The Elder Statesman? Conservative Icon Mulling 2024 Presidential Run
When Larry Elder talks, people listen. The man became a conservative radio icon and the “Sage of South Central” by speaking his mind about the issues that he thought were most important — and steering the national conversation toward those matters.
Now, the former California GOP gubernatorial candidate is mulling a 2024 presidential run precisely because he believes the Republican Party is not accurately talking about topics that truly affect Americans across the board: the breakdown of the family, education, and the myth that the United States is a systemically racist society.
Elder broke down why he is seriously considering a run for office in an interview with The Daily Wire.
California Governor’s Race
Prior to entering the race, “a number of people approached me as you know, to encourage me to run for governor of California. And little by little I felt that I had a moral and spiritual and a patriotic obligation to do it,” he explained in an interview with The Daily Wire.
“I didn’t think I would like politics,” he added. “I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I was surprised at how good I was at it. And in about seven and a half weeks which is when I got into the race, with only that much time left. I raised around $22 million more than all of the major rivals combined.”
Elder — who has only sought two elected positions in his entire career: California’s governor’s office and third-grade class president — explained that after his 2021 defeat, he formed a political action committee to support campaigns and causes around the country focusing on issues he cares about.
Post-2021 Recall Failure
Following the failed recall attempt to oust California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, he took a trip to the Florida Keys and was approached by fans from around the country.
“I was shocked how many people knew about the race or recognized me. I gained about 10 pounds because it’s hard for me to resist when somebody picks up a check,” Elder said with a chuckle.
“And I was urged by a number of people whether from Texas, or Florida, or Maine, or any of the other states to consider running for higher office,” he said. “So I began to think about it. And the more I think about it, the more I think I might very well do that.”
Elder took his leftover campaign money and jump-started the Elder for America PAC.
Elder Visits Iowa
Most recently, Elder visited the Hawkeye State and met with some serious people in politics.
“If you’re going to run for president … the Iowa State Fair is kind of a rite of passage,” Elder noted. “So I went and I was kind of overwhelmingly surprised by the gracious reception. I met with the governor of Iowa. I met with Lieutenant Governor. I met with a number of local politicians and I met with some pretty deep-pocketed donors. Nobody felt that it was an outlandish kind of thing to consider.”
Indeed, nothing in the Elder’s 25-minute conversation with The Daily Wire seemed to indicate his potential bid was “outlandish” either.
Not once did Elder use the words freedom, equality, or liberty. Many Republicans can’t explain their stances without using those vague descriptors — high on rhetoric, short on specifics.
Yet, for Elder, he discussed the issues replete with facts, common sense, and passion. He showed how politicians’ failure to solve the various problems are limiting those American principles and making life worse for us all.
The Welfare State And The Family
For example, the breakdown of the nuclear family can be traced back specifically to the invention of the welfare state, he explained. Yet, the solution isn’t simply talking about it, but encouraging fatherhood responsibility.
“The welfare state has incentivized women to marry the government and is incentivizing men to abandon their financial and more responsibility,” he remarked. “And we don’t talk about that enough and talk about some of the symptoms, whether it’s crime, whether it’s support outcomes in school, we don’t talk about the genesis, and the genesis is that in 1955, 25% of black kids entered the world without a father married to the mother,” he added. “Now 70% do,” he claimed.
“And forget about Elder,” he said, referring to himself. “Barack Obama once said, ‘A kid raising a father is five times more likely to be poor and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of school, and 20 times more likely to end up in jail,’” he said, paraphrasing him.
“Now the question is how have we gone from 25% of black kids entering the world without a father married to the mother to fast forward almost 70%? Now, the answer again, the welfare state,” he added, noting that the problem goes beyond racial lines. “Forty percent of all American kids now enter the world without a father married to the mother.”
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