Fourteen-year-old Jonathan Krohn earned a national reputation earlier this year when he spoke passionately at a conservative rally in Washington about fiscal responsibility and lowering taxes.
Yesterday, he rallied a small group of Forsyth County conservatives with a similar message.
"Lower taxes, lower spending," Krohn told about 50 people gathered to hear him speak at the Golden Corral at Hanes Mall. "If that can be our basic platform as a conservative movement … we'll have an easier way of solving this economic crisis."
Krohn's speech was sponsored by Freedom Works, an organization that lobbies for smaller government and lower taxes.
Joyce Krawiec, the Freedom Works' grassroots coordinator in North Carolina, said she wanted Krohn to speak here as soon as she saw clips of his speech in Washington.
"He's just so dynamic and inspiring," Krawiec said. "This kid is great."
Krohn, who lives in Duluth, Ga., and is home-schooled, became a phenomenon among political conservatives after the Conservative Political Action Conference in February.
Krohn had written a book about conservative ideology and maintained a Web site and blog about fiscal responsibility. He called the conference headquarters about a month before the conference and asked to be included as a speaker.
Initially, he said, the conference's assistant director told him there was no room. But the assistant director looked at Krohn's Web site and called back that same day to invite him to speak on a panel. Krohn was scheduled to speak for two minutes, as part of a larger conversation about grassroots politics. His speech garnered him a standing ovation -- clips were posted on sites like YouTube, and conservatives around the country rallied around him.
Since February, Krohn has appeared on FoxNews and CNN and met with members of Congress and governors. Multiple Facebook fan groups have been created for him, including one called "Jonathan Krohn 2032," a reference to the first year that Krohn would be eligible to run for president of the United States.
He talks like a political veteran, referring to Republican senators as "my friend…" and works a room like one too. Yesterday, he moved through one of the Golden Corral's rooms with confidence, wearing an American flag tacked to his collar and stopping at every table to shake hands with each person. He was not shy about promoting his book, Define Conservativism.
"The second edition hits stores nationwide next year," he said yesterday, grinning a teenager's smile. "But you should buy the first edition today."
People who heard him speak said they were impressed.
"He's got such a good mind," Valerie Parker said. "He's young, he's got a great future before him. And, I like the fact that he stands for something."
■ Laura Graff can be reached at 727-7279 or at lgraff@wsjournal.com.
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