I am Gov. Gary Johnson, Honorary Chairman of the Our America Initiative. AMA!

Do you support a universal basic income or Negative Tax(as envisioned by economist Milton Friedman) as a replacement for the welfare system? What about as a supplement?

I kind of know what you’re asking, but not enough to answer this intelligently.

Governor Johnson, getting the laws changed to make it easier for a third party candidate is only the first part of the battle. What do you think you could say to the general public to break through the noise from the 2 party hype machine if you were given that platform?

Just the opportunity to voice what I think is the sentiment of most americans: fiscally conservative and socially liberal.

Do you think Rand Paul running this election will post-pone any chance for libertarians to get recognized?

I hope not. My fear is that people associate Rand Paul’s social conservatism with libertarianism, when it’s not.

Do you ever think we will see a non Democrat/Republican president in the future?

In my lifetime, and I’m 61 years old, yes.

What do you think about Bitcoin from an economic and technical angle?

I’m becoming more and more sold on the notion of Bitcoin.

While I agree with the sentiment behind the lawsuit especially the 15% polling requirement, given that the Commission on Presidential Debates is a private institution, is it possible to sue them to change their own rules?

I believe so, or we wouldn’t be doing it.

Gov. Johnson, how would you deal with the issue of poverty in America?

I think the only thing that government can do is create a level playing field, that right now does not exist. We are not capitalists, we are crony capitalists.

Realistically, where do you see the libertarian party going? I want them to be successful but I feel like the two party system completely stomps on any kind of competition.

Also, are you running in 2016?

I agree that the 2 party system stomps on any kind of competition. A great first step is to open the presidential debates to all qualified candidates, including the Libertarians. If that happens, the Libertarian party will experience unprecedented growth.

Gov Johnson, what subject will be your primary focus in the 2016 election (foreign policy, national debt, etc.)? Thank you!

Economic policy.

As a lifelong democrat, how can you convince me to vote libertarian?

All I can do is appeal is to your philosophy. The libertarian philosophy is flaming liberal when it comes to civil liberties and conservative when it comes to dollars & cents.

Gov. Johnson, how do you plan to raise funds and media awareness as we near the actual debates themselves and how do we raise grassroots awareness of these activities?

Given our resources, this Reddit AMA is certainly one of those options. I’d like to think we’re tapping into everything we can in the most economical way possible.

How many Rush albums do you own?

I don’t own any!

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I love it!

During the 2012 election, there were accusations that voting third party only took away votes from Republicans and Democrats. Some people in my close group of friends even said they firmly agreed with your platform but voted R or D anyway because they thought any third party candidate wouldn't stand a chance and they would rather have the lesser of two evils. What are your thoughts on third parties affecting votes between the two major parties and the lesser of two evils logic?

I think that, statistically, a third party garners votes from both parties equally.

How do you think ammunition and suppressors fall in line with the 2nd amendment?

The Second Amendment is pretty clear. I don’t think suppressers or magazines should be legislated.

What is your position on concealed carry permits?

I totally support.

Do you feel that Republicans, especially the Christian-Right, are hurting or helping Libertarians politically?

Compared to Republicans and Democrats, Libertarians draw the clearest distinction between church and state. I think that Republicans, much more than Democrats, combine the two.

What is your opinion on ISIS and the threat they pose to more moderate governments and people in the middle east? What role do you think the United States should play in that region, if any?

Extremism is a clearly a threat to Muslims. Do we best address this, or do the governments of the countries involved best address this? I think the countries involved are best to address this issue.

Best place to eat in NM?

Breakfast at the Frontier in Albuquerque.

Thanks for doing this AMA!

What do you think is the long-term solution to the type of tension between races and/or social strata that lead to the Ferguson riots?

In the short-term, what changes would you like to see implemented to safeguard against further police brutality and rioting?

Somebody needs to provide a voice for demilitarizing our police forces. I believe that’s a positive step in race relations.

Is it true that you saved a duck from a forest fire?

No, wasn't me.

Mr. Johnson,

Thanks so much for doing this AMA! I'm a big fan of yours and hope you choose to run again in 2016.

The 2016 election will be the first election in which I will be of legal age to vote, and I consider myself a moderate, liberal-leaning libertarian. All of my fellow libertarian friends would like to see a libertarian president, but most of them feel that voting for a third-party candidate in a national election is a waste of a vote. What would you say to those people, and what can I do to encourage people to take third-party candidates seriously in the future?

A wasted vote is voting for the lesser of two evils.

Who do you think is doing more to move the liberty agenda forward, politicians running on the Libertarian ticket (and most of the time ultimately failing) like Robert Sarvis or libertarian leaning minded Republicans (or Democrats) like Justin Amash?

Talking specifically about Justin Amash, I like what he has to say, but overall, Robert Sarvis rules the day.

Do you realistically believe the two party debate system can be changed before the next election?

What can 'regular people' do to help push this change?

Support us in our lawsuit against the Presidential Debate Commission with a donation.

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The military should only be used for defense. I think our current foreign policy has resulted in hundreds of millions of enemies to our country, that but for our military intervention that would otherwise not exist.

Governor Johnson, would you mind giving a fellow climber a bit of advice on the ascent of K-2 or Everest? How taxing is the trek on your mind and body?

I can’t comment on K-2, but I can tell you that Everest was a great experience and I never experienced “can’t go another step”. It all worked out really well.

Thanks for doing this ama gov. Hope to see you on a ballot again very soon. We are being led to believe that Rand Paul is going to champion libertarian ideals much like his father did, but I can't help but wonder how he can do this while parading around with the republican establishment. Who, in your opinion, is best suited for the job and who would you vote for?

I’m going to vote Libertarian, and I share your same concerns. The Libertarian candidate will best accomplish what you’re asking.

thank you for taking the time to do this AMA. i feel as though the general attitude towards marijuana legalization has shifted drastically as of late, and am encouraged as to the direction we are headed with the war on marijuana. however, i have not heard nearly as much outrage on the war on drugs in general.

how long will it take to turn the tide on the general public's attitude towards changing laws for other drugs? there is a bit of a heroin crisis in some areas of the country, and no one seems outraged at the current laws in regards to other more severe and addictive drugs. i would like to see that happen sooner rather than later.

I think relative to what we’ve seen for over the past 40 years, what we will see in the next 10 years will be remarkable.

How many years do you think until we see a non-religious president?

I think that we’ve probably already had a couple of non-religious presidents.