Kemp felt himself to be increasingly out of step with the more socially conservative direction which the GOP was taking in the 1990s and chose not to run for president in 1992 or 1996. During this period he became one of the first major advocates of the idea of a flat tax, which was picked up as a campaign issue in 1996 by both Steve Forbes and Phil Gramm.
Kemp also took a controversial pro-immigration stand during this period, pointing out that the benefits of immigrants to the economy far outweighed the costs. In 1993 Kemp was one of the founders of the free-market advocacy group Empower America which eventually evolved into the Competitive Enterprise Institute and FreedomWatch, which is playing a large role in the resurgence of free-market libertarianism in the Republican Party.
To the surprise of many social conservatives, Senator Bob Dole picked Kemp as his running mate in 1996. They ran a principled but unsuccessful campaign against the very popular Democrat incumbent which played a large role in strengthening the Republican hold on Congress during that era. Dole said of Kemp, "Jack was an eternal optimist who was always searching for solutions that would help the American people."
After the 1996 campaign Kemp focused on public speaking and promoting his ideas of free markets and political inclusion. He believed in an inclusive Republican Party which should welcome minorities and working people and champion the idea of creating opportunity for all Americans. Throughout his career he was promoted smaller, better government, low taxes and free trade. While he was personally socially conservative he understood and was tolerant of the individual rights of others and was reluctant to support socially repressive policies.
Kemp was in many ways out of step with his times. He would have fit better in the politics of the Goldwater era when he was a young football player, or in the emerging politics of the post-Bush libertarian swing of the Republican Party. He may not have been perfect, but he remains a positive example for a new generation of political activists as a Republican of consistent integrity and great vision whose ideas are still relevant and appealing today. Kemp is gone now and that highlights how badly the Republican Party needs a new generation of Jack Kemps. The time has come to make the GOP the party he wanted it to be — inclusive, pro-liberty and working for prosperity for all Americans.
Article comments
1 - Ruvy
We Need More Republicans Like Jack Kemp
You need more corpses in the GOP? That's a brand new one! I've never heard any GOP activist say that before - not even when I was in the GOP myself!
2 - Dave Nalle
Well, I can think of a few people in the GOP who would be more useful as corpses, but I was thinking more in terms of Kemp while he was alive.
Dave
3 - Clavos
Very well written article, Dave, and a fitting tribute to an exceptional man!
4 - Baronius
If you were a young conservative in the late 1980's like I was, Kemp was your Elvis. Other people were talking about tax cuts because they were popular; Kemp talked about them because they were economically and morally good. The weird thing was, he stopped talking about anything else. It was all tax cuts and GOP outreach to blacks, and it turned out that most of the blacks weren't interested. Dave's right about the sense of incompleteness in the Kemp story, but his fans carry on the tradition of conservatism without cynicism or apology.
Lack of apology: that was huge. We were never racists or anti-poor, and we never learned to flinch at those accusations. We didn't call our conservatism kinder, gentler, or compassionate, because we knew that smaller government was all those things. Gingrich was an effective marketer, and W was an electable candidate, but Kemp was Jack Freakin' Kemp.
5 - Dave Nalle
Good points, Baronius. One thing Kemp really understood which too many still don't really seem to get is that the best way to help minorities and the poor and the working class who he was so concerned about, is to build a growing economy and build wealth and opportunity for everyone.
Kemp was a very smart guy and understood the economy in a way which very few legislators today do, except maybe Ron Paul, but he's gotten kind of sidetracked from the main issues.
Dave
6 - Baronius
But why did his minority outreach never work? Why does it still not work? Kemp used to say that it didn't work because blacks were smarter than Republicans - the GOP never demonstrated the real benefits of a growing economy to the poor, so political pitches were doomed to failure. But if you haven't figured out the benefits of economic prosperity by now, you're stupid (according to Clavos), or you're after something other than prosperity (according to Baronius).
Also, I hate to be the one to say this first, but who would have thought that Bob Dole would outlive Jack Kemp?
7 - Clavos
But if you haven't figured out the benefits of economic prosperity by now, you're stupid (according to Clavos)...
Did I really say that? Tsk, tsk. :>)
But why did his minority outreach never work? Why does it still not work?
Because too many of the minority folks are in the economic underclass, and the Democrats have, for decades (since FDR, actually), done a masterful job of buying their votes with an ever-expanding menu of entitlements.
8 - Baronius
I paraphrase, Clav, but you did say something like that recently.
9 - Clavos
I know, Bar. I was being facetious.
10 - Bliffle
Good article.
The egalitarianism that Kemp learned in the winning-is-everything crucible of pro football ran up against the lily-white republican party of the times (is it still around, or is it really gone?), which only considered blacks as pets or tokens.
Kemp was a smart guy and may have even REALLY understood the meaning and significance of Supply Side econ (which, for example, no one on BC has ever demonstrated any understanding of, except as a political chant) and been able to deal appropriate uses and recognize LIMITATIONS.
11 - Cindy
Dave,
Something you'll want to see if you haven't, I think.
US using Patriot Act against its own citizens: 16yo boy taken 2 months ago stripped of all rights
12 - El Bicho
Very nice piece, Dave, although I would amend the title to "We Need More Politicians Like Jack Kemp."
13 - Dave Nalle
It's all over the libertarian Facebook links, Cindy. I'm curious to see how it shakes out since they seem to have no actual evidence against him.
dave
14 - zingzing
did you guys see that michael savage has been banned from entering britain for being a dangerous, homophobic racist? (a bit of an overreaction, i say, but you know...)
the best part is that he changed his name to "savage." know what it was? weiner. come on! change your name, if you want, but... damn, don't make it embarrassing...
if dems buy poor people an expanding menu of entitlements, republicans buy rich people with the same. is one better than the other? and since when do entitlements keep anyone down, unless they're not lifting them up... it all depends on how you see things working. does trickle down work? do we need to raise up the poor? how many ways can we play lip service to the middle class? ahh, politics.
15 - Baronius
Bliffle, limitations? Kemp thought that lower tax rates were the answer to everything from missile defense to bad breath.
16 - Zedd
Well written.
This guy seemed to have purpose as apposed to so many up there who seem to simply want a cool job.
17 - Zedd
What happened to the vintage/early internet look.
18 - Dr Dreadful
Ah, Zedd. You've been away for a while and missed all the fun. Blogcritics is a nice shiny new site now. Vroom, vroom!!!
19 - Bubble and Squeek
Again, Dave is spot on. Let them the Dems do their magic--to get republicans elected.