He says you can call him “Earl Jackson,” but he prefers “E.W. Jackson,” because if you’re looking for him on Google, the former will “give you the phone book,” but the latter will lead you right to him. And finding Jackson is something Virginia Republicans may have good reason to do during the long U.S. Senate campaign ahead of them. Jackson is one of five declared candidates seeking the GOP nomination, but he’s not your typical Republican candidate.
Bishop E.W. Jackson is the founder of Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, Virginia. He’s a former Marine (the only candidate on either side of the aisle to serve in the military). He’s a Harvard-educated lawyer, just like Democratic Senate candidate fmr. Gov. Tim Kaine. He’s served as chaplain for Virginia’s powerful Family Foundation and is also a tea party favorite, having spoken at many of that movement’s events, including being one of the keynote speakers at the tea party convention held in Richmond in 2010.
Did I mention he’s a black conservative?
By any standard, Jackson has quite a resume and would make a strong showing in any political race he chose to enter.
But the 2012 Republican Senate primary is crowded, and leading the crowd is the former incumbent, George Allen. Early polls have shown Allen enjoying a commanding lead, to go along with his formidable fundraising apparatus and his support from the state’s GOP establishment.
What makes Jackson think he can overcome all this and win the nomination? We asked him on a recent edition of “The Score” radio show. The simple answer? He’s got passion, and it comes straight from the heart:
We need fighter. We need people who understand that our country is in economic trouble, our Constitution is being trampled in many ways, certainly our foreign policy is a shambles…but we need people who are willing to stand up and fight for what they believe in with passion and I think that, frankly, my willingness to do that is my greatest advantage.
Jackson stated that he’s not going to tell people what they want to hear, but what they need to hear: “I don’t want to be re-packaged; I don’t want to be made into something I’m not. I am what I am.”
In some ways, Jackson’s attitude is the same one that motivated many Republican congressional candidates in 1994. He says he’s not looking for a career in politics and that if people don’t like his ideas, or his candidacy, he’ll “go back home and do something else. If voters agree with me, they’ll elect me.”
He’s not shy about his belief in supporting Judeo-Christian values, which he believes are the nation’s bedrock principles. He’s also a firm “constitutional conservative.”
But how does he view the rest of the GOP field?
“They are all nice people, but I believe I’m uniquely suited for this moment in our history. George Allen represents the past, not the future.”
He’s convinced he can reach out to other communities and bring them within the GOP tent – particularly minority groups. Jackson’s deep ties to the evangelical community, plus his military service, also make him an interesting candidate. Of evangelicals in particular, Jackson says he doesn’t need to think about what he’s going to say to them, because he’s one of them.
It’s an open question as to whether Jackson’s candidacy will catch fire within Republican ranks. However, as my colleague Scott Lee noted, it’s refreshing to have Jackson in the race. He brings a plain-spoken, no-nonsense energy to the contest. And, he’s not afraid to tell people exactly what’s on his mind.
Perhaps Jackson is just what Virginia’s moribund political class needs.
