With the recent passing of GOP luminary and football great Jack Kemp, FR reader Allen Payton penned a few thoughts…
MEMORIES OF JACK KEMP
By Allen Payton
Jack Kemp was my political hero and an example of the kind of leader we need, today.
He wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed, in spite of strong opposition. He successfully offered a new direction to not only the Republican Party, but the nation, as well.
I had the pleasure of seeing or speaking with Secretary Kemp on a few occasions over the past 30 years. My first memory of seeing him in public was in 1985 during one of his press conferences, which I attended while I was an intern in D.C.
Then in 1986 while in Idaho, I spoke with Kemp at a reelection event for Senator Steve Symms. He shared with me his concerns that interest rates be lowered to reduce the amount of money leaving the country in the form of interest on the national debt, because 25% was being purchased by the Japanese.
As a delegate to the Young Republican National Federation convention in 1987, I had the chance to again meet and for the first time have my photo taken with Kemp. It’s a treasure in my collection.
To later discover Kemp was a fellow native Californian and the first quarterback of my favorite football team, the San Diego Chargers, was a bonus.
In preparation for the 1996 Republican convention, I made a “Dole Kemp” sign on my home computer to take with me to encourage Senator Dole to choose him as his running mate. But, before I got there, on the Victory Express train ride, we all learned Dole was in Kansas announcing Kemp as his choice for VP, much to my delight.
The final time I spoke with Kemp was last year, when he was a surrogate for John McCain at a fundraiser in San Francisco. His speech was as rousing as ever.
Secretary Kemp was a self-described "bleeding heart conservative" working for lower taxes, a return to the gold standard and an end to partial-birth abortion, yet supporting both immigration reform and reaching out to minorities.
I enjoyed listening to him speak, with all his wisdom and enthusiasm, watching his head bob back and forth, and his rapid fire responses.
My favorite Kemp quote, which sums up his public life’s work is, "free markets, free minds and free men and women." That is the legacy he leaves behind.
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The photo above was taken in 1967 when Kemp was an assistant to then Governor Ronald Reagan.