Glenn Beck interviews Gary Johnson on freedom of conscience, religious liberty topics
Many voters feel disenfranchised by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the two main candidates for president and have looked at Libertarian Gary Johnson, who is now rising a bit in some polls. The former New Mexico governor spoke with Glenn Beck on Wednesday about reaching out to conservative voters, the objections to his stance on Christians mandated to participate in gay weddings and lining up with Bernie Sanders on issues.
Johnson begins with an ambiguous online “test” to determine a person’s political leanings (and back up his assertion that he agrees with Sanders 73% of the time) and stated that “Bernie and I are the same on individual freedom, liberty, marriage equality and a women’s right (to choose),” prompting Beck to intervene and ask for clarification, pointing to a difference of solution and not identification of problems.
“When it comes to economics, obviously we come to a tee in the road,” Johnson responds, moving away from these social issues.
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Johnson attacks crony capitalism, problems with Hillary Clinton’s economics plans and then was asked more about separating himself from the Sanders’ supporters.
“When it comes to free markets, I think that unfairly most people equate in this country crony capitalism to free markets as one in the same. When in the reality, they are opposite and we should be striving for free markets….”
Beck turns back to libertarianism, his analogy of living next door to someone without shoving views or ideas down the throats of others before asking if churches should be forced to perform gay marriages.
(Just before the eight minute mark in the clip)
“No,” Johnson quickly stated before drawing a Civil Rights discussion. “Businesses being allowed to discriminate on the basis of freedom of religion, I think… I think currently, that is just a guise to discriminate against the LBGT community. I don’t want to have any part of discrimination on the part of business…”
Johnson then repeats protection for the church, forcing a church to hold a wedding ceremony or a reception: “Absolutely not.”
Check out the full audio below.
After a few moments of discussion then the line between selling and decorating the cake for the gay wedding becomes the springboard for further debate and clarification. Johnson says this is current law and he would sign Federal law to clarify that point.
“The baker has to sell the cake. They don’t have to decorate the cake,” he said.
Beck points out that wedding cakes are not made ahead of time, so he uses the photographer as an example. Johnson tries to connect the argument back to the Civil Rights Act and Beck gets very testy and the back and forth continues.
“…In the name of religious freedom, you as the store owner, what’s to stop you…that store owner from conducting a Jewish wedding, I don’t wanna do a Catholic wedding?…”
There is some discussion about the limits, leaning towards or against the government intrusion and Beck interjects, asking about Hobby Lobby being forced to cover abortion pills through the company’s health care insurance.
“Why isn’t…can’t this perceived harm done to the business owner apply to the other side of the counter?” Johnson says weakly as the discussion is forced to end.
