Conant is a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee who is lately blogging and developing a local political consulting business.
Any predictions for the 2010 midterms?
Federal races always attract the most attention, but the best action will be the 37 gubernatorial elections next year. The Republicans’ strong campaigns in New Jersey and Virginia are a sneak peak of what’s coming in other blue states. I grew up in the upper Midwest, where Republicans now have a chance to sweep statehouses. Don’t be surprised if Republicans win back the governors’ mansions in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin and keep the seat in Minnesota — all blue states last year.
What’s the best issue Republicans have going for them?
I’ve written a lot on my eponymous blog [alexconant.com] that President Obama’s handling of the war in Afghanistan, the H1N1 flu, and the national debt has left a lot to be desired. If, God forbid, either the war or the pandemic continue to worsen, that would be the nation’s most pressing problem — and voters would likely lay responsibility with the Obama administration. Hopefully that won’t happen, and voters will focus on Obama’s spending and the nation’s debt — a ticking time bomb that the country will ultimately look to conservatives to defuse.
You’ve dealt with reporters a lot. What is your biggest gripe with news media?
With every election cycle, I feel like reporting is faster and more competitive. That’s not really a gripe, but a recognition of the economic challenges facing journalism and the technological and cultural changes in how and when people consume news. Those changes understandably put a lot of pressure on journalists, which in turn puts a lot of pressure on communications professionals.
What is coming up in the future for you?
Hopefully a trip to watch Brett Favre and the Vikings play in Super Bowl XLIV. Beyond that, I plan to spend 2010 helping elect conservatives as the communications director for Tim Pawlenty’s Freedom First PAC and building my consulting business.
— Julie Mason
