Gary Johnson in First 2016 Presidential Debate

On Free Trade: Free trade, not isolationism; low spending, not taxes

TRUMP: Our jobs are fleeing the country. They're going to Mexico. They're going to many other countries. You look at what China is doing to our country in terms of making our product. They're devaluing their currency, and there's nobody in our government to fight them. And we have a very good fight. And we have a winning fight. Because they're using our country as a piggy bank to rebuild China, and many other countries are doing the same thing.

GARY JOHNSON: Free trade, not isolationism, is what will lead to more U.S. jobs.

CLINTON: Well, I think that trade is an important issue. Of course, we are 5 percent of the world's population; we have to trade with the other 95 percent. And we need to have smart, fair trade deals. We also, though, need to have a tax system that rewards work and not just financial transactions.

GARY JOHNSON: All the tax increases in the world are not going to balance the budget. Spending MUST be addressed

Source: Twitter posting on First 2016 presidential debate Sep 27, 2016

On Crime: Stop & frisk isn't constitutional

Trump: In New York City, we had 2,200 murders and stop and frisk brought it down to 500 murders. Five hundred murders is a lot of murders. Hard to believe 500 is like supposed to be good? But we went from 2,200 to 500 and it was continued on by Mayor Bloomberg. And it was terminated by our current mayor. But stop and frisk had a tremendous impact on the safety of New York City.

Gary Johnson: Americans believe in the Constitution and the protections it's supposed to provide. Mr. Trump appears willing to 'frisk' those protections away if they get in the way of his version of fixing things.

Source: 3rd-party commentary on First 2016 Presidential Debate Sep 26, 2016

On Government Reform: Clinton promises spending programs but doesn't address debt

Clinton: I want us to do more to support people who are struggling to balance family and work. So let's have paid family leave, earned sick days let's be sure we have affordable childcare and debt-free college.

Johnson: I heard Hillary Clinton writing checks we can't possibly cash. Americans don't want their children and grandchildren to inherit a $20 trillion debt, and they didn't hear anything tonight that will keep that from happening. Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump are afraid to tell the truth about spending. It's easier to just promise more of it and send the next generation the tab.

Source: 3rd-party commentary on First 2016 Presidential Debate Sep 26, 2016

On Immigration: No random deportations; just keep out criminals & terrorists

Trump said during the debate, "I was endorsed by ICE. They've never endorsed anybody before -- on immigration. I was just endorsed by ICE. We're losing our jobs, people are pouring into our country. The other day we were deporting eight hundred people, but these people that we were going to deport, for good reason, ended up becoming citizens. And it was 800 and now it turns out it might be 1800 and they don't even know."

Gary Johnson proposed a reformed immigration system that would "eliminate categories and quotas" and offer undocumented immigrants with an otherwise unblemished track record in the U.S. a path to legal status. Johnson wrote that border enforcement would be focused on "keeping out real criminals and would-be terrorists."

Jill Stein responded, "Immigrants are among the most law-abiding groups out there. It is false for Trump to be fear-mongering that immigrants are a community of violence."

Source: 3rd-party commentary on First 2016 Presidential Debate Sep 26, 2016

On Principles & Values: I offer choices beyond the same old red vs. blue

My America is about the freedom to make choices, pursue your dreams and use your skills as entrepreneurs. It is about having more choices than just red versus blue. I'm offering that choice. I wasn't part of the presidential debate on Monday, but as Americans listened in dismay to the so-called major parties' candidates, Google searches for 'Gary Johnson' skyrocketed. Source: N.Y. Times OpEd by Johnson: First 2016 Presidential Debate Sep 26, 2016

The above quotations are from First Presidential Debate at Hofstra University, Sept. 26, 2016, moderated by Lester Holt of NBC News. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Gary Johnson. Click here for Gary Johnson on all issues.
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