GREENSBORO The Libertarian Partys vice presidential candidate swung through the Triad on Monday with his pitch: Give the nations third party a chance. You might like it. <\/p>\n
Retired Judge Jim Gray did not play to large crowds. Just six people including the candidate himself had arrived for his 6:30 p.m. Greensboro fundraiser as of 7 p.m. But Gray insisted that he and the partys presidential nominee, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, are in the presidential race to win and that they back ideas most Americans agree with. <\/p>\n
That includes a 43 percent reduction in the federal budget to end deficit spending, replacing the federal income tax with a sales tax, ending the war in Afghanistan, closing military bases around the world and legalizing marijuana. <\/p>\n
You can agree with us or disagree with us you know where we stand, said Gray, a former federal prosecutor and California Superior Court judge. But agree with us on the big things. ... Be Libertarian with us this election, and if youre not happy with prosperity, equal opportunity and freedom, youre always welcome four years from now to vote back for politics as usual. <\/p>\n
Gray called for a complete overhaul of the education system, replacing school funding with tuition vouchers for parents. Parental choice would lead to vastly better schools, he said. <\/p>\n
He called for an end to the government war on drugs, which he has dubbed the biggest policy mistake in this country since slavery. He discussed tiered Social Security reforms that would raise the retirement age to 70 and turn the safety net into a private savings plan for people under 30. <\/p>\n
He called President Obama and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney Robamaney, saying there was little difference between them. He also said he doesnt believe the president has proved he was born in this country. <\/p>\n
This common theory, disproved for many when the president made his Hawaiian birth certificate public, would disqualify Obama from office. So would, for example, being under 32 years old, Gray said twice. <\/p>\n
Questioned on this, he acknowledged the Constitution requires presidential candidates to be 35. <\/p>\n
I sit corrected, Gray said. Its the only mistake Ive made on this campaign. I think its 32 to be a member of Congress. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
More: <\/p>\n
Ideas outnumber attendees at Libertarian\u2019s fundraiser<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GREENSBORO The Libertarian Partys vice presidential candidate swung through the Triad on Monday with his pitch: Give the nations third party a chance. You might like it. Continue reading