Jonathan Krohn

Last updated
Jonathan Krohn
Jonathan Krohn from the Gwinnett Herald.jpg
Jonathan Krohn in 2010
BornJonathan Lee Krohn
(1995-03-01) March 1, 1995 (age 28)
Georgia, U.S.
OccupationWriter
Journalist
NationalityAmerican
Subject International affairs, politics

Jonathan Lee Krohn (born March 1, 1995) is an American journalist and writer. He has written for The Guardian , The Atlantic , Salon , and Mother Jones , [1] among others. In March 2013, Krohn was made the International Affairs and Politics fellow for Kurdish media company Rudaw's English language news site.

Contents

Prior to his work in journalism, Krohn wrote and self-published the book Defining Conservatism, in which he sought to outline core conservative principles. He gained national attention when he addressed the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), at age 13. Krohn convinced skeptical organizers to allow him to speak for three minutes at the CPAC event on February 27, 2009. His speech was well-received by the audience and later gained popularity on the internet, garnering Krohn's attention on national news programs on CNN and the Fox News Channel. In 2009, he was a finalist for Time magazine's Time 100 for the year. His second book, Defining Conservatism: The Principles That Will Bring Our Country Back, was released on February 9, 2010. [2]

In 2011, Krohn openly declared he no longer held conservative views, a change he attributed to his study of philosophers and maturing with age.

Early life

Krohn, an only child, was born on March 1, 1995, to Doug Krohn, a computer system integrator, and Marla Krohn, a sales representative and middle-school drama and speech teacher. Krohn's family lived in Duluth, Georgia, and has been active in a Baptist church. [3] In 2006, he was voted "Atlanta's Most Talented Child" by Inside Edition . [4] Krohn became interested in politics at age eight, after hearing about a Democratic filibuster on judicial nominations in the United States Senate. The event prompted him to research American history and governmental rules and policies, and he developed an affinity for conservatism and began to listen regularly to conservative talk radio, particularly Morning in America with William Bennett, to whom he became a regular caller. [3]

Krohn wrote Defining Conservatism, which was self-published in 2008, when he was 13 years old, because he felt the term conservatism was often misused. [5] The book was in part a response to criticism that John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, received regarding his conservative credentials. [5] The book outlines four fundamental principles of conservative thought: support for the United States Constitution, opposition to abortion, less government, and more personal responsibility. Krohn went on to apply the principles to current events and define whether specifically cited actions violated those principles. [6] The book was dedicated to Ronald Reagan, William F. Buckley, Jr. and Barry Goldwater, whom Krohn describes as his political heroes, along with South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint. [7] Krohn paid to have the book published from his own savings. He described it as a "first effort" and immediately planned to write a second one, which he said would focus in part on Alexander Hamilton and James Monroe. [3]

"He seems to at least have a historical perspective. But at 13, there’s not a lot of life experience yet. But as he attends more conferences, he’ll have more ammunition and education, and see that there are more than black and white viewpoints."

Lisa De Pasquale, CPAC Director at the American Conservative Union [3]

In January 2009, Krohn contacted organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference and asked to speak at the event. Organizers were reportedly skeptical but gave him a three-minute spot on a panel about grassroots activists. [3] He delivered the speech, on February 27, 2009, and described the conservative principles outlined in his book. When the speech was over, the panel moderator said, "Watch out, David Keene," referring to the chairman of the American Conservative Union. [4] The next day at the conference, William Bennett said, "I used to work for Ronald Reagan and now I'm a colleague of Jonathan Krohn's!" [3] The speech attracted the attention of national media outlets and became popular online. [3] [8] Sam Stein of The Huffington Post said of the speech, "It was filled with the type of rhetorical flow and emotional pitch one would expect from a seasoned hand. Except, [he] is more than four years away from being able to vote." [4]

After the conference, Krohn's parents received hate mail accusing them of brainwashing their son, but both insist Krohn developed his own political thinking. [3] Within a week of the speech, Krohn appeared on numerous TV and radio shows. A staff member for a potential candidate for Georgia governor also asked to meet with him. [3] Several Facebook fan pages were started for him, including one called "Jonathan Krohn 2032", a reference to the first year he will be eligible to run for President of the United States. [8]

Krohn wrote a column for Human Events , a weekly conservative newspaper.[ citation needed ] Krohn wrote a second book, Defining Conservatism: The Principles That Will Bring Our Country Back, released February 2010. The book was praised by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and syndicated radio host Mike Gallagher, who said of it, "Any time I am depressed about the state of the country or the future of the modern conservative movement, I consider two words: Jonathan Krohn." [9] Gingrich offered to write the foreword for the book, but Krohn wanted it to be written by William Bennett. [5] Krohn attended the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference, but did not have a speaking role. Krohn also spoke at several Tea Party protests. [9]

Change in political views

In 2011, the French conservative media Nouvelles de France revealed that Jonathan Krohn was not conservative anymore. [10] In 2012, he confirmed to Politico that he no longer considers himself a conservative, and in fact takes a liberal point of view on many issues, including same-sex marriage and the Affordable Care Act. [11] He also said that if he were old enough to vote in the 2012 presidential election, he would vote for Barack Obama. [12] However, he refused to describe himself as liberal, instead rejecting ideological labels entirely. [11] Krohn attributes his change to reading works of philosophers such as Nietzsche and Wittgenstein. He said that he rejected social conservatism first, before rejecting other conservative viewpoints. Krohn stated that he had matured and described his 13-year-old self as "naive". [11]

In a 2012 Salon article, Krohn was critical of partisan politics in general, and conservatives in particular, describing his conservative critics as "scorned right-wingers showing all the maturity of a little boy." [13]

Personal life

In 2018, Krohn came out as bisexual on Twitter. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newt Gingrich</span> American politician and author (born 1943)

Newton Leroy Gingrich is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district serving north Atlanta and nearby areas from 1979 until his resignation in 1999. In 2012, Gingrich unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for president of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Coulter</span> American conservative political commentator (born 1961)

Ann Hart Coulter is an American conservative media pundit, author, syndicated columnist, and lawyer. She became known as a media pundit in the late 1990s, appearing in print and on cable news as an outspoken critic of the Clinton administration. Her first book concerned the impeachment of Bill Clinton and sprang from her experience writing legal briefs for Paula Jones's attorneys, as well as columns she wrote about the cases. Coulter's syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate appears in newspapers and is featured on conservative websites. Coulter has also written 13 books.

Compassionate conservatism is an American political philosophy that stresses using conservative techniques and concepts in order to improve the general welfare of society. The philosophy supports the implementation of policies designed to help the disadvantaged and alleviate poverty through the free market, envisaging a triangular relationship between government, charities and faith-based organizations. The term entered more mainstream parlance between 2001–2009, during the administration of US President George W. Bush. He used the term often to describe his personal views and embody some parts of his administration's agenda and policy approach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Malkin</span> American political commentator (born 1970)

Michelle Malkin is an American conservative political commentator. She was a Fox News contributor and in May 2020 joined Newsmax TV. Malkin has written seven books and founded the conservative websites Twitchy and Hot Air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Will</span> American political commentator (born 1941)

George Frederick Will is an American libertarian conservative writer and political commentator, who writes regular columns for The Washington Post and provides commentary for NBC News and MSNBC. In 1986, The Wall Street Journal called him "perhaps the most powerful journalist in America." Will won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Conservative Union</span> American political organization

The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded on December 18, 1964, it calls itself the oldest ongoing conservative lobbying organization in the U.S. The ACU is concerned with issues such as personal liberty or freedom, foreign policy, and traditional values, which they define as foundations of conservatism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservative Political Action Conference</span> Annual meeting in the US and other countries

The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States and beyond. CPAC is hosted by the American Conservative Union (ACU). The first CPAC took place in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young America's Foundation</span> American political youth organization

Young America's Foundation (YAF) is a conservative youth organization founded in 1969. In 2018, the Los Angeles Times called YAF "one of the most preeminent, influential and controversial forces in the nation's conservative youth movement." Scott Walker, former governor of Wisconsin and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, became President of YAF on February 1, 2021.

In the United States, conservatism is based on a belief in limited government, individualism, traditionalism, republicanism, and limited federal governmental power in relation to U.S. states. Conservative and Christian media organizations, along with American conservative figures, are influential, and American conservatism is one of the majority political ideologies within the Republican Party.

Movement conservatism is a term used by political analysts to describe conservatives in the United States since the mid-20th century and the New Right. According to George H. Nash (2009) the movement comprises a coalition of five distinct impulses. From the mid-1930s to the 1960s, libertarians, traditionalists, and anti-communists made up this coalition, with the goal of fighting the liberals' New Deal. In the 1970s, two more impulses were added with the addition of neoconservatives and the religious right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt K. Lewis</span> American political pundit

Matt K. Lewis is an American conservative political writer, blogger, podcaster, and columnist for The Daily Beast, formerly with The Daily Caller, and has written for The Week. He has also appeared on CNN as a political commentator.

<i>A Contract with the Earth</i> 2007 book by Newt Gingrich

A Contract with the Earth is a book by Newt Gingrich and Terry L. Maple, with a foreword by E. O. Wilson. Its title is derived from a 10-point "contract" the authors put forward in the book.

The Values Voter Summit is an annual political conference held in Washington, D.C. for American social conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States.

GOProud was an American tax exempt 527 organization supported by fiscally conservative gay men, lesbians, and their allies. GOProud advocated for free markets, limited government, and a respect for individual rights and worked at the federal and state levels to build strong coalitions of liberal conservative and libertarian activists, organizations and policy makers to advance their shared values and beliefs.

Newt Gingrich has declared his position on many political issues through his public comments and legislative record, including as Speaker of the House. The political initiative with which he is most widely identified was the Contract With America, which outlined an economic and social agenda designed to improve the efficiency of government while reducing its burden on the American taxpayer. Passage of the Contract helped establish Gingrich's reputation as a public intellectual. His engagement of public issues has continued through to the present, in particular as the founder of American Solutions for Winning the Future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newt Gingrich 2012 presidential campaign</span> 2012 American presidential campaign

The 2012 presidential campaign of Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Representative from Georgia and Speaker of the House, began shortly following the 2010 midterm elections. He was politically active during the midterm elections, and helped several Tea Party-backed Republicans with his endorsements and fundraising abilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faith and Freedom Coalition</span> American conservative political advocacy organization

The Faith and Freedom Coalition is a conservative political advocacy 501(c)(4) non-profit organization in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of modern American conservatism</span>

This timeline of modern American conservatism lists important events, developments and occurrences which have significantly affected conservatism in the United States. With the decline of the conservative wing of the Democratic Party after 1960, the movement is most closely associated with the Republican Party (GOP). Economic conservatives favor less government regulation, lower taxes and weaker labor unions while social conservatives focus on moral issues and neoconservatives focus on democracy worldwide. Conservatives generally distrust the United Nations and Europe and apart from the libertarian wing favor a strong military and give enthusiastic support to Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speeches and debates of Ronald Reagan</span>

The speeches and debates of Ronald Reagan comprise the seminal oratory of the 40th President of the United States. Reagan began his career in Iowa as a radio broadcaster. In 1937, he moved to Los Angeles where he started acting, first in films and later television. After delivering a stirring speech in support of Barry Goldwater's presidential candidacy in 1964, he was persuaded to seek the California governorship, winning two years later and again in 1970. In 1980, as the Republican nominee for president of the United States, he defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter. He was reelected in a landslide in 1984, proclaiming that it was "Morning in America". Reagan left office in 1989.

The America First Political Action Conference is an annual white nationalist and far-right political conference. Many attendees are members of the "America First" movement and supporters of Nick Fuentes, also known as Groypers. The conference was described by The Daily Dot as a "white nationalist alternative" to CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. The Arizona Republic and Rolling Stone have characterized it as an extremist rival of CPAC.

References

  1. ↑ Krohn's publications in well-known national media include: Atlantic Monthly (February 28, 2013) Another Problem in Syria: How Do Kurds Fit In? Archived 2017-03-06 at the Wayback Machine , Salon (July 8, 2012) I was a right-wing child star Archived 2012-07-09 at the Wayback Machine and Mother Jones (January 25, 2013) What the Senate Filibuster Deal Does—and Doesn't Do . Retrieved on: 2013-03-30
  2. ↑ "Defining Conservatism" book information and release date Archived 2016-03-11 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hoffman, Jan (March 6, 2009). "A Conservative Pundit Turns 14". The New York Times . Duluth, Georgia. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 Stein, Sam (February 27, 2009). "Jonathan Krohn: 13-Year-Old Conservative Wunderkind Wows CPAC, Joe The Plumber". The Huffington Post . Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Schneider, Craig (November 4, 2008). "Georgia Republicans proud of turnout for Chambliss, McCain". Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  6. ↑ Gillispie, Frank (November 8, 2008). "Day 2 at CPAC: The Jonathan Krohn Interview!". Madison Journal Today. Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  7. ↑ Jonathon Krohn (February 27, 2009). Day 2 at CPAC: The Jonathan Krohn Interview! (Video Interview by Ana Marie Cox). Washington, D.C.: Air America (radio network). Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  8. 1 2 Graff, Laura (June 6, 2009). "Teen Conservative: 14-year-old gained national attention for views about fiscal responsibility and lowering taxes". Winston-Salem Journal . Archived from the original on October 23, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  9. 1 2 Rothstein, Betsy (December 18, 2009). "Reporters Watch Out: Political Prodigy Returns". Mediabistro.com . Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  10. ↑ Eric Martin (March 17, 2011). "Jonathan Krohn n'est plus conservateur !". Nouvelles de France. Archived from the original on August 23, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  11. 1 2 3 Patrick Gavin (July 2, 2012). "CPAC's boy wonder swings left". Politico. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  12. ↑ MSNBC Hardball July 3, 2012
  13. ↑ Jonathan Krohn (July 8, 2012). "I was a right-wing child star". Salon. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  14. ↑ @JonathanLKrohn (12 October 2018). "I'm bisexual and an intellectual. #NationalComingOutDay2018" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.