What Comes After: A 2024 Game (Gameplay-PAUSED)

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Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Hawley's Big Move: Trump's 'Right-Hand Man'

December 12th was a political earthquake; the first time ever a former President had been indicted for a criminal offense, and by his successor no less. The announcement from the Justice Department ignited fury within all ranks of the GOP, but it wouldn't last, and as the weeks carried on, the party's professional class saw less and less reason to cling onto the defeated former President. For many, it was a deathblow to Trump's 2024 prospects, and a reason to move beyond Trump and pick a new type of candidate, but for Hawley, now more than ever was the time to fight back, and forcefully.

Within a few hours of the DoJ's announcement, Sen. Hawley strongly condemned Garland and labeled the indictments a 'political witchhunt.' In this, he emerged as one of Trump's most vociferous defenders: fully backing his campaign in the immediate aftermath, calling on the House GOP to open investigations into the special counsel's conduct, hammering Biden DoJ officials at hearings, and more. But the lawsuits kept piling up, and ensuing events would lead to the derailment of the Trump campaign, and with it, Trump himself withdrawing from the race.

With Donald out, the press has begun speculating about the candidates that might fill the emerging power vacuum, and reports of meetings between Hawley and Trump have caught a hungry media's eye. The Senator has, after all, been among a few potential candidates to stay loyal to the former President and rule out a '24 bid as early as January 2021, and his recent stances have made him a favorite within some Trump factions of the party.

Moreover, the former President knows - as anyone else does - that a drawn-out legal battle with the Biden Justice Department would allow Trump's potential opponents to capitalize on this vacuum. Four or five months of DeSantis, Haley, Pence flooding the airwaves would put Trump at a major disadvantage if he were to attempt a comeback, and it's obvious he wants to.

It’s unclear who prompted the meetings, but the situation has led some high-ranking GOP officials to speculate that Hawley has become part of a deliberate plan organized by the former President to either pull attention away from Never Trump favorites or to set the groundwork for Trump's return as a candidate, or both. In any case, the Senator from Missouri has suddenly become far more reluctant to make a decision about 2024 as he had been in months prior. 'The stakes have been raised,' Hawley remarked in one interview, 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime election, and we need to make sure the [Republican] party can put forward a candidate that can win working people.'

For many, Hawley is an inspiring young voice and rising star with a passion for the America First policies that Trump forged in his presidency. His controversial votes and positions has made him anathema to national media and Democratic voters, but it's hardly stumbled the Senator, as he continues to stay popular with his constituency and gain a following of Republican supporters. With former Trump voters clamoring to find a candidate who can match up to the kind of rhetoric that Trump embodies, any candidate that's forsaken him will raise many eyebrows. For these voters, Hawley could be just the fighter they've been looking for.

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Senator Josh Hawley, via Flickr

The Groundwork: Defining Josh Hawley

"Ron, Nikki, Pence. Really, the worst has come out of the woodwork," Trump told Senator Hawley, "You're a bright guy, Josh, and I need someone out there who really represents the Trump brand."

The prompt daunted the young Hawley, but he knew his work had culminated to this point. The past 6 years had brought Josh to the national forefront and defined him as a traitor to the old GOP order and a champion for the party's rank-and-file, especially with his recent attacks on the Biden DoJ. A media pariah, the press had always attributed these controversial stunts to unbridled Presidential ambition. Now the Trumpian wing of the party was without a clear head, and polls showed him as one of the party's top picks for 24. With Trump's nod, perhaps a Hawley Presidential bid was really in order.

So after consulting friends and family, Senator Hawley began getting into contact with allies and donors to inform them of his plans to run. Some big names included JD Vance, Eric Schmitt, Christopher DeMuth, Peter Thiel, and Emile Doak.

The groundwork had, in some part, already been laid down for him; the reports of the former President and Senator Hawley meeting privately has already caught headlines and stories, and that free air time and association with Trump is bound to pick up free supporters for Hawley. This would distinguish him from other front-runners and hopefully give him an advantage in picking up staff from Trump's old campaign operation. Hawley intends to capitalize on the attention with frequent appearances on prominent media networks in the first several weeks, as well as prioritizing staff hires from the Trump team.

But he'll need more than vague associations with Trump to define his message to voters. That's why one of the first indications Sen. Hawley would give for his impending Presidential bid would be his new book, 'The Knives Are Out: The Dire State of Our Republic.' In it, he lauds the former President as a champion of the common man and scrutinizes forces that wanted him out of the race: special interests, tech billionaires, party bosses, and, of course, Joe Biden's Justice Department. He criticizes the nation's justice system as decaying, political, and growingly resemblant of the third-world. He goes on to accuse Republican leadership of being "more obsessed with never-ending wars and spurning the everyday people that make up our party than {...} actually winning an election" and describes Garland's indictments as a deliberate plot against Trump, welcomed on by special interests in party leadership. Hawley further lays out a policy agenda to allow more Congressional oversight over large-scale DoJ indictments.

This messaging places Hawley squarely in the corner of the insurgent right; the same angle Trump came from in his original 2016 bid and his abandoned 2024 bid. But he isn't trying to clone Trump, nor will he attempt to imitate Trump (unlike a certain Florida Governor). Josh Hawley is his own man. He presents a new angle to Trumpism with his Presidential bid. He's young and fresh with a passion for a new Republican vision and strategy built off of Trumpism, without the drawbacks of other candidates who have criticized Trump at one point or another. He'd also enter with significant connections to the Evangelical right, as a prominent religious liberty litigator with unique folksy appeal that only Mike Pence could rival.

And his focus on the base would emphasize that. It's why he would have no quarrels with breaking GOP orthodoxy on foreign policy or economics, but in ways that are fundamentally set apart from the likes of Kamala Harris, Jeff Merkley, and others. Hawley's version of the diagnosis of America's problems is still fundamentally conservative. He sees declining economic opportunity for the middle class as intimately tied to social isolation and the erosion of local communal life and values—including church, family, neighborhoods, and labor unions. This rhetoric would speak viscerally to broad concerns over declining standards of living, suicidal cultural pathologies, industrial outsourcing, and the Republican Party's indifference to these problems. His good name with the base would only strengthen this approach.

As Hawley figures out the specifics of his messaging for the 24 campaign, his team would be preoccupied with setting up the infrastructure for it: courting the right people, raising his profile to large audiences, getting the attention of MAGA donors, etc. A strong ground game in all early primary states is a prerequisite, and if he gets good polling numbers and outsized attention to this campaign Hawley thinks he can pull that off. He'll spend most of the early dedication in Iowa, which neighbors his home state of Missouri and has similar demographics, but the real work wouldn't begin until he formally announced in early March.

(Trump quote is GM approved)

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Excerpt from Josh Hawley's Appearance on Hannity

Hannity: "Joining us now, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley. Josh, the 2024 Republican primary is heating up and you've been polling at the top of the field. Are you running for President?"

Hawley: "Well, Sean, that's a question I can't give a straight yes or no to yet, but this is an consequential election for the future of our nation. Truly what's happened with our Justice Department the past few months is reprehensible and people across my state and across America, especially middle America, are fed up with these shenanigans from the Biden Administration."

Hannity: "Alright, let's talk about the 2024 race though. Reportedly, you've been meeting privately with Donald Trump, who's no longer in the race due to a series of legal battles from the Biden Administration as you know. What's going on? Is Trump trying to convince people to stay out of the race? Or are you seeking his blessing?"

Hawley: "President Trump is dealing with an incredibly tough witch hunt right now from the Justice Department, and I know he is as concerned as anyone else with the state of the party and the candidates going into 2024. We need a strong nominee who will push the MAGA agenda and win in November next year with the support of good, ordinary folks across this country, especially when the stakes are so high. We can't afford to lose and Trump knows that."

Hannity: "Speaking of Trump, his Vice President, Mike Pence, has recently announced he'll seek the Republican nomination, bashing Trump and other Republicans that support him. What do you think?"

Hawley: "It's really despicable that Vice President Pence thinks he can waltz into the Republican primary and disrespect every single person that backed him for four years with President Trump. He has no business being in this race, and I think the voters will reflect that sentiment."

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Here in Missouri, via YouTube

Announcement Video

Following a few months of speculation after the withdrawal of Trump, Josh Hawley, accompanied by his wife Erin and his two kids, announced he would run for President in a video published to social media. Here's the transcript:

"I want to tell you a story. It's a familiar picture. (cuts to pictures and videos of Hawley's family) A working family of four in small town Lexington, Missouri just trying to make by. Dad was a community banker and mom was a teacher. They woke early and worked late to make a life for themselves and their children. (cuts to scenes of Lexington, MO) Here and in towns like it across the nation, people value honesty and gumption and life’s simple pleasures: a fine morning in a deer stand, reading to the kids before bed, Sunday dinner at Mom’s.

(cuts back to Hawley speaking to camera) Families like this embody the dignity and quiet greatness of working America. (cuts to pictures of 19th century rail workers, steel workers, troops storming Normandy, etc) Their sacrifices are what made America the greatest nation in the world, whether it was paving the railroads that opened the West, fueling the industry that would power the Industrial Revolution, or rallying around the flag in every hour of danger.

(cuts to pictures of people talking to each other in restaurants, churches, porches) Folks don’t ask for much, and we live by a simple creed: give the best of yourself to your family, your community, and your fellow man.

(cuts back to Hawley speaking to camera) But for the last several decades, Washington and Wall Street has forgotten those people. (cuts to videos of big financial institutions and lobbyists) They've redirected their focus to special interests and elites that bankroll their campaign and bend the rules against ordinary folks. (cuts to scenes of empty factories, homes, schools) The jobs go overseas or south of the border or to cities on the coasts. And once-vibrant towns decline, taking with them the network of schools and neighborhoods and churches that make up middle class life.

(cuts to a scene of outlets calling 2016 for Donald Trump, him delivering his victory speech) Towns like mine set off a prairie fire when they shocked the political establishment and elected Donald Trump. The D.C elite class couldn't have been more confused, but we know why that happened. (cuts to videos of Washington, politicians, lobbyists, etc) Decades of being taking for granted and Washington ignoring the needs and issues of our communities produced that result. (cuts to scenes of high gas prices, rising food costs, and families looking shocked at their tax form) Now, with Joe Biden and his special interests undoing Trump's work and restacking the deck against working America, the stakes are higher than they've ever been before.

(cuts back to Hawley speaking to camera) I'm running for President because now is the time to fight back. We can't tolerate another 4 years of the same Biden policies that have squeezed and squeezed America's middle-class. The great American middle and its conviction and courage has always been at the heart of our democracy, and together, with your voice, we can shock the political establishment again and take back Washington from the special interests and the well-connected. We can, and we will. (fades to Hawley 2024 logo)"

(): denotes scene change

Self-made campaign material

Spring Schedule

March 1-4: Attend CPAC 2023, speak on March 3rd
March 5: Prepare with staff and supporters for the big announcement
March 6: Announce campaign via social media, make calls to allies and donors
March 7-9: Appear on national media networks to promote the campaign
March 10-15: Visit Iowa, arrange staff hirings and lay the groundwork for initial operations
March 16-22: No campaigning; Senate duties
March 23: Release an op-ed to the WSJ explaining Hawley's new electoral vision and strategy for the GOP
March 24-26: Visit Nevada, arrange staff hirings and lay the groundwork for initial operations
March 27-31: Host meet-and-greets and stump in rural Iowa, gauging support

April 1-9: No campaigning; Senate duties
April 10-12: Conduct national staff hirings, particularly seeking out former Trump Team officials
April 13-16: Speak with high-profile MAGA donors to shore up support
April 17-21: Visit New Hampshire, arrange staff hirings and lay the groundwork for initial operations
April 22-27: No campaigning; Senate duties. Introduce bill to ban TikTok.
April 28-30: Conduct meetings with Iowa Congressional delegation to solicit endorsements.

May 1-3: Attend the 2023 NatCon Conference, speak on May 2nd.
May 4-5: Appear on national media networks to promote the campaign.
May 6-7: Meet with film staff to discuss Hawley's first ads.
May 8-12: Visit South Carolina, arrange staff hirings and lay the groundwork for initial operations
May 9-15: No campaigning; Senate duties.
May 16-18: Fly to Iowa, visit local well-known state officials to solicit endorsements.
May 19: Hold constituent town hall in Missouri.
May 20-21: Visit Cedar Rapids, Iowa to open campaign HQ and hold 2 meet-and-greet events.
May 22: Speak to a group of evangelical voters on religious liberty, abortion.
May 23-25: Court endorsements from the Missouri GOP congressional delegation.
May 26-31: No campaigning; Senate duties.

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Breaking the Veil

Date: 6/2/23
Subject: Summer Phase

Good morning, Team Hawley!

Our campaign rollout has been a massive success. We're now registering at third-place in the RCP average, with double-digit support nationally, and we've laid a considerable amount of groundwork for early state infrastructure. This is a strong position, but as we move into the Summer phase, we'll need to begin shifting our focus towards breaking the veil of an "inevitable DeSantis nomination." Our data suggests the Florida Governor's front-runner status is precarious, held together by voter's presupposition that his main opposition is either non-existent or nutty and unelectable.

Coupled with this an electorate growingly suspicious of his convictions and motives, it's obvious DeSantis's position in this race is akin to that of a paper tiger. We just need to present an alternative.

In the next few days, Senator Hawley will officially kick-off the campaign by rallying the troops in his home-state of Missouri. In his speech, he'll strike a clear distinction between our vision - a party led by the good working people that comprise it - and the vision of Ron DeSantis and his special interest backers. Our job is to bring as much attention and awareness to that distinction as possible and to reach out to soft DeSantis voters, who may be skeptical of his stance (or lack thereof) on important issues, to make sure they know there is a real second-choice here.

Iowa shows particular promise for this operation. Most primary voters here disapprove of DeSantis's lackluster abortion bill, and internal polling suggests Senator Hawley is in striking distance of taking his 1st place spot. Our infrastructure here is among the most developed of any candidate, and the demographics - heavily religious, socially conservative, simple folk - have been the most receptive of any group to our message. A concerted effort could turn the tides in this consequential early state and - more importantly - rip apart Ron's paper tiger.

This is where the ground-game is of the essence. Our seasoned field organizers are familiar with this, but for those on our team who aren't, let me fill you in. Iowa is an old-fashioned "caucus" state, where candidates are expected to excite voters and deliver them to voting sites in libraries, schools, churches and more - and this process can last for up to hours. Supporters deliver speeches on behalf of their preferred candidate to sway voters to their side, and eventually the candidate with the most support at the end wins the precinct. As you might expect, an enthusiastic grassroots network of supporters can propel a candidate to victory, even if they don't have many big-whig donors or media allies.

As I mentioned before, the objective in this phase is to just get Hawley's name out there, so we'll be organizing canvassing efforts in every small town, every suburb, every college town and big city, every stretch of land we can extend our ground-game to, making calls, knocking door-to-door, compiling voter lists and precinct captains. For our volunteers, staying on message is key. Senator Hawley's religious roots and genuine conviction are second-to-none in this race, so we need to present him to voters plainly for what he is: a family man, a pioneer of the conservative legal movement, and a leading advocate for traditional family values. Hawley's biography plays well, as people here can relate to it more than any other early state. It also neatly juxtaposes with Hawley's credentials to MAGA voters, as a prominent election integrity activist, a free trade critic, and often a lone vote against Biden Administration power grabs.  We want to make sure voters know that Senator Hawley is the candidate for family values, for Trump, for that shining city on a hill that America once was, and against Biden and his cronies.

This is particularly important for tapping into Iowa's large constituency of Christian conservatives and evangelical networks - and distinguishing Hawley from other candidates as it relates to those voters. This is a voter base we plan to actively pursue, and it starts with getting the name out there and establishing a grassroots database.

I'm aware many of our volunteers from Missouri would like to get involved in our Iowa efforts. We're planning on renting out apartments in the Des Moines area to facilitate that. Our campaign is also preparing to coordinate a "money-bomb" in the aftermath of the kickoff in Missouri (as hopefully the attention will bring us a boost from Hawley's national constituency), and to accomodate our grassroots effort, we'll be using much of these funds, and our Q1 haul, to launch a TV ad blitz on the Iowa air waves. It's a significant buy, and one that'll reap great reward for our campaign.

Senator Hawley and his wife Erin plan to join our efforts in crisscrossing the Hawkeye State. He'll be here to help unveil field offices to Davenport, Marshalltown, and Fort Dodge, as well as hiring more on-the-ground staffers and organizers. He'll also be making countless stops across Iowa to strengthen our outreach effort by introducing himself to voters. It's the start of what some call the "Full Grassley," a homage to the state’s senior senator which involves visits to all 99 counties in the state. Folks will find that the more they see of Senator Hawley, the more they like him, and that's crucial for drumming up the enthusiasm that's necessary for winning the Iowa Caucus.

As for our friends outside Iowa, I'll get back to you with our national strategy shortly. While Iowa is the first stop shop for our Summer operation, don't forget we'll need to win states across the country. Each and every one of you are part of our effort to win the hearts and minds of voters across the country.

Be sure to stay in touch with your local organizers and chairs to receive more updates and plans from Team Hawley.

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hawley launches campaign with a strong message to Republicans: "This is an election, not a coronation."

U.S Senator Josh Hawley held the first major rally of his Presidential campaign in his home town of Lexington, Missouri, and, in characteristically brash Hawley fashion, declared to the crowd of nearly 12,000 people that this year's primary 'is an election, not a coronation.' It comes after weeks of thinning margins for frontrunner DeSantis amidst a rising Hawley, who announced he would run for President in early March.

He was joined by an array of home-state backers including Congressmen Sam Graves and Jason Smith and Senator Eric Schmitt, as well as Hillbilly Elegy author and freshman Senator from Ohio J.D Vance, all of whom announced their support for Hawley and his campaign. 'Josh Hawley knows the struggle of middle America because he's lived it,' Vance said, in a speech introducing him, 'For the past six years in the U.S Senate, he's shown the courage to fight for that struggle, to fight for our values, and for our way of life, against a Washington increasingly ignorant of it.'

He started the speech thanking his supporters, his family, and his lifelong friends, speaking to his roots in small-town Lexington, Missouri and the values he grew up with. It was a biography that captured his pitch to voters and distinguished himself from the real estate mogul Trump in a way little else could, apart from his youth and prose.

Hawley cast his candidacy as a direct rebuttal to the Biden Administration as a young, insurgent son of the Midwest, rejecting the idea that the 'heart of America' needed to be 'transformed' as someone who grew up in the heartland. He rebuked the notion that the country needed a 'return to normalcy', highlighting his belief that 'Americans need a President that will challenge the Washington establishment, not make peace with it.' He focused on the pain that people felt as a result of the President's economic mismanagement, but didn't miss a chance to criticize the Garland indictments, labeling them an attempt to 'silence the voice of more than 70 million Americans that voted for Trump, and the many more who would've voted for him this election.'

But more than that, he lambasted party establishment's seemingly indifferent attitude towards it, calling it 'characteristic of an old guard growingly out of touch with its voters' concerns and values,' eliciting cheers when he told the crowd that it was why 'they seem to think this year's primary is a coronation.' Indeed, the greatest theme of the night was that traditional Republican vanguards were in for a reckoning with the party's base.

Hawley's speech also covered a range of policy issues, including trade, immigration, courts, abortion, and more. In particular, he called for the renegotiation or termination of many free trade deals, a wall on the U.S-Mexico border, extensive lobbying and campaign finance reform, appointing judges that would defend religious liberty, and a national abortion ban that would 'end the abomination many blue states have allowed with post-birth abortions.' He reiterated from his announcement video that his focus would be to 'revive the great American middle in small towns, in suburbs, in big cities too' and 'challenge the Washington establishment in both parties.'

The Missouri Senator finished off his speech with the story of how he met Erin, emphasizing how much family meant to his campaign. This, he articulated, was lost on many party bosses, special interests, and other powerful people in the upper echelons of Washington D.C, and the result, an erosion of family values and ‘family-centered politics’, was intimately tied to declining economic opportunity for the middle class, falling standards of living, and deteriorating communal life. This, he continued, was the story of 'towns like mine, towns like yours' which is why the pain people are feeling now is personal to him and why it was so crucial that voters 'shock the D.C donor class and {...} save our country' this election.

Elizabeth, who is supporting Hawley and attended the launch, told reporters after the speech that 'he made a very big impression on, I think, everyone. He is very authentic, and this is what people are craving.' A spokesman for the Hawley campaign told media that Sen. Hawley would be 'off to Iowa' after a round of interviews that the campaign had booked to follow his launch.

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Ad #1: Flyover Country.

Accessed via Josh Hawley's Youtube page

"For decades, D.C insiders and special interests wrote off the heartland as 'Flyover Country.'"

Public Domain, via Pxhere

"Big squares they only see out the windows of jet airplanes."

Washington DC - Capitol Building by Daniel Huizinga, via Flickr

"Hundreds of miles from here, they make decisions distant from our lives - and our values,"

Public Domain, via Pexels

"Pulling the levers of power, making deals to enrich themselves,"

In Decline by Len Langevin, via Flickr

"...while families struggle, drug addiction surges, and jobs leave."

Accessed via Josh Hawley's Youtube page

"It doesn't have to be this way."

Accessed via Josh Hawley's Youtube page

Narrator: "Josh Hawley: A son of the Heartland,"

Accessed via Josh Hawley's Instagram page

Narrator: "A family man, father of three,"

Senator Josh Hawley, via Flickr
Edits are self-made

Narrator: "He stood up to Washington when others fell in line."

Josh Hawley by Gage Skidmore, on Flickr

Narrator: "And he’ll stand up for us as President."

Senator Josh Hawley, via Flickr
Edits are self-made

"I'm Josh Hawley, and I approve this message."

Notes: This 30-second commercial, aired statewide in Iowa, is Team Hawley's first TV ad of the 2024 campaign. It presents Hawley's basic pitch to voters in the midwest: a direct appeal to both economically anxious and values-based voters (which tend to overlap), making a Trumpian diagnosis of the American forgotten working class while playing into Hawley's small-town roots and conservative values. It also highlights his work in the Senate, characterizing him as a defiant fighter with a streak of standing up for the party's rank-and-file. By getting his name and message out there, Team Hawley thinks this ad can springboard the campaign's ground-game in Iowa.

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Public Domain, via C-Span
Edits are self-made

Hawley's Debate Answers

1. Opening Statement

Thank you, Neil. It's an incredible honor to stand up here tonight. I'm Josh Hawley. I want to start by saying I am delighted to have my wife Erin in the audience. We have two little boys - Elijah who's 10 and Blaise who's 8 - as well as a girl - Abigail - who are the light of our lives.

I'm from Missouri, grew up in small town Lexington, population 5,000. Missourians are known for our frankness, and tonight I will be frank, because this is a moment of great need for our nation. Families are struggling, prices are soaring, and America is losing its grip under Joe Biden. This President and the special interests that bankrolled his campaign have gotten to work undoing the accomplishments of President Trump, restacking the deck against working America.

Now that Biden's Justice Department has taken to pursue a witchhunt against President Trump just in time for the election, some on this stage might say it's time to back down, it's time to cozy back into the pockets of donors and special interests, and "return to normal." I'm running for President for the opposite reason. It's time to fight - for our principles, for our values, and for the farmers and mechanics and teachers and tradesmen who make this country work. The stakes are higher than they've ever been before.

2. Raise your hand if you believe that Donald J. Trump is the rightful winner of the 2020 Presidential Election

Raises hand. Absolutely. 2020 was an unprecedented election. States skirted the law to hand out millions of mail-in ballots with little supervision or oversight, and now we're learning the FBI actively suppressed stories about President Biden's foreign business dealings and conflicts of interest. It's a joke. Election integrity matters.

3. Who is your favorite Republican President in your lifetime?

President Trump is my favorite and certainly he's been the most transformative. For four years, he championed the concerns of millions of Americans who felt left behind and ignored. He took their cause to the White House and fought the deep state swamp, producing one of the best economies for the middle class our nation had ever seen in the process, and he stood up for our values - appointing 3 pro-life justices to the Supreme Court. If it weren't for him, we'd still be the party of Mitch McConnell and Mitt Romney.

4. The United States has an out of control inflation problem. The cost of housing, food, energy, and gasoline is spiraling, what will you do to control inflation and bring down costs for working Americans?

That's unfortunately been the story of our country for the past 4 years. Prices rise and folks can't get a raise. Politicians don't fix it because they've never felt it. For decades they've outsourced our jobs and industrial manufacturing to our competitors, making deals that benefit their donors and few else. No wonder our supply chain is paralyzed. The insiders have spent their whole career enriching themselves and, make no mistake, they've caused this inflation crisis.

It's no help that the President of the United States is sabotaging our energy industry and financing trillions of dollars in endless pet projects and foreign wars. Let's call it what it is: he's forfeiting American dominance to Russia and China to line his donor's pockets.

Now the Democratic candidates are saying that's not enough? Talking about going further to sabotage American energy? Have they talked to a regular person in the past four years?

We will beat anyone the Democrats put up, and we will beat them easily, so long as we provide an alternative to this mess. Let's unleash our energy production, get people back to work, return the Trump policies that made us energy independent, reshore Americans jobs, and gut all this runaway spending that Congress has been flooding into the economy like no tomorrow. That's how we'll bring costs down for working families, and if we put that up against any Democrat plan it'll be a blowout.

5. Will you support a national abortion ban? Would it be after 15 weeks of pregnancy? 10 weeks? 6? Or would you prohibit all elective abortions?

I'm shocked to hear some of my fellow Republicans on this stage shamelessly abandon life for cheap political points. What happened to values? What happened to conviction? Babies in blue states are allowed to be aborted up to birth, sometimes after, and so-called conservative firebrands won't even lift a finger? I want to make one thing clear: I am 100% pro-life, I believe every human life has intrinsic moral value, and I will do everything in my power as President to protect the sanctity of life.

Our Republic was built on the belief that we have certainly unalienable rights. The first one the Founders listed was life. To the Republicans on this stage who say that's not worth defending because we might lose some elections, I promise you we will lose many more if we turn our backs on pro-life voters and faith-based voters and cave on our most fundamental values. For over a generation, our party led the way in the fight for the sanctity of life, and the moment we get some headway all these career politicians bail? Give me a break.

We will lose this election if we nominate people who believe in nothing but getting elected.

To Senator Hawley: Senator, you've said that "Washington Republicanism" failed in the 2022 midterms and you've disagreed with many Republicans on economic issues. You've worked with self-described democratic socialist Senator Sanders on stimulus checks, and you supported a recent rail workers strike. Sounds like socialism to some. What is your view of economic leadership?

Absolutely, I think it's no secret that Republicans underperformed expectations this last November. Voters who showed up for President Trump both times, especially independents, just didn't feel like the Republican candidates represented them. They felt they were out-of-touch and weren't providing a solid agenda to anyone but their donors. That's not a winning strategy.

Senator Sanders and I worked together because, after 9 long months of lockdowns and mandates, 98 other Senators and their donors thought working people didn't need direct relief. Can you believe that? For how much we hear about partisan division in Washington, you'll be surprised at how much they agree. 80% of Americans wanted Congress to offer direct assistance to working Americans. People were struggling, and I saw that here in Missouri.

We tried to hold a vote on that, but McConnell blocked it. What ended up happening? Well, Joe Biden ran on a watered down version of it and took the Senate majority with the two votes in Georgia. And more recently, Joe Biden pushed Congress to force an agreement on rail workers that they didn't even agree to, that didn't even include a week of paid sick leave. For me and hundreds of millions of Republicans, that was unacceptable, and yet 37 Senate Republicans, including McConnell, voted with Biden to force that deal on rail workers. The vote was 80-15!

My view is that Republicans have a choice. We can either be a party of Wall Street and special interests or we can be a party that represents our voters, but we cannot be both. Today in America nearly 9 in 10 Americans think we're on the wrong track. We have a worse standard of living today than we did 20 years ago. More and more people believe Washington has forgot them than ever before. Under Joe Biden people are worse off, there's no doubt about it, but if we run on more of the same, we will lose just like we did in last year's midterms.

6. Rebuttal Free Space

NOEM: "We need to reduce our spending. We need to curb spending and stop taxing Americans, stop squeezing them dry. That's number one. Number two, what this crisis has shown is that our country is far too dependent on foreign oil. The solution is very clear - we need to have energy independence, by increasing oil drilling and coal mining, by going all-in on fracking, and utilising our nation's natural resources, more effectively. I'm especially well-versed on this issue because I'm from South Dakota, a big oil state. If we could build the Keystone Pipeline, utilise all those resources, that would go a long way in helping set up our energy independence for the future."

Y'know, I find it awfully ironic that Governor Noem hasn't even mentioned our supply-chain issues because, when she was in Congress, she was apart of the problem. She voted for President Obama's trade deal, that sucked millions of jobs out of the economy of middle class America and into China, into Mexico, into Vietnam. When President Trump attempted to steer course and reshore American jobs from China, she stood against him! She said his moves were "devastating." Now, with Biden, costs are spiraling, but we can't be surprised after Washington sold out our mechanics, our tradesmen, our manufacturers to our greatest foreign enemy, Communist China.

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Self-made campaign material

Summer Schedule (1/2)

June 1: Appear on Tucker Carlson Tonight to discuss Hawley's economic vision for the GOP
June 2: Pep talk with campaign staff and volunteers, in preparation for the official launch.
June 3: Formulate the campaign's opening strategy with high-level aides and allies.
June 4: Meet privately with Senators John N. Kennedy and Marco Rubio, courting their support.
June 5: Coordinate social media campaign with young staffers. Launch "Zoomers for Hawley" operation.
June 6: Kick-off the campaign with a massive rally in Hawley's home-town of Lexington, MO.
June 7: Schedule interviews on various national media networks to pitch Hawley's message to national GOP voters.
June 8-10: Open 3 field offices in Iowa. Hold a town-hall event in Dubuque discussing inflation.
June 11: Visit evangelical leaders to solicit their endorsement, including Franklin Graham and Rick Scarborough.
June 12: Host a round-table discussion with small-town Iowa pastors in bid to mull grassroots evangelical support.
June 13-16: Hold 6 town-hall events with Erin in Iowa, emphasizing family values and faith.
June 17-22: Tour across Southwest Iowa, hosting small 'stump' events in each county.
June 23: Meet with natural gas workers in Pleasant Hill, IA for photo-op event
June 24: Campaign Rally in Boone, IA with Bob Vander Plaats (new endorsement)
June 25: Sit down for a radio interview with KBIZ 1240 AM to discuss Iowan infrastructure, agribusiness, energy
June 26: Deliver keynote speech for the Young Farmer Conference in Des Moines
June 27-29: Host 5 more town-hall events in primarily suburban areas to discuss crime.
June 30: Join door-knocking efforts with volunteers. Talk to staffers, congratulating them on a successful month.

July 1-3: Return to D.C for Senatorial duties and to meet privately with Senators Mike Braun and Rick Scott.
July 4-5: Cease campaigning. Condemn the President's divisive July 4th address.
July 6: Hold a prime-time press conference calling for a House Oversight investigation into the DoJ's conduct
July 7: Attend interviews with Tucker Carlson Tonight and Huckabee to discuss the DoJ's new charges
July 8: Meet with President Trump and Chairman Dhillon.
July 9: Appear on the Ingraham Angle to demand GOP leaders fight back
July 10: Release an op-ed to Compact Magazine outlining Hawley's anti-corruption agenda
July 11-14: Travel to Texas, Michigan, Missouri for a fundraising blitz
July 15: Return to Iowa to open 2 new field offices in Ankeny and Ames
July 16: Campaign Rally in Muscatine, IA with Erin Hawley
July 17-19: Hold 5 meet-and-greet events in church halls across Northwest Iowa
July 20: Host a round-table discussion with small-town Iowa pastors, mulling grassroots evangelical support.
July 21: Sit down for an interview with KFJB 1230 AM to discuss abortion, fentanyl epidemic
July 22: Appear on Hannity to discuss the campaign's Iowa strategy
July 23-25: Hold 4 town-halls in rural Iowa on abortion, family values
July 26: Meet with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks to solicit her endorsement
July 27: Campaign Rally in Waterloo, IA on govt. corruption and transparency
July 28: Meet with Iowa's Right-to-Life chapter to court their support
July 29: Host a meet-and-greet with the ISU Federalist Society
July 30-31: Debate preparation with strategists and staffers

Senator Josh Hawley, via Flickr
Hog Roast (335) by Dave Davidson, via Flickr

Shoring up evangelical support for Iowa Caucus, Josh Hawley secures major endorsement with Bob Vander Plaats

Amidst a campaign blitz in the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucus, it became clear the Hawley campaign was making a concerted effort to convince Iowa's significant bloc of evangelical voters that Hawley was the sole candidate for family values and social conservatism. It appears that effort has now paid off, as the President of the The Family Leader (a socially conservative organization headquartered in Iowa) and often-renowned kingmaker of the Iowa Caucus has today endorsed Senator Hawley, joining him for a campaign rally in Boone.

Hawley spoke to the crowd of nearly 1500 people on the importance of values and principles in politics before handing over the mic to Plaats, who explained why he believed Senator Hawley was the best choice for religious conservatives. In short, he presented Hawley's upbringing and record as 'distinct' from the rest of the field, and highlighted his courage and no-nonsense attitude in the U.S Senate, including his votes against the Respect for Marriage Act and the nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Here's an excerpt:

"In Senator Hawley, religious conservatives have a fighter like no other. His principles-first, values-first approach is exactly what we need right now in the White House, both to defeat Vice President Harris and to restore our nation's moral fabric once we do. I know that because he's only been in politics for a short while, but he's been fighting for religious liberty and Christian values his entire life, whether it was as an appellate litigator defending Hobby Lobby's religious freedom before the Supreme Court or as Missouri Attorney General tackling human trafficking."

Public Domain, via C-Span

Hawley emerges as top fighter in Trump legal battles, demanding House Investigation into DOJ conduct

When the Department of Justice unveiled new charges against the former President, Senator Hawley did not hesitate to condemn it, immediately hosting a prime-time press conference to call for an 'immediate investigation' by the Oversight Committee into the DOJ's conduct, noting that the legal battle 'has dragged on for almost a year, with no results, no transparency, no accountability. ... I mean, what exactly are the American people supposed to make of this?' He's dogged it on to his broader anti-corruption agenda and surfaced as one of former President Trump's top fighters in the race for President, along with famed political consultant Roger Stone.

He further called for the impeachment or resignation of Attorney General Merrick Garland, telling reporters there that 'between the unannounced, unprecedented raid on Mar-a-Lago, the two-tiered justice system that protects crooks like Hunter Biden and Hillary Clinton but slams down on the President's political opponents, and what we're seeing now, it's clear Attorney General Garland has done more to assault the rule of law and democratic norms than anything Trump did in his four years. He must resign, and we must reform the FBI from top to bottom.'

In the following days, Hawley appeared on a variety of conservative networks, discussing and ridiculing the charges with several Fox News figureheads, as well as demanding party leaders, such as Chairman Dhillon and Speaker Scalise, lead the fight to force accountability from the DoJ. Now he's telling reporters that 'if Garland chooses to testify before the Senate, you can be certain I'll be there to question everything about this sham witchhunt.'

Hawley has reportedly been meeting with President Trump and Chairman Dhillon, but notably not Speaker Scalise. On the meetings, Hawley says 'the Republican Party needs to stand up and fight back now. I am ashamed at the silence of some of my colleagues in both the Senate and the Presidential race. People are angry and they're only going to get more angry as the deep state pulls more rabbits out of hats to silence their political opposition.'

Hawley Op-Ed: "To drain the swamp, we must push forth an anti-corruption agenda."

The past three years, our nation has seen the absolute worst of the corruption in Washington. It's precisely the kind of rot that Trump lambasted in his 2016 campaign, and now he's feeling the full force of the deep state because of it. Most Americans and independents hate that this kind of malpractice and pay-to-play politics is so ordinary in our system of government, but to root it out, we need to push forth an alternative and make it priority number one.

In 1958, the National Election Survey first asked Americans a simple question: Do you trust the government to do the right thing most of the time? That year, 73% of Americans said yes. In 2022, that number was just 20%. Four out of every five Americans do not trust their government to do the right thing.

That may be because the Biden Administration recently launched a "Disinformation" board in the Department of Homeland Security to get government into the business of fact-checking speech. Or it may be because the FBI actively lied to tech companies to convince them to censor stories about President Biden's foreign business dealings and conflicts of interest. It certainly hasn't helped, but we all know, at the root, this problem has developed far longer than even some of our lifetimes.

The rot has been there for some time: Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and career bureaucrats. Look no further than our current President: Joe Biden. He first got elected to the U.S Senate when Richard Nixon was President, so it should surprise nobody that he's picked up a few tricks from old Dick. In the 1990s, then Sen. Biden voted to deregulate the financial services industry, and giant mergers that made certain banks “too big to fail” followed soon after. It’s not hard to imagine how this turbocharged risky, predatory and speculative activity eventually resulted in the financial crisis of 2008.

When Vice President Biden had the chance, with President Barack Obama, to make things right, he didn’t. Virtually no senior executives of Wall Street firms were prosecuted for their role in our economy’s collapse, when it’s clear that those who played fast and loose with the securitization of home mortgages were the ones who brought it all crashing down.

He did this because the system is designed that way. It was designed that way by influence peddlers who have weaponized lobbying to coerce the government to do what they want. These days we call them "special interests," and they have robbed this country of its most basic founding value: that it is the common man and woman that make up a nation, not elites or CEOs.

Today, I’m announcing a comprehensive set of far-reaching and aggressive proposals to kill corruption in Washington. It would be the most sweeping set of anti-corruption reforms since Watergate. The goal of these measures is straightforward: to take power away from wealthy special interests and career politicians in Washington and put it back where it belongs – in the hands of the people.

My Plan:
> Ban lobbying from foreign entities.
> Ban federal agencies from colluding to censor American citizens.
> Prohibit lobbyists from donating to or fundraising for political candidates.
> Expand the definition of lobbyists to include everyone who is paid to influence lawmakers.
> Restrict the ability of lobbyists to enter government jobs.
> Prohibit lawmakers from engaging in the stock trade.
> Dramatically expand disclosure rules for lobbyists.
> Fire every federal bureaucrat who has engaged in government censorship.
> Ban taxpayer dollars from being used to "fact-check" speech
> Revise Section 230 to drastically curtail big platforms' power to restrict lawful speech.
> Ban elected officials and top government appointees from becoming lobbyists.
> Strengthen federal open records laws to close loopholes and exemptions that hide corporate influence.

[oldkyhome]

Self-made campaign material

Summer Schedule (2/2)

August 1-5: Return to D.C to introduce the Stop the Censorship Act with Rep. Paul Gosar.
August 6-13: Tour small towns in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana, hosting small 'stump' events along the way
August 14: Launch 'Forgotten America' listening tour in Bridgeport, MI, focusing on outsourcing, drug addiction, inflation
August 15: Meet with rehabilitation workers in Liberty House Recovery Center for photo-op event
August 16: Schedule interview with Tucker Carlson Tonight to discuss 'addiction epidemic'
August 17: Visit and thank campaign volunteers in Iowa to boost morale
August 18-21: Hold 7 town-hall events across Michigan and Wisconsin for 'Forgotten America' listening tour
August 22: Campaign Rally in Middletown, OH with J.D Vance
August 23: Meet with Michigan and Wisconsin's right-to-life chapter to pitch for an endorsement
August 24: Hold meet-and-greet with MSU's Federalist Society chapter
August 25-28: Kickoff 'Forgotten America' New Hampshire tour with 5 town-hall events, focusing on fentanyl epidemic
August 29: Meet with General Don Bolduc to solicit his support
August 30-31: Tour northern New Hampshire, especially Coos County, to meet with people affected by addiction

September 1-4: Campaign break. Call with campaign staff from home to discuss September strategy.
September 5-9: Fly to D.C for Senatorial duties. Meet with Senators John N. Kennedy and Mike Braun.
September 10: Campaign Rally in Lebanon, NH, on inflation, fentanyl epidemic
September 11-13: Coordinate with Team Hawley NH to boost ground-game efforts
September 14-17: Continue 'Forgotten America' tour with 6 town halls in New Hampshire and Vermont
September 18: Discuss New Hampshire energy production, crime on WEMJ 1490 AM
September 19: Campaign Rally in Derry, NH, focusing on anti-corruption platform
September 20-21: Fly to South Carolina to hold meet-and-greet with local church leaders
September 22: Appear on Jesse Waters Primetime to explain Hawley's stand on abortion
September 23-25: Hold 4 meet-and-greet events with South Carolina parents, discussing CRT and school choice
September 26: Meet with Sen. Lindsey Graham to push for his endorsement
September 27: Campaign Rally in Clemson, SC on abortion, faith
September 28: Fly to Nevada to meet with State Republican Party leaders.
September 29-30: Stump in the Reno area, visiting people in diners and opening a field office in Reno proper

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hawley in New Hampshire: "I'm going to fight for every vote."

Despite unimpressive poll numbers and an infantile ground-game, Senator Hawley today launched the New Hampshire-leg of his "Forgotten America" listening tour, raising the eyes of many pundits and donors who thought he wouldn't invest in the state. Campaign officials have told reporters that Hawley plans to campaign 'extensively' in the state, carving a significant amount of his schedule in August and September to win Granite State voters.

Justifying the move, Hawley spoke at length in his launch town hall about why he was going "to fight for every vote." Here's an excerpt:

"I heard folks in the media saying I shouldn't even visit New Hampshire, that it would be a waste of time (cue boos). Folks, I know I grew up in the midwest, but we're Americans, and many of the people I've visited in New Hampshire are just as forgotten as the rusted industrial towns that I visited in Michigan and Wisconsin. When drug companies were pouring thousands and thousands of opioids into New Hampshire communities, Washington did nothing, and now that the fentanyl epidemic is exploding in those same communities, Washington is doing nothing. It has to stop! (cue applause) And the idea, that some people in the politics business has propagated, that we should just ignore certain voters because they might not vote for us is despicable. I'm going to fight for every vote."

Aides say the campaign is trying to avoid a "Huckabee" scenario, alluding to the 2008 Republican primary where Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee won the Iowa Caucus decisively but performed poorly elsewhere. Hawley, who has also invested significantly into the Iowa Caucus, is thus not trying to find himself winning the Iowa Caucus but getting run circles around in all the other early states.

[oldkyhome]

Public Domain, via C-Span

Hawley to reporters: 'I'm a no' on cuts to Social Security, Medicare

Following reports of Senate Republicans considering holding the debt ceiling hostage to negotiate cuts for major entitlement programs, U.S Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley made clear he wasn't on board, emphasizing that 'these are earned benefits, people paid into them', and cautioned his colleagues, adding on that 'Senate Republicans are playing with fire.' Hawley has repeatedly rejected the proposition of leveraging the debt limit for entitlement reform throughout his Senate tenure, and in his 2018 campaign he promised voters he wouldn't support slashing benefits to these programs.

Senator Hawley went on to say he would be okay with budget reforms that encourage 'fiscal discipline, ... whether that be gutting wasteful spending, tackling fraud and abuse, or making sure these important programs stay solvent in one way or another,' but that cuts to Social Security and Medicare 'are a non-starter.' He pointed to last year's underwhelming midterms as an example of 'what happens when our party chooses to frighten independents and swing voters with hoo-ha.'

It's unclear whether other Republicans plan to cut the party on entitlement reform, although 4 other Senate Republicans have publicly endorsed Sen. Hawley's campaign for President, which may indicate something about where they stand. Nevertheless, with Republicans in the minority, and the only Democratic Senators considering entitlement reform being Manchin and Sinema (although not necessarily cuts), any defection from the party line could kill the effort.

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sen. Kennedy backs Hawley: "He's a no-nonsense guy, and he'd be a no-nonsense President."

In a press gaggle with Congressional reporters, Sen. Kennedy of Louisiana revealed he was endorsing Josh Hawley for President, citing his 'tough lawyer' attitude coupled with his 'strong stand for oversight and accountability' on the investigation of former President Trump, and 'courage to fight for election integrity.' Here's an excerpt:

REPORTER: "Senator, what do you think of the Republican Primary right now? Is there anyone you're considering supporting?"

KENNEDY: "Well, right now there's a lot of fighters and there's a lot of winners in the race for President, but there's not a lot of people who are fightin' and winnin'. One that's caught my eye, though, is Senator Hawley. I've worked with him here in this body for some while, I've gotten to know him well, and I've seen what he's about and what he'd do for the country. He's won tough races, and he's won tough fights. I think that's just about all you need in a President. He's a no-nonsense guy, and he'd be a no-nonsense President. He's got my support."

The Hawley campaign has welcomed Senator Kennedy's endorsement, calling it exemplary of 'turning-tides' in the primary campaign. With his backing, as well as Senator Braun's who endorsed him last week, Hawley is now tied with front-runner DeSantis for endorsements from Senate Republicans and ahead of everyone else.

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Self-made campaign material

Campaign Ad #2: Only One.

Multiple attributions, footnoted below. All public domain.

- Scene opens with clips of the four candidates above speaking at the Miami GOP Presidential Debate -

Narrator: "Which of these Presidential candidates can we trust to fight for unborn life?"

"Kristi Noem?"

Noem: "I would be very cautious with a national abortion ban."

Narrator: "Nope, not her. Nikki Haley?"

Haley: "I think we need to take a gradual approach."

Narrator: "Not her either. How about Governor DeSantis?"

DeSantis: "..10 week abortion ban"

Narrator: "Pass. And Roger Stone?"

Stone: "I feel that 10 weeks is a fair cutoff."

Narrator: "There's only one candidate in this race who stands up for human life."

- Scene pans to Hawley at the debate -

Hawley: "Our Republic was built on the belief that we have certain unalienable rights. The first one the Founders listed was life." "I will do everything in my power as President to protect the sanctity of life. (cue applause)"

Narrator: "Now that's our guy."

- Cuts to Hawley logo and legal information -

Voiceover: "I'm Josh Hawley, and I approve this message."

Attributions listed left to right. Original sources are hyperlinked.
[1] Public domain via C-Span
[2] Public domain via C-Span
[3] Public domain via C-Span
[4] Public domain via C-Span

Campaign Ad #3: Ready for Battle.

Senator Josh Hawley, via Flickr

- Scene opens with clips of Hawley as an attorney accompanied with headlines of the Supreme Court's decision in Hobby Lobby -

Narrator: "One of America's leading Constitutional lawyers, he led the fight to defend religious liberty - and won."

- Scene cuts to clips of Hawley as MO AG accompanied with headlines of his lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, tech companies -

Narrator: "As Missouri's top lawyer, he took on greedy drug companies and subpoenad big tech for stealing our data."

- Scene pans to clips of Hawley at Senate hearings grilling Biden officials and judges -

Narrator: "Now he's holding Biden's cronies to account, knocking them down one by one."

Hawley: "You signed off, knowing, knowing! That research was funded by the Democratic Party." "How are the American people to trust you or the FBI after abuses like this?" (Addressing James Comey)

Hawley: "It's not complicated! What's complicated is you don't allow consumers to stop your tracking of them." "You're still tracking them, you're still gathering information." (Questioning a Google exec)

Hawley: "This is a case where you had an 18-year old who possessed and distributed hundreds of images of 8-year olds and 9-year olds and 10-year olds and you gave him, frankly a slip on the wrist sentence of 3 months." "Even the probation office recommended 18 months! Do you have anything to add?" (Pressing Judge Jackson)

Jackson: "No, Senator."

- Scene cuts back to various images of Hawley as a Constitutional lawyer and as MO AG -

Narrator: "Courage. Conviction. Fearless. He's the only candidate who's ready for battle - to fight and win."

- Cuts to a clip of Hawley greeting voters, overlaid by his logo and legal information -

Voiceover: "I'm Josh Hawley, and I approve this message."

Notes: With these new releases, Hawley's ad campaign really kicks into gear, now taking up air time in all 4 early states for October and November. The first of these ads broadcasts in Iowa and South Carolina, highlighting the rhetorical distinction between him and other major candidates on abortion, which has become a major point of contrast for Hawley as other candidates putz and flip-flop on the issue. For born-again voters, an especially critical voting bloc in these states, this has become a hot-button issue that has catapulted Hawley up the primary ladder as DeSantis's frontrunner status recedes. Advisers say he should press on it in Iowa up until the caucuses.

Sen. Hawley's 2nd ad juxtaposes his message brilliantly and sets the stage for his team's efforts in Nevada and New Hampshire, which is where it will be aired for October and November. The populist fervor coupled with a tough lawyer attitude aligns with his impressive resume neatly, painting Hawley as an exceptional conservative warrior with a record of fighting and winning. In states like Nevada and New Hampshire, two states Team Hawley thinks are critical for landing impressive performances, it could make him much more attractive to primary voters that nominated Donald Trump (in 2016), as well as Adam Laxalt and Don Bolduc (in 2022).

[oldkyhome]

Public Domain, via Hawley's Facebook page

A Synopsis for the Heating Campaign

The Summer months were excellent for Team Hawley. The early state ground-game has developed soundly, Hawley's polling numbers have risen both nationally and among crucial demographics, and momentum in the crucial Iowa caucus is on his side. There, some polls have Hawley as close as 2 points from nabbing DeSantis's 1st place spot. More and more, the pundit class and special interests are realizing that the Missouri Senator may just be the one to take on Vice President Harris in November, and it terrifies them. Their opposition teams are turning up the heat, cracking up false or misleading stories to halt his momentum, but our campaign is calling it out, forcefully, to sink it before it floats.

Within hours of the article's release, Hawley's press team came out unilaterally repudiating and condemning the Wall Street Journal's opprobrious charges against his tenure as MO AG. They reiterate that his record there is defined by strong stands against big tech, drug companies, and human traffickers, and that claims his office wasted funds are 'baseless.' The reality, according to the campaign, concedes that Hawley's office did use more resources than previous Attorney Generals, but precisely because of his lawsuits against powerful special interests.

Our campaign's new TV ad, "Ready for Battle", doubles-down on that message, characterizing Sen. Hawley as a tough lawyer who's dedicated his career to battling criminals, cronies, and special interests. In this, we're defining Hawley's record before the media even gets a chance to push a counter-narrative. This interaction only serves to boost his reputation as a media pariah and signature truth-teller.

As for the InfoWars 'stories', aides say there are bigger fish to fry than acknowledge this self-discrediting hitpiece. If reporters really feel the need to push him for a response on this, Hawley will dismiss it as 'ludicrous, complete junk' and move on. This is not something we plan to give any attention to. Likewise, our team viewed Governor Noem's attacks as bizarre. 'Why is she pulling a page from the January 6th Committee in a Republican primary?' one staffer pondered. 'Isn't South Dakota a right-to-work state?' another commented. Hawley's opted to simply not respond. Never interrupt your enemy when they're making a mistake.

Our team can only expect more hack-jobs to emerge as powerful groups conspire to thwart Hawley's growing momentum, so we're keeping our eye on the ball as we move into the final stretch. That starts in Iowa. Hawley has been diligently courting the religious evangelical vote here since he announced, and now flaunts an impressive grassroots network of support among them. In the opening days of October, Hawley will travel here to announce that the campaign has appointed chairs to every Iowa county, reflecting just how much that grassroots base has developed. He'd also unveil the campaign's '99 Iowa Pastors' operation, an effort to secure the support of 1 pastor in each of Iowa's 99 counties. This would define our ground-game objectives in October and November, primarily seeking out community organizers and leaders to rep the campaign and excite voters for the Caucus.

The other early states are important as well, though not nearly as much as the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucus. Still, our campaign is committed to establishing a good outreach operation in each of the four early states, especially New Hampshire. This is a state where roughly half the Republican voters are blue-collar and 45-64, and over a third consider themselves 'rural.' These demographics are what helped Trump glide to victory in 2016 and, more recently, pushed Bolduc over the line over a more moderate challenger. Our campaign plans to expend resources tapping into those voters, making the case that Hawley is the uncompromising conservative champion they'd been looking for, who will give a voice to New Hampshire's forgotten towns and communities. To this end, the team has courted the support of several local state legislators, like State Rep. Peter Varney and State Sen. Harold French.

Amidst these efforts, Sen. Hawley is out meeting with voters, establishing personal connections, and staying on message. He sees other candidates in the race who change their brand every month and isn't interested. Instead, he keeps hammering home the same pitch he launched the campaign with: railing against Biden and the D.C establishment, calling out out-of-touch party leaders, connecting with voters that feel forgotten and left behind. In his analysis, that is what voters are looking for, not someone who can stretch their message as wide as possible to span the broadest number of people, but someone who can excite them, who can relate to them, who can tell it like it is. Going forward, this would be an essential feature of Hawley's brand to voters.

[oldkyhome]

Self-made campaign material

October Schedule
October 1: Round-table discussion with Nevada police groups
October 2-5: Hold 6 town halls in Nevada discussing crime, police
October 6: Fundraiser in Las Vegas with Erin Hawley, touting his family's law experience
October 7: Return to Iowa to unveil new county chairs, precinct captains
October 8-12: Bus tour across Northeastern Iowa, hosting small 'stump' events along the way
October 13: Campaign Rally in Council Bluffs, IA w/ Rick Scarborough (new endorsement)
October 14-15: Join field efforts with campaign organizers and volunteers to boost morale
October 16: Meet with Rep. Randy Feenstra to court his endorsement
October 17: Open a new field office in Muscatine, hold a town hall in the area on abortion.
October 18: Round-table discussion with board of The Family Leader, discussing abortion, family values
October 19: Meet with Missouri and Iowa's right-to-life chapter to pitch for an endorsement
October 20-22: Hold 5 meet-and-greet events with Iowa gun-owners, expressing Hawley's commitment to 2A rights
October 23: Deliver speech at Iowa Energy Summit: 'Let's make it here in Iowa.'
October 24-25: Visit James Dobson and Chuck Hurley to discuss abortion's role in the 2024 election.
October 26: Circle back with campaign advisers and staff to discuss progress in Iowa.
October 27-30: Stump tour across Northwestern Iowa with Erin, emphasizing 'kitchen-table' issues
October 31: Campaign Rally in Anamosa, IA, highlighting D.C corruption and attacking GOP leadership

Public Domain, via C-Span

With Stop the Censorship Act, Sen. Hawley takes to the floor to make a passionate case for 'restoring free speech on the web.'

Excerpt

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today in America, there are a group of people who seem intent on influencing our national discourse, on manipulating it, on shaping it, according to their own preferences, and I'm not talking about China or Russia or Iran, although they certainly are as well. But no, I'm talking about a group of corporations, the most powerful corporations in the history of this nation, the most powerful corporations in the history of the world.

I'm talking about big tech. We know who they are. They run the giant digital platforms where Americans communicate and share their opinions, but these platforms are more than that. They're more than places to talk or buy things. Facebook, Google, Twitter, Instagram: these are the platforms that control more and more of our daily lives. And yes, I said control. These platforms control our social communication, the way we talk to each other and when and how and where and on what terms. They control what news what we read, or see. They control increasingly more journalism in America, right down to what's in news articles and how the headlines are written. They control how elected officials communicate with their constituents, when they can run advertisements, what their messages can say and can't.

Make no mistake, today in America, these platforms control us. Big platforms relentlessly spy on their customers: you, me, and millions of Americans. They track us around the web. They monitor our every move online - and even when we're offline. They track our location, whether we're in a car or riding a bike or on the street. They track the websites that we visit and when. They track the products that we buy. They track the videos that we watch. They track what children are doing. They track everything, all with the purpose of getting enough information to influence us, to shape our preferences, our opinions, our viewpoints.

This is enormous power - unheard of power - and tech platforms are intent on using it. They are intent on using it in this election.

Let's just cut to the chase. These tech platforms are owned and operated by leftists, by liberals. They're not conservatives, and they're not friends of conservatives. They fervently opposed the election of Donald Trump in 2016, and they actively suppressed stories and publishers critical of President Biden's foreign business dealings and conflicts of interest. And that's not all. They tipped the scales in the COVID debate against people skeptical of lockdowns and mandates, they directly colluded and coordinated with federal agencies to silence or filter certain beliefs, they banned pro-life groups and suspended independent conservative journalists like The Federalist.

It's clear why. They don't like conservatives. They don't agree with conservatives. They don't want to see conservatives get elected. That would be fine if they were just a private citizen. I know many people on the other side of the aisle who would not like to see conservatives get elected. But here's the issue: they aren't a private citizen. They are multinational tech giants that control millions of conversations and debates. If they are allowed to use their power in this way, as they have before, to leverage their control over news and information and data, to silence the voices of conservatives, then we will be turning control over the most basic freedoms of our republic over to a few billionaires who have no interest in democracy, no interest in free speech, and no interest in fair discourse.

It's hard to see why this isn't a problem. My friends on the other side of the aisle are infuriated - rightfully so - over the meddling of foreign billionaires in China, in Russia, in Saudi Arabia in our elections. But why not our billionaires? Why should these robber barons get a free pass in influencing the results of our elections?

I urge my colleagues to act, and act today, by passing the bill before us: the Stop the Censorship Act. It presents a simple, straightforward solution to the censorship monopoly of these digital giants. Let those who have been censored claim their rights; let them sue! Let them go to court. Let them challenge the decisions of the tech platforms and have their day before the bar of the law. Right now, federal law prohibits this. It prohibits Americans from appealing a tech platform's decision to censor them. It prevents Americans from taking issue with just about anything that they do. It gives them what is essentially monopoly power over speech on the largest communication platforms in the world. That should change.

This bill would return Americans the right to be heard in a court of law, the right to fairness, the right to due process of law. With this bill, this body can finally take a stand to restore the principles of freedom our Constitution expounds, return integrity and legitimacy to our public discourse, and take back our Republic from a few tech millionaires who have undue influence in our elections."

[oldkyhome]

Self-made campaign material

November Schedule
November 1-3: Host 5 meet-and-greet events targeting former Noem supporters with Erin Hawley
November 4: Campaign rally in Grinnell, IA, focusing on corruption and blasting the Haley-DeSantis alliance
November 5: Appear on Tucker Carlson Tonight to attack the Haley-DeSantis alliance
November 6: Campaign Rally in Keokuk, IA w/ Bob Vander Plaats
November 7: Deliver a pep talk to Iowa campaign volunteers, outlining November goals
November 8-12: Return to D.C for Senatorial duties. Meet with Sen. Marco Rubio.
November 13: Release an op-ed to The Federalist unveiling Hawley's Parent Tax Credit plan
November 14: Day for media interviews, fundraising events, and other campaign-related activities
November 15: Meet with Sen. Marco Rubio to discuss Hawley's Parent Tax Credit proposal
November 16: Campaign Rally in Greenville, SC w/ Sen. John Kennedy
November 17-20: Bus tour in the Peedee region, holding small 'stump' events along the way
November 21: Hold BBQ meet-and-greet event in Beaufort, SC
November 22: Campaign Rally in Nashville, TN, w/ Rick Scarborough
November 23-25: General break for Thanksgiving.
November 26: Fly to New Hampshire to visit staffers and volunteers
November 27: Campaign Rally in Hanover, NH highlighting foreign policy, Ukraine
November 28: Round-table discussion with prominent NH state legislators
November 29-30: Hold 4 town halls events in Coos County discussing 'kitchen-table' issues

Public Domain, via Hawley's Facebook page

Hawley slams DeSantis, Haley for Florida deal: 'This is a corrupt sham.'

In one of his recent rallies along his stump throughout Iowa, Hawley took to task the recent announcement from Nikki Haley that she would not participate in the Florida primary, excoriating it as a 'corrupt sham' that 'revealed a secret alliance' between Haley, DeSantis, and GOP leadership. His harsh words for the two candidate's deal came in spite the fact that Hawley has not once attacked DeSantis on the trail, typically only criticizing an unnamed group of GOP elites and only sparingly mentioning people specifically, but this new 'pact,' he argued, was 'exactly the type of corruption' that he has so-passionately berated throughout the primary.

His speech to the crowd of 2,000 was cut with a clear anti-corruption theme: lambasting GOP party leaders, deriding lobbyist influence in D.C, then outlining his plan to fix it all. He touted his campaign's success gaining ground in Iowa, attributing it to voters growing resentment towards 'Washington-as-usual politics.' From there, he connected this theme with the news of DeSantis and Haley teaming up, labeling the Florida bargain a 'calculated attempt by the Republican establishment to cling onto power.' He further added that it 'reveals just how deep their corruption goes,' and urged the crowd to reject 'the kind of politics that employs dirty tricks like this when the going gets rough.'

Sen. Hawley's impassioned stand against what he labels a 'shameless political bargain' continued into the following day, where he appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight to make no bones about what he believed was happening here.

TUCKER: "Here to answer the question - why are these two candidates, who are supposedly both running for President on their own, now teaming up? Thank you for joining us, Senator Hawley. You've called this a 'corrupt sham', do you think that's accurate?"

HAWLEY: "Thank you, Tucker. I think what's happening here is obvious, and it's disgraceful. The Republican Party leadership is now engaged in electoral warfare, trying to consolidate their candidates and keep everyone else divided. Whether DeSantis and Haley are just doing this at the behest of leadership or are active participants, either way it's shocking, and it's shameless."

TUCKER: "Right, so I was under the impression you had to actually win over voters to get elected President. You've recently been gaining significantly on these two nationally and in Iowa - as has Kari Lake in Nevada - so I'm just wondering, do you think that factored into their decision?"

HAWLEY: "Oh, absolutely it did. It's no secret the traditional donor class is not happy with my numbers. They've seen my plan to clean up the swamp, they know it's resonating with the voters who are just sick of lobbyists and special interests, and now they're going to pull tricks and conduct hack-jobs to thwart our movement. It's not going to work, Tucker. Voters aren't buying it."

Aides say they feel they can break ground on this issue. They think voters are naturally skeptical to anything that emerges about a candidate during a heated campaign cycle, as has been the case with most of the hit-pieces emerging against DeSantis and others over the past several months, but when the candidate themselves does something to prompt serious questions about their motives and intentions, that's when people start to take notice. Hawley has certainly not shied from bringing attention to such questions, but he says it's more about the 'unprecedented amount of collusion with the Republican Party is engaging in its own primaries' than the electoral implications.

Tucker quotes are GM approved. Also I moved this from October to November since Haley announced this in early November.

Hawley Op-Ed: "Working families need a better deal from Washington. $12k in tax cuts is a good start."

The Book of Deuteronomy instructs, “You shall not oppress a hired worker.” Apparently, no one told President Biden or the rest of Washington this when they united to stifle a potential strike by railway workers, the first one in years. It’s too costly for the economy, the DC types moaned, the workers are being unreasonable.

Hardly. The rail workers were merely asking for a handful of sick days, something our elected representatives enjoy as a matter of divine right. Half the House of Representatives still won’t show up for work for fear of even potentially falling ill, but railroad workers must be forced to work and take sick days on their own dime. The hypocrisy is rank—but also revealing. The country’s political class has very little regard for blue-collar work or the people who perform it.

The results of that are clear. America’s blue-collar workforce has only become more invisible to Washington with each passing year, and it's only getting worse with Biden and his cronies in power. Their policies over the last few decades have contributed to the brittle condition of the American family. Our tax and trade policy has rewarded out-sourcing, off-shoring, and labor arbitrage.

Consequently, wages have stagnated even as the cost of housing and healthcare, both vital for families, has exploded. The days when a working-class family could survive on the paycheck of one parent are long gone. In today’s economy, mom and dad often both feel compelled to enter the workforce, and stay there, in order to have and raise a family. These economic imperatives run counter to what many families say they want. Most American families, especially those in the working- and middle classes, consistently say that children are better off when one parent stays at home to care for them, and many of these same families wish that was possible for them.

The game is rigged against working Americans. There’s no doubt about it. To fix this broken system, we need to start bold by giving people the relief they need to succeed in this economy. That’s why today I’m unveiling my plan to give middle-class families one of the largest tax cuts ever seen in American history: the Parent Tax Credit.

At an overview, my proposal would give an annual value of $6,000 in tax relief for single parents and $12,000 in tax relief for married parents, delivered to eligible families through automatic, monthly advances directly into the same bank accounts where they receive their federal tax refunds. This credit would be fully refundable, provided per-parent to households with children under the age of 13. In essence, it would be an enormous middle class tax cut; it would mean immediate cash flow into the hands of the parents who need it the most. For the first time in a generation, we'd tip the scales in favor of working families in an economy that's grinded to ensure Wall Street always wins.

To pay for this historic tax relief, I'd seek to condense the Internal Revenue Code by closing out loopholes and tax breaks that special interests benefit from on working American's dime. Today in America, too many corporate firms pay exactly zero dollars in federal income tax because of a mix of sweet handouts and deals they get from Congress while they sell out American workers and shove their cultural agenda down our throats. Look no further than Disney, a top recipient of the federal government's protections and exemptions. Their army of D.C lobbyists allows them to maintain such lucrative bonuses, buying out our elected representatives or badgering them until they back off. As President, they, and many other corporations that receive the same loopholes, would be first in line to lose every one of these unearned taxpayer rewards.

Republicans have always led the fight to demand relief for working Americans from our burdensome tax code, and rightfully so, but often they have been just as willing to rig the game against ordinary folks as career politicians like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi have. Working-class voters have, no-doubt, been moving towards the Republican Party in recent years, but in order to form a winning coalition with them that will show up in 2024, we must be serious about representing them and their concerns. My Parent Tax Credit would fundamentally realign our tax system around the needs of families, children, and hard work.

“You shall give [the worker] his wages,” Deuteronomy warns, “lest he cry against you to the Lord, and you be guilty of sin.” Sin. There’s an old-fashioned word. For conservatives, it ought to be a reminder that winning a better deal for America’s workers isn’t just an electoral imperative. It’s a moral one. The question now is whether we will take that duty seriously.

[oldkyhome]

Public Domain, via C-Span

The Debate in Des Moines

Hawley's aides saw this debate as a prime opportunity to catch people's eyes right in the lead-up to the Iowa Caucus. He would enter with significant momentum on his side, being now tied for 2nd place nationally. His staff believed this could make him a target, so they coached him vigorously to be able to quickly respond to attacks and interject when the opportunity was ripe. Striking a distinction is key. People are looking to see whether Senator Hawley has the guts to confront and beat Vice President Harris on a debate stage, and that's exactly what he would show them.

1. Under President Biden America has witnessed a shocking border crisis, with total madness and chaos as thousands of people and unlimited drugs, fentanyl, cocaine, pours into the United States. What steps will you take to bring this crisis under control, and also, how do you approach immigration in general? Do we need controls on all immigration?

"Let me first thank the moderators and the candidates for showing up tonight. I want to start by saying that throughout this campaign I have had the honor of meeting with people across this great state and across the country who have suffered as a result of this crisis. In places where TV cameras never go, where town squares sit half empty, where businesses stand shuttered, people are struggling. They're hurting. They feel like Washington doesn't care anymore, and the truth is they don't.

The D.C swamp lives in a world where people's struggles are just a human-interest story that you read about right along with the gossip page. They couldn't care less, and why should they? They're not accountable to them, or any of their constituents for that matter, apart from a handful of donors and special interests that bankroll their campaign.

These same special interests profit from Joe Biden's open border policy. They profit from shafting American workers and hiring illegal aliens that accept sub-minimum wage. It's pay-to-play at its worst, and Americans are fed up. If I'm elected, I would approach this crisis with the sense of urgency it needs. Let's rein in the cartels! Let's give ICE the resources they need! And yes, let's finish that wall on the Southern border!"

2. Raise your hand if you support cost-controlling reforms to entitlement programs that Senate and House Republicans such as Scott Perry and Jim Jordan are supporting.

(Hand stays down) "Not on your life."

3. Do you support continued monetary and weapons aide to Ukraine in their fight against Putin's Russia?

"Absolutely not. Certainly not as a blank check.

Right now, Americans are worried about how to pay for their gas, their groceries, their insurance. Life expectancy is declining, and drug addiction is exploding. And instead of worrying about our problems right here at home, this administration is blowing hundreds of billions of dollars embroiling us in a quagmire thousands of miles from our border. It's outrageous.

What I struggle to understand is how some Republicans on this stage can stand up here and say they support Biden on this. There's been no oversight. No accountability. Where is our money going? We don't know because the folks in D.C keep blocking our calls for audits. Can anybody at home really tell themselves they're okay with that?

We have to get out of the business of nation-building. It didn't work in Iraq. It didn't work in Afghanistan. It's not going to work in Ukraine. Frankly, we wouldn't even be in this mess if Trump was still in office, and if I'm elected, I would return to those policies that scrapped nation-building and instead focus on projecting strength, investing in America, and addressing the needs and priorities of our people here at home."

Rebuttal to Nikki Haley:

Haley: Senator Hawley is sympathetic to Putin and has said that he doesn't care what happens to Ukraine.  That's reckless and irresponsible. America needs to lead the world in standing up for freedom and democracy everywhere.

"Oh, give me a break. This is exactly what Washington does. If you want transparency, you're 'sympathetic to Putin.' If you oppose nation-building, you 'don't care what happens in Ukraine.' I want the people at home to think about this, because this is exactly what the media did to President Trump for 4 years. She just said she might support deploying troops against Russia if 'absolutely necessary,' and she's trying to tell us putting America first is reckless? Nikki, I want you to tell that to the forgotten places where politicians like you never visit, to the kids that will grow up with a worse standard of living than their parents, to the homeless veterans our system has abandoned. I guarantee you, they won't think what I said is reckless."

Rebuttal to Roger Stone:

Stone: "We all have compassion for what the people of Ukraine and Russia are being subjected to by their governments. War is a nasty business, and nobody really wins when you have that much death and destruction."

"I'd just like to add I think it's astounding how much Mr. Stone has tried to change his views to win this election. I mean, just a couple years ago he said Putin was acting defensively, he was applauding Russia and insulting our nation, but now he's running for President and he's completely changed his tone. He says he sympathizes with Ukraine. He wants us to be a neutral arbiter. And I can't say I'm shocked by that. He knows the game; he's been in politics his entire life. But now more than ever, our country needs leadership. It needs conviction. Roger can't even stand up for life, and I just have to ask, is there anything you do stand up for?"

4. What will you do to end the spread of Marxism, woke ideology, and Critical Race Theory in America's public schools?

"For the last 4 years, Joe Biden has based his administration on the idea that America's heart and soul needs to be fundamentally altered. He has emboldened this racist ideology that pits people against each other and spits on our nation in public schools. As someone who grew up right in the middle of this country, the Heartland, I can say from a point of personal experience that there's nothing wrong with our values, and I will never apologize for America.

I would propose that we pass my 'Love America Act' which would require that all recipients of federal funding teach kids about the greatness of our country by requiring students to learn about our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights. Some on this stage say the solution is just the opposite, that we should just leave it to localities and individual teachers. That's code for abdication. The next President has to stand up and fight this plague, and unlike others I will not hesitate to get in the ring."

5. Do you believe that free trade is a net benefit for the American economy?

"The same free trade policies that outsourced millions of jobs and factories to China? The same free trade that clogged up our supply chain and spiraled costs for working people? No, absolutely not, and I question the integrity of anyone here who says it has been a net benefit. Our nation has been robbed and duped by Communist China, by the World Economic Forum, by politicians even here at home, into accepting these one-sided deals that enrich nobody but themselves. I've seen it right in my home-state of Missouri, in Iowa, in Michigan, in Wisconsin. It's a disaster. The people that push these deals try and buy off politicians. I won't accept their money.

Right now we need someone who will fight back against them: fight to return to the Trump-era policies that put America first, fight to renegotiate or end these ruinous deals, fight to return our jobs back home from China. We have a President right now who's family has business dealings in China, he has conflicts of interest! Make no mistake, the corruption runs deep, even in the highest levels of our government. If I'm elected next November, I will beat them, and I will end our disastrous trade approach.

To Senator Hawley: Do you support the overturn of Obergefell v. Hodges and return of control over marriage to the states?

"That's a great question. The next President will have the enormous responsibility in appointing a Justice to the Supreme Court to decide on cases like this. I believe we have to stand strong against the Democratic Party's attempt to tear down, to pack, to delegitimize our Supreme Court and stand up for the rule of law and a plain reading of the Constitution. It's important. It's the longest legacy a President has. If I'm elected, you can be very sure I'll review every last part of my nominee's records, whether that's on religious liberty, or abortion, or 2nd Amendment rights. My ideal nominee is Justice Scalia."

After the debate, Hawley went to talk with nearby reporters to answer questions about some of the positions he staked out and some of the attacks he delivered. He spoke extensively on Ukraine, and, when asked about Haley, he made sure to emphasize 'just how out-of-step she is with the party.' The tone, overall, was optimistic, declaring in somewhat of a predictive fashion that 'voters are getting ready to send a big message' and that 'it'll start in Iowa.' His aides felt the performance surpassed expectations, and that it 'highlighted a stark contrast between the candidates,' especially as it related to how voters viewed the field's 'confidence' and 'conviction.' One staffer made clear, 'Hawley is the man to win!'

[oldkyhome]

Lake: "Senator, giving Washington more control over education is exactly what the Democrats and the mainstream media wants. They want to be able to dictate what teachers can teach in the classroom. They want to be able to tell school boards what their school's instruction should look like. More Federal control of education is not the answer here. It'll give the radical left the excuse they need to take more control away from the states."

"I have a lot of respect for you, Kari. You're a brilliant speaker and you should've been Governor, but I have to say you're just wrong. If these schools expect to receive federal funding from American taxpayers, they should have to teach our Declaration of Independence! They should have to teach our Constitution! Those aren't peripheral, those are essential! The more we abdicate here, the more we embolden this racist ideology. We have to stand up and fight.

(Don't wanna turn this into a back-and-forth so Kari can have the last word if she wants.)

[oldkyhome]

Self-made campaign material

Campaign Ad #4: What Really Matters.

Public Domain, via Hawley's Facebook page

- Scene opens with various pictures of Hawley with supporters, with kids, and with Erin. The ad is narrated by a speech Hawley is giving to a crowd of town hall attendees, where he strikes a more somber and personal tone. -

"In today's politics, it's easy to get caught up in the here and now. The bickering. The negativity. The arguments. This Christmas, I want folks to know there's so much more that matters. This is a time for reconciliation and for hope. A time to put aside our differences and realize that what really matters is being together with friends and family to celebrate the birth of Christ. (cue applause)"

- Scene shifts to Hawley speaking directly to the camera from his home in Ozark, accompanied by his wife Erin -

"From our family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas. I'm Josh Hawley, and I approve this message."

Campaign Ad #5: Darkest Hour.

P20210428AS-2203 by The White House, via Flickr
Edits are self-made

- Ad opens with various clips of factories shuttering, smugglers crossing the border, politicians making deals, etc -

"Record inflation. Jobs leaving. Drug addiction exploding. D.C corruption at its worst."

- Cuts to the above picture -

"America's darkest hour has arrived."

- Scene pans to a list of candidates before honing in on Hawley -

"Only one candidate to take on this mess: Josh Hawley."

- Scene cuts to a clip of him as MO AG. Headlines in bold appear on screen. -

"He cracked down on human trafficking rings."
AP: Missouri businesses raided for alleged human trafficking.

- Scene cuts to a clip of him speaking on the Senate floor -

"He fought corrupt insider trading in Washington."
KTTN: Hawley introduces bill banning insider trading in Congress.

- Scene cuts to a picture of Hawley at a Senate hearing -

"And he's the only Senator to vote against all of Biden's cronies."
Independent: Josh Hawley is only senator to vote no on all Biden cabinet confirmations

- Scene pans to clips of Hawley speaking to crowds, shaking hands w/ supporters -

"A fearless leader - not afraid to tell it like it is - building a movement with you to take on the D.C establishment and put America first."

- Cuts to Hawley logo and legal information -

Voiceover: "I'm Josh Hawley, and I approve this message."

Campaign Ad #6: Decimated.

This is a :30 radio ad. It's narrated by Sean Crawford, a construction worker and resident of Colesbrook, NH.

"I live in Colesbrook, a town that was decimated by the Opioid epidemic. The drug companies came here and poured thousands of painkillers here to profit off addiction. I know people that died because of it. People feel like Washington has abandoned them. Only one candidate for President has had the guts to come here and talk about that, and that's Josh Hawley. The pharma companies that have been robbing us blind and destroying our communities have something to worry about with him. This is a man of conviction, a man of integrity, a man who won't accept the bribes of an industry that kills and destroys.

That's why I'm supporting Josh Hawley for President."

Notes: December is a critical point in the campaign where many undecided voters start to break for a candidate. With attacks flying and the election heating up, Hawley's aides thought it might be important to cut a more personal ad that highlighted his faith and family values, as part of a continued attempt to win over Iowa's overwhelmingly religious electorate. "What Really Matters" presents a more old-fashioned pitch to voters by defining Hawley as honest, honorable, and poignant. As always, voters like someone who can stand up for something, especially their values. This ad airs in Iowa, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee for December.

On the contrary, the two other ads Team Hawley put out focused more on problems, defining Hawley as a 'tell it like it is' fearless conservative champion. Voters here are typically less religious, so the integrity of Hawley's religious faith is of less importance than in Iowa and South Carolina. Instead, the first of these ads hammered home on Hawley's record: a tough lawyer as AG, a no-nonsense conservative as Senator, and a trusted fighter against the Biden administration. It airs in Nevada, New Hampshire, and Colorado. The second of these ads played exclusively in New Hampshire, pushing for the state's large demographic of 45-64 blue-collar voters.

Additional Debate Content

Stone: "That's right, I do know the game. I've had to deal with enough of the destructive ambition and corruption coming from you guys that I see right through you, Senator. I talk about the devastating costs of this war, and you try to get your big moment in the highlight reels while using the same lies and rhetoric they always deployed against President Trump. Sounds like a politician to me.

Bred by Stanford and Yale. Mentored by John Roberts. Every word focus group-tested. Are those your values, Iowa?"

"Oh please. Leave it to a D.C creature like Roger Stone to dodge and deflect a straight-forward question. The fact of the matter is he doesn't believe in anything. He thinks he can dupe the country into buying the same tricks he learned in the Washington world for 50 years. And now he styles himself as anti-establishment? What a fraud."

[oldkyhome]

Self-made campaign material

December Schedule
December 1-3: Continue bus tour throughout Coos County, NH
December 4: Round-table discussion with NH police leaders on crime
December 5: Campaign Rally in Claremont, NH focusing on supporting police, addressing crime
December 6: Hold 'Veterans of Foreign Wars' town hall in Milford, NH
December 7: Release an op-ed to the New York Post outlining Hawley's plan for law enforcement
December 8: Sit down for an interview with WEMJ 1490 AM to discuss immigration, drug addiction
December 9: Meet with the NH FOP to discuss Hawley's plan for police and solicit their support
December 10-13: Hold 7 town halls in New Hampshire to discuss immigration
December 14: Campaign Rally in Portsmouth, NH highlighting Hawley's America First approach
December 15: Meet with General Don Bolduc to seek his endorsement
December 16: Fly out to Iowa to deliver a pep talk to volunteers in Cedar Rapids
December 17: Campaign Rally in Sioux City, IA w/ Erin Hawley
December 18: Campaign Rally in Waterloo, IA w/ James Dobson (new endorsement)
December 19-22: Hold 11 town hall events in rural Eastern Iowa, focusing on tax relief
December 23-26: Cease campaigning. Deliver Zoom message to volunteers to wish them a swell Christmas.
December 27: Visit Chuck Hurley to speak to him about the stakes of this election.
December 28-29: Hold 'barnstorm' events with local church leaders in Northwest Iowa
December 30: Campaign Rally in Fort Dodge, IA w/ Rep. Randy Feenstra (new endorsement)
December 31: Join the campaign's New Years celebration event

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dr. James Dobson endorses Josh Hawley for President

Capping off a new round of prominent evangelicals coming out to endorse the Hawley campaign, James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, announced in a video he would be supporting Senator Hawley for President. Dr. Dobson is among the most influential spokesmen for conservative social positions and has historically picked candidates that would generally become the favorite of the Religious Right. In explaining his endorsement, he touted Hawley as a family man of unique character and integrity and expressed his enthusiasm for Hawley's unwavering stance on abortion, religious liberty, and traditional values.

Here's an excerpt:

"I'm Dr. James Dobson, speaking to you as a private citizen. My wife, Shirley and I, are proud to announce we're joining thousands of conservative pastors and laymen in endorsing Senator Josh Hawley for President. For us, we see a man who views traditional values as non-negotiable. His record as a religious liberty litigator in Hobby Lobby speaks for itself, and throughout this campaign Josh has been relentless in defending the institution of the family and the sanctity of human life. We feel that he is the best candidate this year, not only because he has stood for these positions this election, but also because he has stood for them his entire life."

"I know Josh. He is a Christian family man of the utmost integrity. He came from small roots to big aspirations, and he is an inspiring young voice for the values we cherish as Christians. I have no doubt he would lead from the White House with moral clarity and honest conviction, and I urge all my fellow Christian conservatives to join me in voting for Senator Josh Hawley in this upcoming election."

Hawley Op-Ed: "Law enforcement is undersiege and underfunded. To save America, stand by our men in blue."

In the early hours of June 2, amid violent riots in St. Louis, looters gunned down David Dorn, a retired African-American police captain who had responded to an alarm at his friend’s pawnshop. His last moments of service were captured on a passerby’s Facebook feed. In the days following, many on the left defended destruction and rioting as a form of protest. 'Destroying property, which can be replaced, is not violence,' one New York Times writer averred in a TV interview. And now many left-wing activists, cheered on by the media, are ready to do away with law enforcement altogether, campaigning to 'Defund the Police.'

This radical agenda amounts to an assault on American life as we know it. And David Dorn’s tragic death is a stark reminder that the costs of this radicalism will be borne not by the many elites who advocate it but by the working class of all races — both those who are most vulnerable to crime and those who staff our police forces and protect our neighborhoods.

Those below the poverty line are more than twice as likely to be the victims of violent crime as those with high incomes. Ask a poor senior whose pharmacy was burned whether she thinks violent rioters should be left unaccountable. Ask an immigrant small-business owner whose store was looted whether the protection of the police matters.

Or ask the victims of violent crime who can’t afford the private security of the wealthy. The FBI reports that African Americans suffer over half of all homicides tracked by that agency. Like all Americans, they depend on the police to keep them safe. And policing works. As the liberal news site Vox noted last year, in a survey of studies on the subject, “The research is clear: More cops = less crime.” That’s why one Democratic pollster found that the vast majority of African Americans and Latinos, more than 60 percent of each, favor increasing the number of police officers, not abolishing them.

Police work is vital work, honorable work, and noble. The men and women who sign up for it, most from working-class homes, are among the best of Americans. Law enforcement has its share of corruption, no doubt, but the police are not the foot soldiers of modern-day oppression. They are the thin blue line whose service and sacrifice makes life in a free republic possible.

The next President must acknowledge police departments across the country are under siege—underfunded, facing increased retirements, and struggling to make new hires. But as violence and rioting sweeps across American cities big and small, our courageous law enforcement officers are more vital now than ever. Democratic politicians are bending to radical activists who want to defund the police. We should do just the opposite. Our officers deserve a raise, not defunding. They deserve our unqualified support.

To address this crisis of confidence, I'm proposing a series of measures that would rejuvenate America's law enforcement agencies, put 100,000 more cops on the street, and give our men in blue the pay they deserve, because the solution to our ails is not to degrade and defund law enforcement, it is to recognize and support the sacrifice they make every day.

My Plan:
1. Authorize $15 billion in new funding for local law enforcement agencies to expand personnel.
2. Require that recipients use new funds to raise police salaries by up to 110%.
3. Exclude localities that enact laws defunding their law enforcement agencies.
4. Expand investigative resources into prosecuting cop-killers.
5. Impose tougher penalties on fentanyl production and distribution.

[oldkyhome]

Public Domain, via Hawley's Facebook page

It All Comes Down to Iowa

It all comes down to this.

It had been almost a full year since Hawley first met Trump to discuss this election. His decision to run for President was not easy, but as soon as he made that decision, he was committed to putting in the work. 6 months ago, he put boots on the ground in the Hawkeye State for the first time. This was ground-zero. A win here would catapult his name into the spotlight and shatter the myth of an inevitable DeSantis nomination.

6 months later, and thousands of doors knocked, phones called, and precinct captains filed, Hawley had developed by far the largest and most expansive ground-game in the state of Iowa. His investment in the state was second-to-none, and it showed. He had staked out an effort before anyone else. After all, this was the state that catapulted Barack Obama to the nomination over an 'inevitable' Hillary.

From small towns to suburbs, to big towns and farm communities, Senator Hawley had developed a distinct brand here. A son of the Heartland, who came from small roots to big aspirations, leading a fight to take on the D.C swamp. The legibility of that brand would be tested as candidate's came from across the country to take their share out of the Iowa caucus, but he nonetheless had an advantage in defining the discourse because of how early he was to the game.

Both flanks of the Republican primary had turned on him just as he had caught the national eye, but they may just come to regret giving him so much free air time. When Sen. Hawley returned from a swing through New Hampshire in mid-December, it was clear he was out for blood. He slammed Stone's 'wishy-washy' convictions and labelled him a D.C creature. He highlighted DeSantis's and Haley's power-plays and stressed the need to fight against the party establishment. It seemed the only person (of the main candidates) that wasn't being excoriated on the trail was Kari Lake, for reasons not explicitly stated.

Practically the entire month of January in the lead-up to election day was dedicated to organizing caucus-goers and rallying the troops. He knew his efforts depended entirely on whether or not people were excited enough to stay it out and deliver a decisive and shocking win for Senator Hawley over the rest of the field. 'The momentum is there,' aides emphasized, 'But we have to bring it home.' Through it all, Hawley was hammering home the same pitch he started the campaign with: railing against Biden and the D.C establishment, calling out out-of-touch party leaders, connecting with voters that feel forgotten and left behind. If nothing else, voters would remember him as the candidate who stayed the most committed to his message.

After a large rally in Cedar Rapids the night before the caucus, Hawley consulted his team: "It's now or never."

(Hawley Ads #2 and #5 are aired in Iowa throughout the month of January.)

[oldkyhome]

Public Domain, via Hawley's Facebook page

Hawley Spokesman: "The tension is so thick, you could cut it with a knife."

Just a couple hours ago, the venue was abuzz with cheery and excited supporters as results strolled in from friendly rural caucus sites, but now these Hawley staffers were anxious. The results were far out-shooting expectations, to be sure, but the question of the night was whether he would cap off this overperformance with a shocking and historic win in the First-in-the-Nation caucus. The momentum was there, and the trends indicated it was more likely than not, but you can never be too sure.

But then it came. The coveted call.

"Josh Hawley, we're projecting will win the Iowa caucus"

The veil shattered. The crowd that had gathered for the results erupted into cheers and chants. This victory was a year in the making, and damn it, they were going to celebrate it. Now, more than ever, their movement was real, and by the end of it, they were going to put the Missouri Senator one-on-one with Vice President Harris. Hawley, meanwhile, was sitting with his wife Erin in a nearby room as the projection came in. Elated, he jumped up to talk to aides and review over his victory speech. He knew the crowd was eagerly awaiting his arrival.

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Public Domain, via Hawley's Facebook page

Hawley caps off Iowa upset with message to supporters: "This is a prairie fire."

Crowd: "HAW-LEY! HAW-LEY! HAW-LEY!"

"Thank you, Iowa! ..Words cannot even describe how honored I am right now. This is a historic night, and it is a historic result. Tonight, in spite of the pundits and the party and the swamp doing every thing in their power to shut us up and turn this nomination process into a coronation, the voters of this great state have charted their own path. They've rendered their own verdict! And what they have said loud and clear is that they want a future for our kids, they want a voice for the unborn, they want a fight against the corrupt special interests that have tried at every turn to derail this primary. Tonight, the people of Iowa have shown to the world we control our Republic, and we're ready to take it back this November!

I want to thank everyone who's been apart of this campaign over the past several months. The grassroots support we garnered here was unlike anything we've seen before, and tonight's victory truly wouldn't have been possible without the organizers and volunteers who believed in our vision and our message. I also want to thank my wife, Erin, she is the love of my life. She has been my rock throughout this difficult campaign, and I think she would make a terrific First Lady!

As I've traveled throughout this state and met with people directly, I've learned the story of an America that is in crisis. People that are struggling to make ends meet, small towns that are slowly dying out, folks losing hope and giving up. It's a story virtually ignored by D.C and the insider class, but tonight I want this to be a wake-up call to those people, because this is not just a one-off. This is a prairie fire. It's a direct message to the people that have wrote our ruinous trade deals, stacked the deck against working families, and sold out our country. 

I am running to be the President who won't take a dime of their money, who will fight head-on with the corrupt special interests and root out their influence at every level of government.

I am running to be the President that will represent the struggles and concerns of millions of towns and communities across this country that have become invisible to Washington.

I am running to be the President that will pull the plug on every disastrous deal Washington special interests has concocted to suck jobs and wealth out from beneath hard-working people.

I am running to be the President that will rein in the cartels and end the epidemic of fentanyl that has flooded our country and sunk far too many into a cycle of addiction.

And I guarantee the D.C crowd does not like that. They hate it.

So I want tonight's victory to be a sign of hope to those people who feel forgotten, who feel Washington is too out of reach and change is impossible. I want to remind them that, as Prime Minister Churchill remarked during the 2nd World War, we too often think of history as something that's in the past and forget that we are making it. What we are doing right now, this is history, and the decisions we make now - whether we stand up at this critical moment or back down - will affect our kids, our grandkids, and our nation for generations to come. Now is the time to stand up to the challenge.

Iowa voters have made clear they're ready for the fight ahead, but there are more battles to come. In New Hampshire, in Nevada, in South Carolina, and in every corner of this nation, this campaign has only just begun, and I encourage everyone listening now to join us in this fight, to show up, and to send a message. God bless you all, and good night!"

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Josh Hawley by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr
Ron DeSantis by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr

Defining the Discourse: Josh Hawley vs. Ron DeSantis

This was the moment Josh Hawley had been waiting for. For over a year, the media world had been infatuated with Ron DeSantis, crowning him the nominee before a single vote was cast, all while Hawley's team was quietly, diligently building the grassroots operation that would knock him off his throne in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucus. He spent most of this phase of the campaign in the dark, staking his chances on the ground instead of in the headlines. In his analysis, a win in Iowa would be such a massive breakthrough to pundits and voters alike that he would have no shortage of attention to soar into New Hampshire and other early states with.

As everything came to fruition on that fateful night, Hawley's prime-time victory speech captured the attention of millions, giving him the chance to introduce himself to the national electorate as an insurgent challenger to the Republican establishment. This marked the beginning of 'Phase 2' for the campaign, which would be characterized by a concerted pivot from a local, Iowa-focused operation to a national one.

Now the country was looking to him, and more than ever, the Missouri Senator needed to prove he was a serious challenger to Ron DeSantis. The morning after his victory, Hawley held a conference call with his national leadership team to discuss the path forward and lay out the campaign's post-Iowa objectives. In this, they set out three main goals: dominating the headlines, shoring up national allies and donors (especially people who previously thought DeSantis was inevitable), and defining the election as a clear choice between the Trumpian ethos Hawley embodies and the establishment creatures DeSantis surrounds himself with.

Hawley himself would be a significant part of this process. In the days leading up to New Hampshire, he would hold massive rallies in large urban centers to show off his newfound momentum. Here, he struck at anti-establishment themes and took direct aim at DeSantis for his willingness to associate himself with the 'worst elements of D.C.' The team also secured a timeslot on Fox News to host a Presidential Town Hall, where he addressed questions about his leadership qualities and outlined his vision for the Oval Office.

Staff also made a point of discussing, what they identified as, the 'Huckabee' problem. See, in the past 3 Republican primaries, the winner of the Iowa Caucus never went on to win the nomination. For one reason or another, their appeal was too narrow, their momentum was short-lived, and their performance in the New Hampshire primary was underwhelming. The takeaway here: people are fickle and move on quick.

From the jump, Hawley had taken deliberate steps to avoid these problems. He broadened his pitch to tap into a larger pool of disaffected voters, he staked out an early interest in New Hampshire, he was practically the only candidate to speak extensively on the Granite State's drug addiction crisis. And now he had a great asset to his efforts with the enormous amount of media coverage that had spurred out of Hawley's upset win in Iowa.

But many were still skeptical, and perhaps had good reason to be. The last Republican to win both the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire primary was, well, nobody, but Hawley wasn't looking to win here per se. He was looking to finish strong, well ahead of the likes of Cruz and Santorum (of whom he's already outperforming in polls), and perhaps force DeSantis to suffer a pyrhhic victory in the process.

Haley's withdrawal and subsequent endorsement of DeSantis raised the stakes significantly. Hawley had been among the first to call out what he dubbed the 'DeSantis-Haley alliance', and thus did not hesitate to blast this move in a press conference mere hours after her announcement, but condemnation was not enough. In all likelihood, their effort to coalesce the 'establishment' vote would succeed so long as the vote between Lake, Stone, Hawley stayed divided, so he resolved to fight fire with fire.

In the lead-up to New Hampshire, reports of coordination between Team Lake and Team Hawley surfaced. The goal? Defeat DeSantis in Nevada and New Hampshire. To this end, much news was made about Hawley being the 'unifying' choice for MAGA conservatives in New Hampshire, and likewise for Lake in Nevada. Although there was a lot of ground to make up, as campaign figures suggested Ron could crack 30% of the vote with Haley's endorsement, Team Hawley hoped this show of cooperation would bolster the narrative that the Missouri Senator was the clear choice for Granite Staters dissatisfied with DeSantis. It would define his campaign's push in the final days before the New Hampshire Primary.

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Self-made campaign material

Ad #7: Movement.

Public Domain, via Hawley's Facebook page

- Ad opens with scenes of Hawley campaign fliers, rallies, etc -

Narrator: "There's a movement growing in America."

- Cuts to a scene depicting various news networks projecting Iowa, discussing the race -

On CNN: "Josh Hawley, we're projecting will win the Iowa Caucus."
On Fox: "We have a call to make - wow, that is a shock."
On MSNBC: "This came out of nowhere."

- Cuts to clips of Hawley on the trail -

Narrator: "People from every corner of America are standing up to tear down the D.C swamp with Josh Hawley."

Voter #1: "He's our guy. My whole family will be voting for him."

Voter #2: "He's for New Hampshire, and we're for him."

- Cuts to clips of lobbyists shaking hands, depicting corruption -

Narrator: "The drug companies, the lobbyists, the special interests are panicked; they're spending millions of dollars lying about him."

- Cuts to clips of people turning to face the camera -

Narrator: "But it's our choice, not theirs. Send a message and shock the nation: Vote Josh Hawley on February 6th."

- Cuts to Hawley logo and legal information -

Voiceover: "I'm Josh Hawley and I approve this message."

Ad #8: Values First.

Public Domain, via Hawley's Facebook page

- Ad opens with a close-up shot of Hawley speaking at a South Carolina town hall -

"Politics, at its core, I think is really about values. You can't lead without a guiding set of principles and convictions. Too often, people will run for President, and they say they believe in something, but then they'll change their position to appease their donors or special interest groups. I want the folks here in South Carolina to know that you will never catch me caving on the sanctity of human life, or the value of family values, and especially not my faith. We should never sacrifice our principles for someone else's politics. That's what this campaign is really about." (audience applause)

- The following quotes flash over the screen as Hawley is talking -

Dobson: 'Hawley will lead with moral clarity.'

Mohler: 'A clear choice for religious conservatives with Hawley.'

Family Policy Alliance: 'We have a champion in Sen. Hawley.'

- Cuts to Hawley logo and legal information -

Voiceover: "I'm Josh Hawley, and I approve this message."

Ad #9: Our Guy.

Radio ad touting Hawley's law enforcement endorsements in New Hampshire

Narrator: "Josh Hawley is the only candidate who's committed to backing the blue and defending law-and-order. That's why he's endorsed by the New Hampshire Police Association and Sheriffs Simonds and Valerino."

John Simonds: "I'm Sheriff Simonds, and I'm urging my fellow Granite Staters to vote for Senator Hawley in this year's primary. He's our guy."

Brian Valerino: "I'm Sheriff Valerino, and I'm supporting Senator Hawley in this upcoming primary. He is a champion for law enforcement."

Voiceover: "I'm Josh Hawley, and I approve this message."

Notes: Ads #7 and #9 are aired in New Hampshire in the final days before the primary. Both hit at some themes Hawley seeks to hit on to win over the voter demographic he's been targeting from the start: 45-64 blue-collar conservatives. Ad #8 is aired in South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi, which showcases both a pitch Hawley makes to religious conservatives about the importance of values-first politics and the endorsements he has accumulated with prominent evangelicals.

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Public Domain, via Flickr

Excerpts from the FOX Presidential Town Hall with Josh Hawley

Riding off a wave of momentum, the Hawley campaign was able to secure a town hall on Fox News the night before the primary, where he introduced himself to a nationwide audience by answering questions ranging from what motivated him to run for President to his ability to lead as President and much more.

Q1: "As a Senator, do you think you have the experience necessary to lead the nation compared with someone like Governor DeSantis?"

"Thank you for the question, Cindy. I want to first say that I have a lot of respect for many of the accomplishments DeSantis has made during his tenure in Florida, but Florida is not Washington. The most important question we'll need to ask ourselves when we're electing our next President is, can they stand up to the special interests that infect D.C? Can they lead independently and resist the influence of high-dollar donors? What we've seen in recent months is, DeSantis can't. He's coddled up to them, accepted their support, and now he's colluding with other candidates to tip the race in his favor. How can we expect him to stand up to the same people that are electing him?

That's why I'm running a campaign that's powered by the grassroots and not powerful D.C interests. I know Washington, I've been there for 6 years after the people of Missouri sent me there, and if I'm elected President, I would lead independently for the American people without fear or favor to the powers that be."

Q2: "Senator Hawley, what is your foreign policy vision for the country?"

"(nods) That's a pretty broad question, but I'll try and answer it as concise as possible. I believe we need to put America first. What this President, and several before him, have done is just the opposite. They've sold a raw deal to the American people, embroiling us in wars we have no business being, selling out our sovereignty to foreign organizations, and outsourcing good-paying jobs to China and Mexico. Recently this President has had us blowing hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars in Ukraine, with no oversight, no accountability. We don't know where it's going. This money would be much better spent here at home. It's got to end, and I will put a stop to it."

Q3: "If you are elected President, you would be the 3rd youngest President in American history. Do you think this makes you too inexperienced for the job?"

"Not at all. The next youngest Presidents were John Kennedy and Teddy Roosevelt. I think I'm in good company. The problem with Washington today is it's too archaic, too old to deal with the problems we face today. The people running the show today have been in the D.C crowd their whole life. They don't represent us. In times like this, we need more fresh voices, to articulate different debates, present new priorities, and create innovative solutions. I believe my youth is an asset to that, not a liability."

Q4: "Senator Hawley, what do you think motivated you to run for President?"

"Given the state of the country under Biden, there's really no shortage of reasons to run for President, but if there's one thing that pushed me over the line, it would be my wife, Erin. When we sat down back in January of last year and decided if running for President was worth it, she was incredibly supportive, and throughout this campaign she has been my rock. She's sitting over there in the audience. I am incredibly blessed to have her by my side. I don't think I would be standing on this stage without her encouragement. And for the record, I think she would make a fantastic First Lady."

Q5: "Do you think you can beat Kamala Harris in November?"

"That's a good question. I think, first and foremost, the Vice President can't be counted out. As we saw in the last midterms, when we run on more of the same, more Washington cronyism and insider politics, while ignoring the real pain working people are feeling across this country, we lose. If we want to win in 2024, we have to provide voters with an alternative. I'm running for President to build a coalition of people, people that are dissatisfied with this administration but also dissatisfied with the state of the Republican Party, to give a voice to people who have been forgotten and left behind by Washington. If we do that, if we build that kind of coalition, we will not only win against Kamala or anyone the Democrats nominate, we will win the House, we will win the Senate, and we will win the next generation of American politics."

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New Hampshire: Hawley's First Test

Capping off a string of major events in the final days before New Hampshire, Hawley held the closing rally of the stretch in Keene, where he made one last pitch to voters to sway them to his side for tomorrow's primary. Attendants remarked that his message was 'straightforward, but visceral' as he took dead aim at DeSantis for 'working at the behest of the party' and 'tipping the scales in the most deliberate, reprehensible fashion.' Hawley finished off the speech speaking more broadly on the issue of corruption, highlighting the need to elect someone who didn't 'play ball with special interests', and urged New Hampshire's independent-minded voters to not 'reward DeSantis's power-play.'

The morning after, Sen. Hawley met with his New Hampshire team to discuss where the campaign stood and what his odds were of cracking 20% or more (which was what they had set as a benchmark for success). It was hard to predict how it would all unfold, given how much had occurred in the span of 3 days, but his staff was optimistic about his chances of performing strongly for a few reasons:

1. Shoring Up Rural Voters.
A key part of Hawley's Iowa coalition was the margins he won the countryside by. Like in Iowa, Hawley's New Hampshire Team had wagered much on his ability to win and drive home voters in small towns and remote villages alike. Rural voters constituted over a third of the Republican electorate in New Hampshire, which, while less than Iowa, was still a significant portion of the electorate that could decide the race. Team Hawley predicted that, in the aftermath of his Iowa win, rural New Hampshirites would start to coalesce around the Missouri Senator as his message began to hit the airwaves and dominate the press.

2. Taking a Different Approach.
Although it was clear Roger Stone was trying to break the noise by staging a strong ground-game effort in New Hampshire, there's only so much ground you can gain in 3 mere days. In stark contrast, Hawley's campaign focused on staying in the headlines and holding massive events that would paint the picture of a surging national frontrunner. The team began cutting ads that would promote that narrative (see: Ad #7) and sought to place Hawley in the spotlight as much as possible to appeal to voters who were growingly dissatisfied with DeSantis's campaign.

3. Flexing Law Enforcement Endorsements.
In January, Sen. Hawley received the crucial endorsement of the New Hampshire Police Association. The campaign felt this had bolstered their efforts on the ground, and they touted it relentlessly in flyers, pamphlets, and even radio ads (see: Ad #9). In the final days of the primary, as many voters were making their final decisions, staffers sought out to recruit retired or current police officers into the campaign's GOTV operation. Though it was niche, Team Hawley felt they effectively drove home the message that the Missouri Senator was the one-and-only candidate of law enforcement, which aligned neatly with Hawley's broader tough lawyer persona that he was selling to voters. Could that flip undecided voters? We'll have to wait to see.

As Hawley settled in that night with his campaign's venue, his aides eagerly waited to see whether their efforts had paid off. It was impossible to say how the night would unfold, but regardless it would mark the first test of his national efforts.

(Edit: Just wanna be clear Dave gave me the okay to post this. I had it pretty much done and was finishing it up when the results came in.)

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Senator Josh Hawley, via Flickr

Lies, Fraud, and Deception: The Night of the NH Primary

After a long day of door-knocking, phone banking, and other activities associated with the GOTV operation, Hawley sat down with his New Hampshire leadership team to crunch the numbers in anticipation of a long night. Just yesterday, the campaign was incredibly optimistic about their chances, but as polls began to close, that mood had changed. County chairs reported that tampering and faulty data was limiting the effectivity of their operations, precincts captains felt outside interference was driving less of their support base than needed to the polls. News of this meddling struck leadership by storm. Who could be responsible for this?

Staff were quick to point the finger at DeSantis, who had a vested interest in Hawley underperforming, but it was clear all these dirty tricks were benefitting one candidate, one candidate who had staked his entire candidacy on New Hampshire: Roger Stone.

A wave of exasperated and irritated sighs flooded the room as initial results strolled in. It became apparent this would not be the night Team Hawley had hoped for. 'What the f-ck did they think they would accomplish by splitting the vote?' One aide blurted in frustration. The room was tense. Sensing the need to convey confidence, Hawley struck an optimistic tone, reminding his staff that they were still set to significantly out-shoot previous Iowa Caucus winners. He further emphasized that the team 'will need to look strongly into.. what happened tonight on the ground' but 'this is still a strong performance, we're in the top-tier, no matter how you slice and dice it.'

With Youngkin eventually triumphing over DeSantis, it seemed the worst fears of the Hawley campaign would not come to pass. In any case, DeSantis's campaign walked out critically wounded, with a 2nd-place finish in, now, both of the nation's first primaries. Youngkin's victory proved he was certainly a force to be reckoned with, but he wasn't cutting into our voter base in the same way others were, so his triumph was seen as the 'next-best-outcome' if there was one. Hawley made sure to call the Virginia Governor to congratulate him on his win before striding into his watch party to deliver a speech to his supporters.

"Thank you, New Hampshire!

Tonight, you showed the country that the Granite State doesn't let anyone make their decision for them.

I want to say I am incredibly humbled and privileged to receive the support of so many here. Not that long ago, the pundits and the pollsters were telling me not to visit this state, that I'd get 5th or 6th and wouldn't even hit double digits. They told me to write it off the map. I told them, not on your life. I took a chance on this state, and throughout this campaign, I have had the honor of meeting, talking, and connecting with the people of this great state.

What we did here was simple. We didn't talk about the issues that the donors and the focus groups and the special interests told us to. We talked about what was concerning, what was frustrating the good people of New Hampshire. We talked about the crisis of drug addiction that is flooding far too many towns and communities across the Granite State, we talked about how corruption has left so many people here invisible to Washington, we talked about the decline in real wages caused by this Administration's horrendous policies. And the people of New Hampshire have delivered!

What it looks like right now is practically a photo-finish in the top 4. I don't think there's ever been a New Hampshire primary this close between so many candidates. What we do know, though, is Governor Youngkin has edged it out. I congratulated him just moments ago on his victory. I also want to congratulate our staff and volunteers, who really worked their heart out on the ground for this result. What they have proved and what we have proved is that we can build a campaign that leaves nobody behind, and when we win this November, we will take Washington by storm, we will bring the voices of the forgotten and the left-behind to the highest levels of government and take back this country!

Again, I want to thank you and the support you have given me, this campaign, and my family throughout this journey and this perilous moment for our country. I am more confident than ever that we will go into South Carolina, into Nevada, into Super Tuesday with more strength than we ever had before because of the message New Hampshire has sent.

Tonight we celebrate, and tomorrow we get back to work. God bless you all, and good night!"

In the ensuing days, Team Hawley learned that Kari Lake's campaign was essentially the progenitor of the mess in New Hampshire, actively undermining their efforts under the guise of 'cooperation'. This was a tough pill to swallow, but it was better to learn it now than later. After all, New Hampshire was never really a must-win state. Going into South Carolina, national leadership made steps that would 'insulate' the campaign from outside interference, by limiting cooperation efforts between other campaigns, cutting off loose ends, and double-reviewing the data going into election day. The hope was that this scare would make the operation more cohesive, focused, and effective going forward.