Supporters call for former Gov. Johnson to run for president

Posted at: 11/05/2009 6:53 PM | Updated at: 11/06/2009 8:20 AM
By: Gadi Schwartz, Eyewitness News 4; Charlie Pabst, KOB.com

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson for president? That's what a handful of Web sites are calling for in 2012, and now there's even a commercial on YouTube.

On the web, a grassroots campaign seems to be picking up steam, but the former governor says he has nothing to do with it.

He is, however, launching a Web site complete with a tax-exempt political committee, which can be used to raise a lot of political money.

Johnson said, "I think its flattering. I don't have comment— I haven't even seen then actually."

He says he can't talk about a future run, because he's in the final stages of forming a 527 political committee.

"Part of this 527 committee, I can not comment at all about. I have no notion for running for federal office… I can not comment on it in any way, and that is the laws as they are written," Johnson said.

The Republican says there are still plenty of other things to talk about.

"I'm upset A to Z with the spending that is taking place nationally, with the spending that is on the local level, and the bottom line taxes are going up and bottom line we are going to get less for what we pay into this," he said.

Supporters seem to agree— Facebook pages have been set up supporting him for president.

Another Web site is selling mugs, t-shirts, and bumper stickers.

Johnson says the only site he's approved is still days away from being launched, but once it's up, he won't keep quiet about what he thinks needs to change.

"That starts with the drunken sailor spending that exists at the national level and certainly at the state level and come on, come on lets something about it," he said.

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