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Why I'm Done with "RINO" Accusations Twitter Personality of the Week #6: 10 Questions for
Emily Borkholder (@hostagehoosier) Twitter Personality of the Week #5: 10 Questions
for Jenny Erikson (@JennyErikson)
September 11, 2010
glenlasbury Uncategorized 2 Comments
I'm back in DC this week for the first annual BlogCon, sponsored by the outstanding FreedomWorks.
I was grabbing a burger late last night with several fellow activists, including my good
friend, Kevin Eder (the subject of week #2's Twitter Personality of the Week) and decided
on a whim to inform him who was being interviewed this week. His response: "I just knew Jenny
would be featured sometime soon."
Indeed! I love Jenny Erikson. But don't we all??? For a host of reasons!!!
Jenny was one of my early Twitter follows. We all know that we choose the follows we
do for a variety of reasons and that if we follow more than, say, a dozen people, it
becomes impossible to check everyone's Tweet timelines on a regular basis. But there are
a handful I read daily and talk to just about as frequently. Jenny is on that list. She
is a communicator; she writes and Tweets in a fashion that snaps and crackles, about a
wide variety of subjects.
I met Jenny at Right Online in July. She observed later that most of the online friends she
was finally encountering in person were pretty much what she anticipated that we would be.
My take-away from that statement was that we conservatives are "real" people, not pretenders.
And my response now is that it takes one to know one.
Jenny is simply one of the most genuine people I have ever met. She brims with zest for life
and makes you feel better, just being around her. She is gracious, fun-loving and kind...beautiful
inside and out. We had a long conversation over lunch about the things that matter most
in life: God, family, friends and country. At 27, she is uncompromisingly committed to
all four. I know it firsthand. I am proud to call Jenny Erikson my friend.
If you aren't already one of the 5,253 who enthusiastically follow Jenny on Twitter,
starting is a cinch! She keeps it simple; her handle is her name: @JennyErikson. And
now, you can hear much more from the source herself:
10 Questions for Jenny Erikson
1. I learned about a good deal of the Jenny Erikson bio over a lunch we shared with friends
at Right Online, including all that had transpired in your life by the time you were 21! Would
you mind sharing with a broader audience the formative experiences that made you who you
are?
Fun fact about me- I was married, had my BA, was a mom, and had a mortgage all before I
was old enough to legally drink a glass of wine with dinner. I think the infantilization
of my generation is ridiculous, and I refuse to take part in it.
I got married to my best friend at 19 because we didn't want to live in sin while we spent
countless years being engaged. I graduated high school at 17, and after 3 years of 20
unit semesters and summer school, I graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University. I graduated
with my B.A. while 5 months pregnant with Thing 1 because birth control doesn't always
work; and we bought our first home when we got a good deal from a relative.
Sometimes things happen quickly, and you have to learn to catch the fastball when God throws
it at you.
2. You blog at http://www.candidconservative.com. You air a podcast every week (the "Smart Girl
Report"). And you're a regular Twitter presence. In what order did all of these happen and
how?
I heard about "blogs" when Thing 1 was a baby in early 2004. I thought it would be a great
way to keep our families informed about our lives while indulging in my favorite thing
-- writing.
I was always loosely involved in politics, but when the mainstream media came out with
gun pointed at Sarah Palin, I knew I had to make my voice heard. So I delved 150% into
politics and haven't surfaced since.
3. What does being a conservative mean to you and what do you see as your role in the
conservative movement today and in the future?
Being a conservative means being for equal opportunity. The amazing thing about our country
is that it doesn't matter where you came from, it matters what you do with you life. Our
current President proves it -- you can come from anything to become anyone.
I view my role as a voice. Too many of us kept quiet for too long, and it will take
generations to undo all the damage. Sometimes, all you need in order to move forward is to
know that you're not alone, and I try to provide that. I'm no one special; I wasn't trained
for this, I don't have a prestigious pedigree, and I know what it's like to work and raise
a family. Trust me, if I can fight against government oppression, anyone can. And I'll
be right there alongside you.
4. Anyone who follows you on Twitter can expect to read regularly about Leif, Thing 1 and
Thing 2. Tell us about your family (and how your daughters earned those monikers!).
Like I said above, I got married very young. I was 19, and I married my best friend in
the whole world. Our wedding was perfect and beautiful and shortly thereafter, we (unexpectedly!)
got pregnant with Thing 1. I finished my B.A., but decided to take some time out to be a
mommy. Four years later, we decided to have another baby, and we were blessed with Thing
2.
I affectionately call my daughters Thing 1 and Thing 2 because I got some really nasty
hate mail in my early days of punditry. I couldn't stand people I didn't know saying
they wanted my daughters to die in my presence, while using their precious names. Ever since
then, I've become ferociously protective of their names.
5. Name some of your favorites: Books, movies, musical artists, vacation spots, holidays
and a couple miscellaneous items of your choice.
Hawaii is my happy place. I've been a handful of times, and it's impossible not to smile
on the isles.
As for books, I have to admit that I'm a romance novel reader. I so seldom get to read these
days that I love knowing that the main characters are going to end up happy together. There's
enough bad stuff on the five o'clock news, and I consider reading my escape. In fact,
I call most of my silly novels "mental margaritas."
My favorite movie is "The Count of Monte Cristo", my favorite band of the moment is Train, my
favorite holiday is Thanksgiving and my favorite piece of jewelry is a sapphire and diamond
cross that Leif got me a few years ago.
6. Who are 3 of your heroes/role models and why and who are 3 public figures who drive
you nuts and why?
Name any three of the founding fathers and they're my heroes. They stood against an oppressive
government with their lives on the line. If that's not courage, I don't know what is.
Three public figures that drive me nuts are Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Joe Biden. Do
I really need to say anything more?
7. You're one of the most recognized members of Smart Girl Politics. Tell us how you got
involved in this organization.
I've been involved with SGP from the beginning. I've always admired the organization and the
camaraderie they offer to so many women like myself. So many conservative women have wanted
to come forward and let their voices be heard and SGP provides an amazing platform for them.
There are more of us than most people think and SGP provides an outlet for us.
8. Piggybacking on the last question: You're a busy stay-at-home Mom with 2 young children
who still finds time to stay informed and involved in conservative activism. How do
you do it?
Oh goodness! First of all, the laundry doesn't always get done. But mainly, I make my kids
a part of what I'm doing. If there's an evening that I can't get them to settle down for 20
seconds, I let them record the intro to my show. They also know when Mommy has an important
interview and are usually pretty good about sitting in front of the TV when I need them
to. J
My parents help me out a lot too, and I am so blessed to have them nearby. Thankfully,
it seems they've been waiting their whole lives to become grandparents, and I openly
admit that I take advantage of their adoration of my children as much as possible.
Of course, I couldn't do anything without my amazing husband, Leif. He is constantly
working his schedule around mine, telling me how much he loves me along the way. He's
my brainstorming team, my shoulder to cry on, and my hand to hold. He's fantastic and
amazing. The end.
9. You are a committed Christian. How does your understanding of faith impact your political
involvement and outlook?
Well, this is a pretty deep question, huh? I look at conservatism as a way to protect
Christianity. There has never been a liberal/socialist/communist society that has not tried to stamp out religion.
One of the reasons I'm so committed to restoring the founding principles of America is to protect
religious freedom. God gave me the gift of being able to string words together, and I
do what I do to protect those human rights that He gave us. It would be an insult to
God to do otherwise.
10. Name three goals that would be on your "Bucket List."
1- Watch my children grow up to be happy with whatever they decide to do with their lives.
2- Be close to my eventual grandchildren and spoil them rotten.
3- Dance with my husband on our 75th wedding anniversary -- July 13, 2077.
2 Comments (+add yours?)
Jenny Erikson Sep 11, 2010 @ 12:32:10
Thanks for featuring me Glen! It was fun, and I love how you put it all together. :-)
Reply
» Blog Archive » Q&A With Glen Asbury — And I'm Not the Interviewer!
Sep 11, 2010 @ 18:35:18
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Why I'm Done with "RINO" Accusations Twitter Personality of the Week #6: 10 Questions for
Emily Borkholder (@hostagehoosier) Favorite Political Blogs
Hugh Hewitt's blog Radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt's blog was one of the first I began
to follow several years ago. Michelle Malkin's blog Michelle Malkin is
always one of the first with the scoop on any political news. She ROCKS.
Newsbusters The Media Research Center is one of our mainstay conservative organizations
in DC, exposing the many daily instances of old media bias.
NewsReal Blog David Horowitz is an iconic figure in the conservative movement. This
site rounds up several of his endeavors. A number of outstanding bloggers contribute
here, including Diane Suffern, Lori Ziganto and JennQPublic.
Red State The best political commentary blog out there. PERIOD.
Right Wing News Townhall columnist and veteran conservative John Hawkins' intrepid site.
Warner Todd Huston, Kat McKinley and others also post columns here.
The Right Sphere Brandon Kiser and a number of other conservative youngsters contribute
insight here.
Friends I Follow
Jenny Erikson My friend Jenny Erikson blogs here. Always incisive and humorous, she weighs
in on all things political and mom-related. Outside the Beltway Libertarians Doug Mataconis
and James Joyner blog here, with a contrarian and unfailingly gripping point of view.
Pam Asbury's Blog A blog by my favorite person, mostly about her favorite people. My wife,
Pam, writes and posts pics here.
Twitter Updates Love him or hate him, the man stands behind
what he speaks. This earns him respect. The return of his show has improved relationships
for both men AND women. It has spawned the exponential growth of blogs like this wp.me/P3P5mL-2Q
... Tom Leykis has played a major role in causing the Rollo Tomassi book "The Rational
Male" http://w to rise to Amazon's top 30 list within 24 hours of its lauch. wp.me/p3P5mL-7n -
Women are happy about how this book is causing relationships to improve. "You Cannot Negotiate
Genuine Desire"~Rollo Tomassi (from the book) is just a part of the kind of content that
Tom Leykis was speaking about in the early 1990s. Tom Leykis has also proven that 'it
can be done' ... without huge funding he's proven that radio (on the web) can be super
profitable. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH 'GB' (a well-funded, controlled, conspiracy spouting,
soy-infused male that has chosen to remain an example of being completely out of shape
though he can afford the best trainers, the purest food and drink, etc.)
The difference in Tom Leykis and others of great wealth... Tom EARNED it and he doesn't
pose as someone that's in great physical shape. Part of his theme IS being out of shape...
because he's proof that fitness is not the only attraction mechanism of a man. Congratulations
to Tom Leykis for doing what they said could not be done. Now, you just need to meet Victor:
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