Jonathan Krohn
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Krohn is an American
author who wrote the book Define Conservatism and gained national attention when he addressed the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference
at age 13. A resident of Duluth
, Georgia
, Krohn became interested in politics at age eight after hearing about a Democratic
filibuster
on judicial nominations in the United States Senate
. In 2006, he was voted "Atlanta's Most Talented Child" by Inside Edition
. Krohn used his savings to self-publish his book, in which he sought to outline core conservative principles.
Krohn convinced skeptical organizers to allow him to speak for three minutes at the CPAC event on February 27, 2009. His speech was very well received by the audience and later gained popularity on Internet websites like YouTube
, garnering Krohn attention on national news programs on CNN
and the Fox News Network. In 2009, he was a finalist for Time
magazine's Time 100
for the year. His second book, Defining Conservatism: The Principles That Will Bring Our Country Back, was released on February 9, 2010.
, Georgia
, a suburb of Atlanta, and has been active in a Baptist
church (Krohn's mother converted from Judaism
to Christianity, and Krohn has described himself as a "Jewish Christian
"). An IQ test Krohn took in the first grade indicated he was gifted. He attended Christian schools until 2007, when his parents began to home-school him. Krohn was active in plays and regional shows through the Christian Youth Theater
, and had three callbacks for the role of Michael Banks on the Broadway production of Mary Poppins
. He has also played cello
since around 2000. In 2006, Jonathan Krohn began appearing on the Internet radio program "The Life Connection Show", and took over as the principal writer in 2008. Krohn has studied the Arabic language
and once aspired to be a missionary to the Middle East
. In 2006, he was voted "Atlanta's Most Talented Child" by Inside Edition
. In 2008, Krohn began taking weekly supplemental lessons at the Classical School, taught by Steve Gilchrist, who teaches from a Christian Biblical perspective. Krohn became interested in politics at age eight, after hearing about a Democratic
filibuster on judicial nominations in the United States Senate
. The event prompted him to research American history and governmental rules and policies, and he developed an affinity for conservatism and began to listen regularly to conservative talk radio
, particularly Morning in America
with William Bennett
, to whom he became a regular caller.
Krohn wrote Define Conservatism, which was self-published
in 2008, when he was 13 years old, because he felt the term conservatism was often misused. The book started out as a 94-page treatise he wrote as an extracurricular project at the Classical School. It was in part a response to criticism that John McCain
, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate
, received regarding his conservative credentials. The book outlines four fundamental principles of conservative thought: support for the United States Constitution
, opposition to abortion
, less government, and more personal responsibility. Krohn went on to apply the principles to current events and define whether specifically cited actions violated those principles. The book was dedicated to Ronald Reagan
, William F. Buckley, Jr.
and Barry Goldwater
, whom Krohn describes as his political heroes, along with South Carolina
Senator Jim DeMint
. Krohn paid to have the book published from his own savings. He describes it as a "first effort" and immediately planned to write a second one, which he said would focus in part on Alexander Hamilton
and James Monroe
.
and asked to speak at the event. Organizers were reportedly skeptical, but gave him a three-minute spot on a panel about grassroots activists. He delivered the speech, "Conservative Victories Across the Nation", on February 27, 2009 and described the conservative principles outlined in his book. When the speech was over, the panel moderator said, "Watch out, David Keene," referring to the chairman of the American Conservative Union
. The next day at the conference, William Bennett said, "I used to work for Ronald Reagan and now I'm a colleague of Jonathan Krohn's!" The speech attracted the attention of national media outlets, and became popular on websites like YouTube
. Sam Stein of The Huffington Post
said of the speech, "It was filled with the type of rhetorical flow and emotional pitch one would expect from a seasoned hand. Except, [he] is more than four years away from being able to vote."
After the conference, Krohn's parents received hate mail
accusing them of brainwashing their son, but both insist Krohn developed his own political thinking. Within a week of the speech, Krohn appeared on Fox & Friends
and CNN
news programs, as well as many radio shows. A Facebook
fan club was created for Krohn. A staff member for a potential candidate for Georgia governor also asked to meet with him. Several Facebook
fan pages have been started for him, including one called "Jonathan Krohn 2032", a reference to the first year he will be eligible to run for President of the United States
. The speech by Krohn was also mentioned in the March 2, 2009, episode of The Daily Show
when host Jon Stewart
referred to Krohn as a "precocious teenage conservative firebrand" and "Doogie Howser GOP". Stewart said, "I'm not sure there's a nurple purple enough (for him)", before consulting a fictitious "comedy ethics bible" and determining he could not make fun of a 13-year-old boy because only classmates and siblings had that right.
magazine's Time 100
for 2009, ranking at number 190 out of a list of 208. The magazine listed his occupation as "Lil' Limbaugh", and said of him, "(He has) the voice of a Muppet and the ideology of Alex P. Keaton
. Laugh all you want, but the way things are going, he could soon replace Michael Steele." In April 2009, Krohn was honored by the Duluth City Council and Mayor Nancy Harris. In May 2009, Krohn criticized comments by former Florida
Governor Jeb Bush
suggesting the Republican Party needed to consider new policies. Krohn said, "The liberals want to say, 'Well we need new policies, we need to come up with more progressive
ideas.' Well, if we just look at what's happened and works, why do we need something new?" Krohn has indicated he has no interest in running for political office, although he said he has been approached by multiple people with proposed campaign slogans or ads. He has indicated that he is "working on" getting his own radio talk show.
Krohn writes a column for Human Events
, a weekly conservative magazine. Krohn has written a second book, Defining Conservatism: The Principles That Will Bring Our Country Back, released February 2010. The book has been praised by former-Speaker of the House
Newt Gingrich
and syndicated radio host Mike Gallagher
, who said of it, "Any time I am depressed about the state of the country or the future of the modern conservative movement, I consider two words: Jonathan Krohn." Gingrich offered to write the foreword for the book, but Krohn wanted it to be written by William Bennett. Krohn is attended the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference, but did not have a speaking role. Krohn has also spoken at several Tea Party protests held by American conservatives.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author who wrote the book Define Conservatism and gained national attention when he addressed the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference
Conservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States....
at age 13. A resident of Duluth
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Krohn became interested in politics at age eight after hearing about a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
on judicial nominations in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. In 2006, he was voted "Atlanta's Most Talented Child" by Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
. Krohn used his savings to self-publish his book, in which he sought to outline core conservative principles.
Krohn convinced skeptical organizers to allow him to speak for three minutes at the CPAC event on February 27, 2009. His speech was very well received by the audience and later gained popularity on Internet websites like YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, garnering Krohn attention on national news programs on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and the Fox News Network. In 2009, he was a finalist for Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's Time 100
Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
for the year. His second book, Defining Conservatism: The Principles That Will Bring Our Country Back, was released on February 9, 2010.
Early life
Krohn, an only child, was born on March 1, 1995 to Doug Krohn, a computer system integrator, and Marla, a sales representative and middle-school drama and speech teacher. Krohn's family lived in DuluthDuluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, a suburb of Atlanta, and has been active in a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church (Krohn's mother converted from Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
to Christianity, and Krohn has described himself as a "Jewish Christian
Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians is a term which appears in historical texts contrasting Christians of Jewish origin with Gentile Christians, both in discussion of the New Testament church and the second and following centuries....
"). An IQ test Krohn took in the first grade indicated he was gifted. He attended Christian schools until 2007, when his parents began to home-school him. Krohn was active in plays and regional shows through the Christian Youth Theater
Christian Youth Theater
Christian Youth Theater is an American-Canadian after-school theater arts program for children ages 4–18. CYT offers classes in areas such as drama, dance, and singing and performs 3 productions a year...
, and had three callbacks for the role of Michael Banks on the Broadway production of Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (musical)
Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly titled series of children's books by P. L. Travers and the Disney 1964 film. The West End production opened in December 2004 and received two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical and the other for Best Theatre...
. He has also played cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
since around 2000. In 2006, Jonathan Krohn began appearing on the Internet radio program "The Life Connection Show", and took over as the principal writer in 2008. Krohn has studied the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and once aspired to be a missionary to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. In 2006, he was voted "Atlanta's Most Talented Child" by Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
. In 2008, Krohn began taking weekly supplemental lessons at the Classical School, taught by Steve Gilchrist, who teaches from a Christian Biblical perspective. Krohn became interested in politics at age eight, after hearing about a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
filibuster on judicial nominations in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. The event prompted him to research American history and governmental rules and policies, and he developed an affinity for conservatism and began to listen regularly to conservative talk radio
Conservative talk
Conservative talk radio is a talk radio format in the United States and Canada devoted to expressing conservative viewpoints of issues, as opposed to progressive talk radio...
, particularly Morning in America
Morning in America
"Morning in America" is the common name of an effective political campaign television commercial formally titled "Prouder, Stronger, Better" and featuring the opening line "It's morning again in America." The ad was part of the 1984 U.S. presidential campaign of Republican Party candidate Ronald...
with William Bennett
William Bennett
William John "Bill" Bennett is an American conservative pundit, politician, and political theorist. He served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He also held the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under George H. W...
, to whom he became a regular caller.
Krohn wrote Define Conservatism, which was self-published
Self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
in 2008, when he was 13 years old, because he felt the term conservatism was often misused. The book started out as a 94-page treatise he wrote as an extracurricular project at the Classical School. It was in part a response to criticism that John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, received regarding his conservative credentials. The book outlines four fundamental principles of conservative thought: support for the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, opposition to abortion
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, less government, and more personal responsibility. Krohn went on to apply the principles to current events and define whether specifically cited actions violated those principles. The book was dedicated to Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, William F. Buckley, Jr.
William F. Buckley, Jr.
William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
and Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
, whom Krohn describes as his political heroes, along with South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Senator Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint
James Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
. Krohn paid to have the book published from his own savings. He describes it as a "first effort" and immediately planned to write a second one, which he said would focus in part on Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
and James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
.
2009 CPAC speech
In January 2009, Krohn contacted organizers of the Conservative Political Action ConferenceConservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States....
and asked to speak at the event. Organizers were reportedly skeptical, but gave him a three-minute spot on a panel about grassroots activists. He delivered the speech, "Conservative Victories Across the Nation", on February 27, 2009 and described the conservative principles outlined in his book. When the speech was over, the panel moderator said, "Watch out, David Keene," referring to the chairman of the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
. The next day at the conference, William Bennett said, "I used to work for Ronald Reagan and now I'm a colleague of Jonathan Krohn's!" The speech attracted the attention of national media outlets, and became popular on websites like YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Sam Stein of The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
said of the speech, "It was filled with the type of rhetorical flow and emotional pitch one would expect from a seasoned hand. Except, [he] is more than four years away from being able to vote."
After the conference, Krohn's parents received hate mail
Hate mail
Hate mail is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient...
accusing them of brainwashing their son, but both insist Krohn developed his own political thinking. Within a week of the speech, Krohn appeared on Fox & Friends
Fox & Friends
Fox & Friends is an American morning television show on the Fox News Channel.-History:The show begins at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time with the latest Fox News Live headlines and analyzes the news of the morning...
and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
news programs, as well as many radio shows. A Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
fan club was created for Krohn. A staff member for a potential candidate for Georgia governor also asked to meet with him. Several Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
fan pages have been started for him, including one called "Jonathan Krohn 2032", a reference to the first year he will be eligible to run for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The speech by Krohn was also mentioned in the March 2, 2009, episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
when host Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
referred to Krohn as a "precocious teenage conservative firebrand" and "Doogie Howser GOP". Stewart said, "I'm not sure there's a nurple purple enough (for him)", before consulting a fictitious "comedy ethics bible" and determining he could not make fun of a 13-year-old boy because only classmates and siblings had that right.
Post-speech career
Krohn was a finalist for TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's Time 100
Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
for 2009, ranking at number 190 out of a list of 208. The magazine listed his occupation as "Lil' Limbaugh", and said of him, "(He has) the voice of a Muppet and the ideology of Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character on the American television sitcom, Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. Family Ties reflected the move in the United States away from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s...
. Laugh all you want, but the way things are going, he could soon replace Michael Steele." In April 2009, Krohn was honored by the Duluth City Council and Mayor Nancy Harris. In May 2009, Krohn criticized comments by former Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
suggesting the Republican Party needed to consider new policies. Krohn said, "The liberals want to say, 'Well we need new policies, we need to come up with more progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
ideas.' Well, if we just look at what's happened and works, why do we need something new?" Krohn has indicated he has no interest in running for political office, although he said he has been approached by multiple people with proposed campaign slogans or ads. He has indicated that he is "working on" getting his own radio talk show.
Krohn writes a column for Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
, a weekly conservative magazine. Krohn has written a second book, Defining Conservatism: The Principles That Will Bring Our Country Back, released February 2010. The book has been praised by former-Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
and syndicated radio host Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagheris an American radio host and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Mike Gallagher Show, a nationally-syndicated radio program that airs throughout the United States on Salem Radio Network and is also a FOX News Channel Contributor and guest host...
, who said of it, "Any time I am depressed about the state of the country or the future of the modern conservative movement, I consider two words: Jonathan Krohn." Gingrich offered to write the foreword for the book, but Krohn wanted it to be written by William Bennett. Krohn is attended the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference, but did not have a speaking role. Krohn has also spoken at several Tea Party protests held by American conservatives.