Redstate

By Leon H Wolf Posted in 2008 — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Full Disclosure: Leon Wolf is the E-Campaign Coordinator for the Sam Brownback for President Campaign.

The Des Moines Register's editorial page editor Carol Hunter wrote a piece which ran today on Sam Brownback. The cartoon accompanying the piece is horrible (and not even a very good likeness), but the op-ed conveys nicely a phenomenon which is becoming ever more common these days: when people meet Sam Brownback, they come away feeling impressed.

Senator Brownback may not be "impressive" in the same way that some of the other candidates are "impressive," in that he might not have the most commanding television presence, best hair, or charming smile. But what does impress people is that Sam Brownback is a refreshing change from the typical politician in this wise: you come away from speaking with him with the clear impression that he actually believes everything that he says. He is real. He is honest. He does not apologize for who he is or what he believes. And he is tailor-made for Iowa. As the article notes:

Unlike other presidential aspirants finding their way to Iowa farmhouses, his agriculture credentials are no pretense. He was chosen as the youngest secretary of agriculture in Kansas history. Now a youthful 50, he was elected to the U.S. House in 1994 and Senate in 1996.

** snip **

His discussion never strayed far from his main themes as a "full-scale" conservative, fiscal and social.

His initial statement to the board on why he wants to be president: "The core of my being is to rebuild the family and renew the culture."

Later, as if he feared that wasn't clear enough, he returned to the point: "I want to make sure I cover, too, that I'm a social conservative. I am pro life and whole life. I believe that life is sacred, period. All human life, every place, at every stage, is sacred. Yes, it's the child in the womb. But it's also the child in Darfur. And it's also the mother that's in poverty or the man that's in prison."

Some statements sounded like an autopilot recitation of the conservative agenda: "I support marriage as the union of a man and a woman," he said.

But his record on individual dignity is more than talk. He's a leading advocate of prison reform, emphasizing faith-based programs "to engage the soul of the prisoner."

"I've spent nights in jail," he said, then, as if hearing that quote played out on television, laughed and added, "This is on my own accord. I wasn't convicted."

His human-rights crusade has taken him to points around the globe — to Sudan twice and to Africa four of the past five years, he said. He counts as one of his proudest accomplishments working with the late Sen. Paul Wellstone on passing a bill to combat human trafficking.

Senator Brownback's genuineness and full-scale conservative appeal is catching on elsewhere in Iowa as well, leading Republican Senator Mark Zeiman to remark recently that "His conservative foundation is solid, fiscally, socially, however you want to figure it."

As the Senator travels throughout the state campaigning and introducing himself to the people of Iowa, expect more people to come away impressed with a man who is genuine, honest, and sincere - someone who is like them. Expect that to pay off as the caucuses grow closer.