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Former Oklahoma Congressman JC Watts about his potential leadership of the RNC now that Reince Priebus is out as chairman.
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So let's start with a -- the news is that you are running four or thinking about running for the head of the RNC yes or no.
Well and some at.
Do you get your head handed to you and football or basketball or baseball you lose the championship.
And politics you lose two national elections no -- in 2012.
Everybody starts to point fingers and everybody starts to analyze and talk about what was wrong or what went wrong.
The difference in me is I've been talking about this for twenty years I've said that.
The Republican Party along with Jack -- -- we said for many years and others we've said that.
The party in order for us to become -- a a natural majority we have to do better in region out.
To nontraditional constituencies.
And and Tom I can make a pretty strong argument that we not gotten.
Better in the last ten years we've gotten worse and I think we got really expose on November -- Given to -- but if you don't Lotta people criticized the Republican party for messaging tonight and I know.
I wanna go there are just a minute -- you about the fact that you were you were an officeholder.
And you left and -- just go off to become a -- -- you started your own big giant Washington company.
So now you are trying to consult people in politics on.
How to do it so what do they need to do.
Well you know Tom I was -- youth pastor for for eight years and I I learned a lot about -- region.
Relationships through through mind local church and and I can tell you in the church in business and politics.
If -- not growing you're dying and and and what I did to grow youth department.
I said okay I'm gonna I'm gonna get to know these kids I'm gonna go to lunch with the month I'm gonna encourage them to invite invite other kids and I'm gonna do things at the church -- -- have pizza -- -- I want to do whatever it takes to establish a -- relationship.
And I think that's that's what you have to do in order.
To grow a business to grow -- party to grow -- church to grow youth group.
It starts with relationships and then and I have said down quite a bit over the last couple weeks.
And I say this at the risk of sounding self serving.
But if I don't have a relationship with the Republican National Committee which is institution in the party that should establish these initiatives these efforts.
If I don't know them if I don't have a relationship with them how can I have any confidence.
The Tom Sullivan show grossed white guy chuck rose black guy chart -- Hispanic got.
Jane go.
Of female hello should I have.
Confident that they do.
Yet know people do business with people.
First and foremost I've always believed that so.
I'll go back to -- first questions 31 -- the RNC.
Tom -- you know.
I've kind of gotten gotten caught in in in this you know -- -- is gonna take a normal life of its own I got a letter.
A three page letter about a month ago from a trusted -- and telling me why I should run for.
The RNC chairmanship I read it up thought about it for five minutes up put it down obviously somebody.
Got it out -- the press that and and then started to talk about me is RNC chair I did an interview.
And I've been doing interviews all week but -- let me tell you it is this is not about JC -- not even think is about chairman.
Previous it's about somebody sitting in that -- at the RNC.
That understand there have to be that understands.
There have to be some some change we can continue doing the same old thing the same away.
And an -- in that ethnic minorities face and I know what we do in the black spaces.
You know sixty days before an election and we started you an African American coalition for Romney and African American -- -- and coalition for.
For McCain are African American coalition for somebody.
That has no substance that has no credibility.
If you don't put some substance.
Behind it so I'm not I'm not miss -- look going to be.
The chairman of RNC I think every single Republican.
Ought to be concerned about.
One how we got our heads handed to us in the last two elections.
-- -- that America's becoming more brown and we have a party we have to be engaged and I just don't think.
That I've seen anything from the RNC.
That would encourage me to believe that they think that org or if they do think it that they take it seriously.
The stock about -- does the Tea Party and about the events this past week to John Boehner asked.
All speakers and all part congressional leaders do they hand out committee assignments based upon people who.
They like and and that vote with them so I'm looking -- going it one time -- represented that you represented the people of your district.
You go to Washington ended congressional leaders say you're not represented never -- -- -- represented -- you're gonna vote the way -- tell you to vote.
So.
So Boehner -- the right to go through and and decapitate some of these people tick him off their committees.
-- How -- -- you know what how we're gonna solve this between the Tea Party group and the establishment or the old guard as I like to call.
Well Tom I think you first of all I think we first of all have to recognize.
That you do have a large segment of America Republican Democrat red yellow brown black and why they believe.
That believes -- we do not have.
A a revenue problem we have a spending problem.
And you've got many in in in the Republican conference that would say.
You -- George Herbert Walker Bush lost this presidency in 1992.
Because he he tried to strike a deal to say.
You know I'll give you revenue you give me spending that the rate of inflation and I suspected you go back -- and look at that at that time would probably were about to.
Two trillion dollars in debt yeah today -- they say were sixteen trillion I think we're probably close in the 75 trillion.
Dollars in debt and we not done one thing about the spending.
And so you've got some people that have been willing to sacrifice their careers to -- we wanna do something.
About so -- the Intel I think it's always a difficult thing for Republicans -- Democrats especially if a Republican leadership.
To say two grown men that have children and and and they have grandkids.
To say that.
I'm I'm gonna punish you.
Ben just usually doesn't sit well would.
Well the bill that's how do we how do we get this big tent party to just include for right now just -- members that have been elected.
As Republicans the Tea Party group vs the old guard group.
That they're fighting with each other looked like a civil war.
Well and its commitment Tom this is politics that that's gonna happen and I think at the end of the day Republicans -- gated.
We'll get -- squared away I -- Republicans use of the operate there is the only Democrats use the operate from the top down Republicans usually operate.
From the bottom up and if you've got a bottom up model that's always going to be tougher.
For John Boehner to manage -- conference.
Than it is for Nancy Pelosi to to manage her caucus that's just.
That that that's just the reality at the end of the day I -- a lot of this is bickering back and forth at the end of the day where -- gonna end up and I think that's.
That's the measurement of the unity where we end up not all of -- gyrations we go through to get -- All right JC -- great to see you again thank you so much John thank you sir you --
