Gayle Trotter, Right in DC
We are pleased to host Congressman David Brat today on Sidewire’s Gayleforce. Congressman Brat is Republican congressman for Virginia. Welcome to Gayleforce, Congressman Brat! Congressman Brat holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Hope College, a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Economics from American University. Prior to walking the halls of Congress, Congressman Brat was a professor at Randolph-Macon College. Congressman Brat is the author of the newly released book, AMERICAN UNDERDOG: Proof that Principles Matter. You can find his book on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/29xXcrH
Dave Brat, US House (R-VA)
Hi glad to be here. I am ready to roll and Siri is responsible for any typos that follow. Happy to take any questions on any topics of interest !!! Thanks for tuning in…..
Gayle Trotter
What is your claim to fame in American politics?
Dave Brat
I guess I am the first guy to beat a majority leader in American history spending 200g vs. 5 million and won because the people in my district are awesome!!
Gayle Trotter
Your story is so compelling you wrote a book about it. What is the central thesis of your book?
Dave Brat
Three pillars hold the foundation which made us the greatest nation on earth. the Judeo-Christian tradition, the rule of law and free markets, in that order in history for a reason….one follows the other if the people are wise enough to choose them…. the Judeo-Christian tradition produced Madison, the Constitution and the first amendment and Madison and Jefferson were most proud of their work on tolerance
Gayle Trotter
What evidence does your book give to prove your point?
Dave Brat
the entire book is the evidence to support those claims…Moses to Jesus at zero warms up cold sterile Rome, then Augustine and just war at 400 then reformation and enlightenment etc…
Gayle Trotter
Historian Robert Conquest said that any organization not explicitly right-wing eventually becomes left-wing. Do you agree, and if so, why is that?
Dave Brat
depends on definitions, but if you lack first principles that protect liberty and conscience, then yes, a big government centralized state will eventually win out as the folks demand more and more, without realizing they lose their values and freedom
Gayle Trotter
You were a college professor when you decided to run for Congress. Congress is one of the least esteemed places in our society. Why did you want to give up the leafy quads of academia for the contentious debates of DC?
Dave Brat
Calvinist duty, I derive pleasure from pain I guess, plus I taught kids economics and ethics and decided it might be best to live out my claims as well as teaching them, so the choice was easy
Gayle Trotter
Ha! Why does Western culture need to be defended?
Dave Brat
because it is relatively better by far for everyone than any competing system, the left has no system in mind….just deconstruction of all we have built up… free capitalist countries are best for minority rights, women’s rights, civil liberties, et
Gayle Trotter
Why does academia lean so far left? You write many “modern academics love [Marx]. Why? Because many resent the success of the successful.”
Dave Brat
Marx and Rousseau are really the only 2 serious leftist thinkers and both had a positive view of human nature…vs… the entire rest of the western canon who has the correct fallen, less than angel view…. from Socrates on…
Gayle Trotter
What will prevent you from being one of these less responsive leaders in DC that you ran successfully against?
Dave Brat
I term limited myself to 12 years so my incentives are not to be chairman, i have no money etc…. so I vote right for my people and my country…. plus I have put my principles on paper so if I cheat, my folks know it !!!
Gayle Trotter
Many criticize opposition to illegal immigration as “unChristian” or “less than loving.” What would you say to these critics?
Gayle Trotter
You write: “Wouldn’t it have been simpler if other nations had opened their borders to capital thirty years ago?”
Dave Brat
How does the left define love? who do they quote? crickets? love is true concern for others …follow my system and the poor will be rich…follow the left and you get the modern stagnation that is producing unrest…not love
Gayle Trotter
You write: “Looming over everything is our massive debt, which we rarely admit in our lofty speeches and which seriously hampers our ability to do anything bold or constructive around the world, militarily or otherwise.” How so?
Dave Brat
yes, the left rejects the only system that will help the poor
Dave Brat
in 10 years all federal funding goes to only mandatory spending…all…all…. so not money left for defense, education, roads etc… all CBO main graph…. but no one will confront this reality because of politics
Gayle Trotter
How did prayer help you on your journey to Congress? Yours and that of others?
Dave Brat
HUGE!!! my wife and I were both most surprised at this positive piece of politics…great people surrounded us with love and support and prayer on a daily basis….it created a miracle…as I stated the night of my win….
Gayle Trotter
If Americans don’t like the direction of their country and don’t respect Congress, why do they keep voting the same (mostly) guys back in?
Dave Brat
great question…very hard to compete vs. millions of crony dollars so outsiders won at presidential level but incumbents win the rest
Gayle Trotter
What does the word “socialism” mean to you? Millennials seems to be embracing it as good thing, not as a worrisome thing.
Dave Brat
creeping control of life by central government…. in 2013 mike lee has picture in office congress did 5 inches of law, exec branch did 11 feet stack of law… NSC is running strategy for defense…non elected…. gov in charge of life
Gayle Trotter
You write: “Using government to get your way and avoid competition is not free market. It is socialism.” How so?
Dave Brat
US House (R-VA) the poor have no access to the crony gov. they cannot insert code to protect their interests, free markets use prices not gov…..obamacare is crushing small bus…and killing jobs….one fifth of economy…not good
Gayle Trotter
How does the legacy of Virginia patriots, including Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, inform your approach to politics?
Dave Brat
that is my book !!! they are the synthesis between Greek Reason and the Judeo-Christian tradition that took 2000 years to evolve….that evolution is not perfect but outperforms all competition in about every area of life…
Gayle Trotter
How would you describe the MSM’s interaction with you and other conservatives in DC?
Dave Brat
they killed me up front, called me names etc.. but now much better – and yet they totally create the narrative on the hill, never on debt or economy for war on terror, just horse race stories about personalities and conflict
Gayle Trotter
What do you want the readers of your book to do? What action do you want them to take? What do you see in America’s political future?
Dave Brat
take back your local schools…tell kids to ask ethics questions in class…what are the virtues? how did our culture evolve? what is good? why is good good? who says so? what are rights? how do you know? then to politics
Gayle Trotter
Any predictions on the Republican and Democratic VP picks?
Dave Brat
Newt and Kaine
Gayle Trotter
Any predictions on the outcome of the presidential race?
Dave Brat
TRUMP
Gayle Trotter
Thank you, Congressman Brat, for joining us today on SIdewire’s Gayleforce. Good luck with the launch of your book. Any parting thoughts?
Dave Brat
Thank YOU !!! tell your friends to follow my on Facebook and pick up a book for their kids and families. God Bless, DAVE
Gayle Trotter
God bless you, your family and the great Commonwealth of Virginia.
