Thrilling the audience like a football player, philosophizing like a preacher and gesticulating like a politician, former Oklahoma congressman J.C. Watts reincarnated three of his former careers in a speech Thursday afternoon. Sponsored by the Rockefeller Center, Watts touched on a number of political issues in his lecture, including fiscal policy, moral values and his political career.
In 1994, Watts was elected as an Oklahoma representative, the first Southern black Republican elected to federal office in 120 years. He quickly gained prominence in his party for his keen rhetoric and no-nonsense attitude. As well, he received media attention for refusing to join the Congressional Black Caucus.
Most notably, Watts gave the Republican response to President Clinton's 1997 State of the Union Address, and subsequently became the chair of the House Republican Conference.
Currently, he runs a consulting company and serves on several corporate boards.
Most of Watts's speech was devoted to fiscal policy: he said the government taxes and spends too much.
"I think there's a role for taxes, I just think we pay too much," he said. "Don't always come to the conclusion that we have to spend more money."
Watts argued that instead of lamenting about outsourcing jobs, politicians should focus efforts on attracting new jobs. Watts suggested reducing government regulations in order to attract business.
In an interview with The Dartmouth, Watts quashed speculation about his political ambitions and commented on the influence of race on politics.
Speculation about a 2008 presidential run was fueled by his visit to New Hampshire, a forthcoming syndicated column and success in a popular online straw poll. But Watts dismissed such conjectures, saying he has no plans to run for political office.
"It's not on my top five things-to-do-before-I-die list," he said, but added, "never say never." In the question and answer period of his speech, Watts jokingly responded to a student's question regarding visiting New Hampshire to campaign, saying, "I don't think that's any of your business!"
Republicans and Democrats embrace race differently, Watts said. "I just think Democrats are much more comfortable using race as a political tool," he said. "Republicans," who Watts thinks have unwisely avoided focusing on race, "should not use the race issue but they need to talk about it."
On homeland security, Watts expressed concern, noting that he has been calling for reforms after the Oklahoma City bombings in his home state.
"We are better off than we were September 11, 2001, but we've got a long way to go," he said.
Watts noted his excitement to return to private life and to enjoy its simple pleasures.
"I'm getting to do parent-teacher conferences again," he said with excitement. "My wife kind of enjoys having a former congressman take out the trash."
Watts grew up in a poor household where he said he learned the values of hard work and personal responsibility from his parents and grandmother. He went on to play football for the Oklahoma University Sooners and later in the Canadian Football League.
While Watts mainly displayed his fiscal conservatism, his social conservatism at times shined through in the speech. Watts reflected on declining moral values and separation between church and state.
"The more we allow God to be driven from public life, the more we weaken the fabric of America," he said.
Finally, Watts criticized President Bush's social security plan, saying that the President should focus on more than just privatized accounts. But the Democrats, he said, have failed to propose any plan of their own.
