal database.”
The former governor also had some advice for the Republican Party in the future, advising that they uphold more Libertarian values. Johnson himself used to be a Republican during his time as governor.
“If they do NOT shift toward liberty, they will simply hasten their obsolesence [sic],” he wrote.
Johnson was the most successful Libertarian presidential candidate in history, by number of votes, capturing 1.2 million votes, or 1 percent of the popular vote. He didn’t give a straight answer on whether or not he would consider running again in 2016.
“Yes, 2016 is far off, and we will see what it brings,” he wrote. “Right now, I am determined to be a voice of sanity re spending, civil liberties, and putting an end to unnecessary and costly foreign interventions.”
