Lowry: Where Is Today’s Jack Kemp?

Rich Lowry has written an important column at National Review Online. He covers the RNC and asks a question we have been asking here: Where is today’s Jack Kemp?

Here are the parts you need to know:

The harsh assessment of the RNC “autopsy” committee would be that it talked to 2,600 people, yet one of its top proposals is reviving a minority inclusion council from the 1990s. It takes months of research to come up with this stuff?

But that would be too harsh. The autopsy is a good-faith effort to stare the Republican predicament straight in the face.

The RNC autopsy has stirred up another round in an intraparty debate that is yeasty and entertaining, and will surely prove largely irrelevant to the Republican future.

One facet of that ongoing debate is the fight between the grassroots and the establishment over Senate primaries, which has been raging for months and got more fuel when speakers at the annual conservative gathering, the Conservative Political Action Conference, savaged the Republican consultant class. Rarely has so much heat been generated with so little light.

Consider Ted Cruz of Texas, whose smarts and fearlessness are making him the most dangerous man in the U.S. Senate. He proves that you can be anti-establishment — he ran a grassroots insurgency in his Republican primary — and yet talented and electable.

And so much depends on substance. No “rebranding” will make a difference if Republican policy is not relevant to people’s lives. What the party desperately needs more than different marketing or new consultants are a few Jack Kemps, political entrepreneurs willing to ignore orthodoxies and evangelize for new ideas.

Kemp did his most important work as a backbencher in the House. Where is his equivalent today? Two possible Republican contenders in 2016 have demonstrated some of his entrepreneurial spirit. No committee ever would have come up with the idea for Rand Paul’s filibuster. It showed gumption and creativity, and it caught people’s imagination. But it was in a cause — preventing drone attacks on U.S. citizens — that is not pertinent to the everyday life of anyone not on the run in Yemen.

For his part, Rubio has begun to talk about college affordability, an issue that should be part of a new conservative agenda aimed at concrete middle-class concerns. All the action, though, is around Rubio’s other cause of comprehensive immigration reform.

The Republican party can study itself to death, but without some Jack Kemps, it will remain in its current stasis for the duration.

This is another reminder that there is a Jack Kemp Project forthcoming from us here at GPH Consulting. Be sure you’re on the list to be notified first about what’s going on.

Jack Kemp Project QR Code GPH Consulting

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New York Times Bias

In the span of five days, the Old York Times has demonstrated its bias. Take a look below at the Thursday edition, with a despicable picture of Paul Ryan practicing for his RNC speech later that day. The other image is on the Monday edition, showing the current President majestically speaking to a crowd in Colorado.

GPH Political Consulting GPH-Consulting.com  NYT - GPH-Consulting.com

To prove my point, take a look at my post from Thursday showing a few of the front page headlines from other papers, this goes to show there were other photos that could have been used by the Old York Times. Instead of using a positive looking (or feeling) photo, the Old York Times opted for a despicable image.

Romney Accepts RNC Nomination

Governor Mitt Romney made a very clear case for the return of American greatness in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night. One of the better moments, was a simple few words:

President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans.

And to heal the planet.  My promises to help you and your family.

Put that quote into perspective.

In 2008, Barack Hussein Kardashian campaigned across the country talking about oceans and the planet like he was running to be a Global Commissar, as opposed to President of the United States.

In 2012, Mitt Romney cares about you and your family. Vote accordingly.

Watch the entire Mitt Romney speech here.

Paul Ryan’s New Jack Kemp Style Republicanism

This post by Richard Viguerie so touched me, as I was a big fan of Jack Kemp’s, that I decided to re-post this in its entirety:

Richard Viguerie Post - GPH-Consulting.com

In one brief line in last night’s acceptance speech, Paul Ryan made himself the Republicans’ star witness in the case against Barack Obama.

“None of us have to settle for the best this administration offers – a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us.”

In a speech that was full of humility, yet so consequential that it eclipsed those of Senator John McCain and former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Ryan also revived the Jack Kemp wing of the Republican Party.

One of Ryan’s early mentors, Jack Kemp never tired of making the connection between freedom, a small government, and economic success. Paul Ryan’s methodical dissection of Barack Obama’s assaults on the freedom of individual Americans and the disaster of Obamanomics proved him to be a worthy inheritor of Kemp’s mantle.

In this, Ryan also began to make good on my observation that his selection as Mitt Romney’s running mate made the Republicans the Party of the future.

Paul Ryan’s emphasis on the future, while so effectively indicting the current President’s economic policies and lack of leadership, did not bode well for Obama’s campaign strategy of personal attacks and excuses.

Ryan’s acceptance speech also brought something that has been strangely lacking in the Republican effort so far: a sense of urgency about that future.

“Before the math and the momentum overwhelm us all, we are going to solve this nation’s economic problems. And I’m going to level with you: We don’t have that much time.  But if we are serious, and smart, and we lead, we can do this,” said Ryan.

However, a campaign based on fear of the future alone is unlikely to succeed. Jack Kemp understood this and so does Paul Ryan.

Toward the end of his remarks, Ryan said, “I learned a good deal about economics, and about America, from the author of the Reagan tax reforms – the great Jack Kemp.  What gave Jack that incredible enthusiasm was his belief in the possibilities of free people, in the power of free enterprise and strong communities to overcome poverty and despair.   We need that same optimism right now.”

The Kemp-like, “We can do this,” may prove to be the Romney/Ryan ticket’s new campaign slogan.

Ryan also showed himself to be the inheritor of Jack Kemp’s brand of Republican populism, as he put himself squarely on the side of the Main Street America that has borne the brunt of today’s economic woes while cronyism protected the big players of the Wall Street/Washington axis with trillions in federal stimulus spending and government bailouts.

Ryan’s commitment that a Romney/Ryan administration would hold federal government spending to its historic norm of 20% of GDP — or less — was also a new and very consequential commitment from a Romney campaign that has been short on commitments and specifics to-date.

While Washington’s pundit class may see that as a throwaway line in a campaign speech, those, in both Parties who have become addicted to the Obama-level of federal spending should consider themselves on notice.  

Two of Ryan’s closest collaborators in Congress, Jeb Hensarling of Texas and Mike Pence, now running for Governor of Indiana, had a bill for a constitutional amendment to do just that (hold spending to 20% or less), and a federal budget reduced to that level would have no trouble passing a Tea Party influenced House of Representatives — if it ever got to the Floor.

While Jack Kemp made economics and tax policy his signature issues, he never shied away from talking about the conservative social agenda and making the tie between a successful society and a moral society.

In this, Ryan also proved himself to be Kemp’s worthy successor as he gave one of the few direct embraces to the right to life heard at this year’s GOP Convention.

In rejecting a society “where everything is free except us,” and in his optimism about the future — if Americans make the choice to join him — Paul Ryan has pointed the GOP and the Romney campaign in a new, and decidedly Jack Kemp-style, conservative direction. 

Newspaper Headlines After Paul Ryan’s Speech

The Houston Chronicle gets it right; the right photo and the right words, “American turnaround”.

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The Old York Times chooses the most despicable of pictures, but at least “U.S. Turnaround” is mostly correct.

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For as much as I love the Wall Street Journal, they got this one half wrong. Great photo, and the photo is big. However, Paul Ryan did not pledge a “GOP rebirth” he pledged an American rebirth.

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Honorable mention goes to both the Los Angeles Times and The Press-Enterprise for their front page coverage.

LA Times Paul Ryan - GPH-Consulting.com    The Press-Enterprise GPH-Consulting.com

Finally, the USA Today continues to embarrass itself with their 2012 coverage. This time by using “Grand Old Party”.

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Paul Ryan Closes His RNC Speech Strong

Here is the entire speech by Congressman Paul Ryan.

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Guy Benson over at Townhall.com has posted a superb review of the Paul Ryan speech. It’s well worth the look.

And here is The Hill’s take on what happened tonight, Ryan carves up President Obama.

Joel Pollak at Breitbart offers his take, RYAN’S MASTERFUL SPEECH: A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH A NATION IN CRISIS.

Matt Kibbe posted this on Fox News’ opinion site, Ryan’s speech builds trust among grassroots conservatives.