Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with former Congressman and businessman Mark Kennedy (R-MN). This past summer I met Mr. Kennedy while at the Young America’s Foundation’s National Conservative Student Conference in Washington, D. C. Having moved on from an unsuccessful bid for the U. S. Senate – he was the GOP nominee in 2006 – the businessman has embarked on a new path.
In August, Mr. Kennedy discussed his conceptual design dubbed as “Purple People Power”: the professed solution to the gridlock of politics. Reining in an era of fiscal irresponsibility and paying off the national debt, which stands at about $400 per American, should be atop the federal government’s agenda, argues the financial consultant who hails from the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes.’
The “path to Purple progress,” as described in his address, incorporates the following list of objectives:
1) Have a wide lens
– Food for thought: competition is not the other party
2) 360-degree vision
– Business, Congressional, and global insight: an array of different experiences can aid our understanding of matters
3) Avoid red vs. blue
– Political gridlock: Purple ‘pain,’ not ‘rain’ (á la the famed singer Prince)
By way of humor, Mr. Kennedy relates the binge-spending behavior of those in Washington to “free love” which “leads to unintended consequences for all involved,” i.e. “crabs.”
On a more serious note, given the fact that the Republican Party has been without a sixty-vote majority for around nine decades, Mr. Kennedy asserts that there has been “progress only once in ninety years.” With that empirical piece of historical data in mind, the businessman suggests that Republicans must “get [Democratic] conservatives on board, like Ben Nelson [of Nebraska]” in order to enact real reform such as a balanced budget amendment to the U. S. Constitution.
From 2000-2006, Mr. Kennedy held onto a Congressional seat representing Minnesota’s sixth district. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN 6), founder of the U. S. House Tea Party Caucus, is the incumbent.
Aside from his current advising ventures, during his twenty-year career in business, Mr. Kennedy helped Pillsbury acquire Haagen Dazs, worked at Accenture, and was named a “Fortune 100” senior executive.
To learn more about Mr. Kennedy and his business – Chartwell Strategic Advisors, LLC – you may explore his website, http://chartwellsa.com/.
Below is the transcript of our conversation on Congress, politics, family, business, and… Michigan football? Read on for the entire scoop!
* Interview with Mark Kennedy *
The Other Side (TOS): Having served three terms in Congress, what did you learn from it all? Did your outlook on life, your view of government alter as a result of your time spent on Capitol Hill?
Mark Kennedy (MK): I learned that each individual can make a difference. I won my first contest by 155 votes. Less than one vote difference per precinct and I would’ve lost. I was the deciding vote in the U. S. House many times.
You certainly get a broader view. If anything Congress made me more conservative. We, my office, often times were rehabilitation for kids that were liberal. CSPAN is very liberal; you realize the [factual] association with their comments is way off. Gained a much broader sense of government while in Congress. [My view that] individual initiative as opposed to government directive didn’t change.
TOS: If you could fix one thing – and one thing only – in Washington, what would it be, even if your political career would be at risk? Do you feel that this measure could be fixed soon, why or why not?
MK: A balanced budget amendment. Could be fixed only if the youth make it an issue, and they should. We’re spending you and your kids’ money, not for your benefit but for theirs. Now in Congress they are considering a moratorium on earmarks. It’s a start; with groundswell pressure we could get change.
TOS: According to your’06 Senate campaign webpage, as a Congressman, you served as “an independent voice for Minnesotans, frequently leading bi-partisan efforts to address concerns” including “health care.” With the primarily GOP-supported concept of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) aside, which bi-partisan health care initiatives did you push for – hopefully not Pelosi’s version?
MK: The bill that I co-authored [H. R. 765 (The Fair Care for the Uninsured Act of 2005)] was for refundable tax credits that had to be insured. Had a good share of House Democrats supporting it. Each individual chooses the coverage that they get. Did not get to a floor vote. Bush had it on the agenda, but it never got that far. Brought up in each of the terms that I served.
TOS: What is your reaction to the midterm elections? You must have been excited to see the Minnesota State Legislature, particularly the Senate, flip from Democratic to GOP control for the first time ever. (A Republican tornado ravaged through my home state of Michigan too.) In your opinion, will Republicans stay true to their professed mindset of fiscal responsibility and government reform, or will a collapse ensue much like that of the ‘90s?
MK: My reaction [is that] if you get tackled in your own end zone, that’s two points for the other team. The stimulus, etc. Pelosi and the Democrats that passed it hurt themselves. If Republicans do the same thing we’ll pay a similar penalty in one of the future elections. Want to start out from your opponent’s forty yard-line, not near your own end zone. Not seesaw, but future progress is what we want.
Absolutely. There is a recount for Governor; the Democrat leads, but we did take back the House and the Senate. This will give us two, possibly three, seats at the table [in Minnesota]. Not just Minnesota, Republicans will be positioned well for redistricting [across the country].
TOS: Of the potential candidates, and at this stage, who would you support as the GOP nominee for President in 2012?
MK: I am supporting Tim Pawlenty. He has fiscal credentials, has balanced the books without raising taxes as Governor, and advocated health reform that I favor. I think Pawlenty will do well in Iowa. Romney may have an edge in New Hampshire, but Romney Care, which is much like Obama Care, makes him vulnerable.
TOS: To what extent has your family background guided your career path and all-around decision making with regard to professional endeavors?
MK: I’m a first-generation college graduate. Started working at the age of fourteen. Floored to be the first boy in my family to go to college. My family taught me that everyone has the opportunity, but you have to take that opportunity. I’m one-of-seven kids, close to each of them, helps to focus you to get a word in edge wise. Great practice for Congress.
TOS: You have been out of public service for the past four years. What have you accomplished in the private sector during that time?
MK: Spent first three years with Accenture, working with predominately retailers world-wide as I have a retail background. Now working on speaking and advising with my own business. I work with individuals to help them develop a market strategy.
TOS: Exactly what is your role at Chartwell Strategic Advisors LLC? Briefly explain your “360-degree vision” approach and how it can be applied to common situations.
MK: Teaching speaking and advising, yes. Almost every situation you can get a better answer if you understand all sides of the issue. Without it, you fall short. Wal-Mart needed to sell live squids and turtles in Beijing to be successful. They had to adapt to the market forces. Other cases where businesses have responded in a positive way like Toyota has with the Prius. They are now allowed to drive in certain lanes in California with only one person in the car. Look at societal norms and alter decisions accordingly. Liberals have a void at the business decision level, it seems.
TOS: Displayed on your business website is a quote from the philosopher Aristotle that reads, “One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try.” What do you interpret this oft-referenced statement as meaning, of relation to the business world?
MK: You’ve got to get experience in business in order to appreciate it. If you want to go into politics, spend some time in business so you get an understanding of the job market before you make the decisions. Interesting to see. A guy I was speaking with for business once had never been to a Muslim country, yet he was trying to disprove of my opinions. You have to spend some time, walk in their shoes to understand where they’re coming from. You don’t have to agree, but understand in a way that is more likely for you to be received [positively].
TOS: In closing, what are your plans for the near future? Will you remain with Chartwell? Are there any lingering ambitions to seek a higher office, say, to challenge Al Franken in 2014?
MK: Who knows? Only the good Lord knows. In the meantime, I have to reopen my balance sheet, and remain open for opportunities. I believe in paying taxes and balancing budgets, but some don’t think so anymore. The number one message that students need to understand is the debt. We need sixty votes in the Senate, including conservative Democrats to get on board, in order to stop the madness. An inability to address this issue will limit your ability to address any others.
TOS: And, since I know that you are a Wolverine, I must ask: what has happened to your alma mater’s football and basketball programs recently? It appears that the roles have been reversed. The University of Michigan is now East Lansing’s “little brother”!
MK: They are pretty bad. And they have been down for a few years now. When I was at homecoming this year, I thought, ‘this team doesn’t deserve this stadium.’ [Michigan head coach Rich] Rodriguez says he needs four years to recruit? On homecoming, the kicker had two penalties. What is that? The big problem is defense – and the kicker. Inexcusable.
TOS: Do you think Stanford head coach and former U of M quarterback Jim Harbaugh will come back to Ann Arbor?
MK: We will see what the future holds.
Nick Kowalski writes for The Other Side conservative blog (https://nicholaskowalski.wordpress.com). He can be reached via Facebook (http://tiny.cc/d9sm9), Twitter (http://twitter.com/NKowalski), and email (nicholas.kowalski@rocketmail.com).
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