https://youtubetranscript.com/?v=hUBlKtD5iPs
Hello everyone. I’m here today talking with a friend of mine, Kelly Craft. She was ambassador to Canada some years ago. We met in Ottawa, developed a friendship, her and her husband Joe and my wife Tammy, and we’ve got to know each other over the years. And she is presently in a very tight primary race in Kentucky where she’s well striving to become the state’s next governor. And I thought I would talk to her today. We’ve had a fair number of discussions as her campaign has progressed, and I thought I would talk to her today about what she’s learned on the campaign trail. One of the things I really learned as I’ve traveled around about people who are effective leaders is that they’re very good listeners. And I thought Kelly had some interesting stories to tell about what she has gathered to herself talking to people all over Kentucky on the campaign trail. And so Kelly, how long have you been on the, how long have you been campaigning now? So we made the announcement, Jordan, on September 7th of last year in my hometown of Glasgow, Kentucky, and we kicked off the campaign on September 13th. So we kicked it off and I basically hit the ground running and we started a kitchen table tour. And as one of the very reasons that you and Tammy and Joe and myself, the reason we bonded, I think, is the fact that we believe in families. We believe in that kitchen table. And so, you know, what I learned from my time as serving as the ambassador to Canada, which is where I negotiated at a table against you Canadians, I learned the skill of listening and also working across the aisle, working with others, because what’s important is we’re all striving for the same thing here in Kentucky. And then as the ambassador to the United Nations, again, I negotiated around a table and that just really, every time I was sitting at a table, it brought me back home because my mom and dad were really great listeners. You know, my dad was a veterinarian, so he had a real special listening skill because they had to listen to the temperature of the animals that he loves so much. And it really taught me well that when you listen, it’s amazing what you learn. And Kentuckians are really smart. When I ask a question, they can tell me instantly whether or not I truly listen to them by the questions that I ask. And I find that people really want to be heard. They have never had anyone, first of all, meet them at their moment, and second of all, sit and listen and listen unconditionally. So what have they told you that I have two questions. I want to know what people have told you that you didn’t know. And I also want to know why you decided to involve yourself in this race, because it wasn’t necessary for you to do that. You’re not a career politician. So what have you learned from going out and meeting people? How many meetings have you had and what have people really related to you? We just finished our 128 kitchen table stop, meaning we’re actually sit and I spend at least two hours with groups of people. So I’ve traveled all 120 counties, but these are actual stops. And what I have learned is everyone wants the same thing. Everyone desires for their children and their grandchildren to have better opportunities. And people are craving to go back to that common sense, to go back to the table, to that foundation, to have God at the center of the table. No matter where I go, no matter the size of the table, no matter the condition of a home, no matter if it’s in a little cafe or a farmer’s truck stop, the message is the same. We would like our children and grandchildren to have a better life. And we also want their education. We’re very concerned. I mean, everyone is concerned. And teachers, teachers as well. I mean, I’ve sat across the table from farmers to teachers, to doctors, to single moms, to grandparents, to truck drivers, to you name it, bus drivers, cafeteria workers. Everybody is concerned about education because you know so well. It is there. That’s the future of, of, of the world. And I think that’s the future of education. It is there. That’s the future of, of my state is having individuals that are educated with skills and knowledge. So why do you know not active? Why do you think education has become a particular concern of Kentuckyans? I mean, there’s also other issues that might be on people’s minds. What’s going on in the education front that makes that particularity germane? Well, you know, our governor consciously shut down our schools. You know, after the first two weeks, we were all very unsure about COVID. But then he continued and we’ve had, we have a mental health issue with our children. We have a loss of learning that we really won’t even see the consequences for many, many years. And, you know, that’s affecting obviously our workforce. It’s affecting the fabric of our community. And so parents want their children to learn skills and knowledge and they want their kids really to, you know, to have reading, arithmetic and writing. And, you know, cursive, let’s talk about cursive. They want their kids to go back to the basics that help the parents achieve the American dream. So I look at this as achieving Kentucky’s dream, Kentucky’s promise. And I see a revival. I have felt a revival. And the more I listen, the more I hear it. People want to go back. They want to go back to what they had. And if we’re not careful, the generation that I’m, you know, it’s not just about this election, Jordan, I’m running for generations to come. But these generations of young adults, they’re not going to know what they’ve lost because they’ve never had it. That’s why it’s so important that in the next few days, it will determine Kentucky’s future in the next few decades. So everybody wants education. Everybody wants better jobs, better paying jobs, better opportunities. And everybody, everybody wants to make certain that we prevent these deadly drugs, the spentanil especially, from coming across the border in Mexico, coming up in Kentucky’s a border state. Every state’s a border state when it comes to these deadly drugs, especially fentanyl coming into our state. I know when we were, I was in Canada, we had that issue of the illegal drugs coming from China into Vancouver. So it’s everywhere. I mean, we every, it’s a national crisis in the United States. It is a crisis in the state of Kentucky. The number one cause of death between the ages of 18 to 49 are overdoses. So if you look at that age group, you would say that’s our age group of young adults that are going to be educated, to be part of society, to be able to promote conservative values, to promote the constitution, to promote quality, to have children, to purchase homes. That’s our age group. That’s our workforce. That’s the age group that’s going to build our state. We can’t allow these drugs to continue flowing. And you know, Biden just lifted Title 42. So now the border is just overflowing with illegals and they’re carrying this deadly fentanyl over the border from China. So what do you envision yourself doing on the education and, well, let’s say the drug patrol front that would differ from your competitors in this race and that would differ from what has been on offer to Kentuckians so far? Well, I have to say my message has resonated because I’ve been telling, you know, just explaining to people on my first day of office, what I will do is after I take the oath is I will write an executive order to our legislators and it will be asking for them to ratify, to reorganize the Kentucky Department of Education. And that means I’m going to take it apart and put it back together. And then I’m going to ask our very woke left ideology commissioner, Jason Glass, to resign or I’ll do the right thing and I’ll fire him. But he’s heard my message because he’s looking for another job. So it is resonating. And you know, I talked to teachers, this is graduation month, and these teachers spend their careers focusing on how they’re going to equip their students to walk across that stage, receive that very important diploma that, by the way, teachers from kindergarten all through 12th grade have a little bit to do with that diploma. And you know, inside that diploma are hopes and dreams and a goal, a vision, a vision to reach their full potential. And let’s just give them a vision that’s better than nothing. So let’s be on the other side of that, right? Let’s catch them on the other side. How would you what is your vision of a revamped education system in Kentucky? And what do you think that could offer the people that you’re who support you’re asking for? And if things were better in Kentucky, what would it look like? Well, it’s going to look as if it’s going to look like we’re going to engage our teachers and our parents in how we’re going to reformulate the Kentucky Department of Education. You know, we have to make certain that the people that are there that have been silenced, there’s some really good people there. They’ve just been silenced, that we can work from best ideas. But you know, I just want to throw open the capital doors. And I want to invite all these parents and grandparents and teachers, educators to come in and let’s work around their ideas, because it’s their voices that have been loud. And you know, when voices are loud enough, you know, that’s the way to follow. That’s the way to lead is through their voices. And I’m listening. So we have to engage the stakeholders. The stakeholders are our parents, our teachers, because that’s the future for our children. So your conclusion as a consequence of talking to all these people is that the primary concerns of Kentuckians are focusing themselves around the issues of education, opportunities for the children, but also the danger that’s presented on the drug front. Are there other issues that have come up as well? And are there a couple of stories that really stick in your mind that make the points that you’ve been describing? Absolutely. You know, I have teachers and parents, I have a parent from Woodford County High School, this is Woodford County, Kentucky, and for sales. They called me about a book that’s being offered by audio in their library for high schoolers. It’s actually recommended for 14 years and above. I can’t read from that book on any social media or TV or radio because it is a violation of the FCC. Yet, it’s recommended for ages 14 and above. I had a parent call me from Lexington, whose child goes to Cassidy Elementary School, and they brought home a book called The Crayon. And the mother said, you know, it’s recommended for ages three through seven. So she began to read it and she shut it. It’s about a crayon that’s not really for certain that it wants to be a crayon. So she called me and she said, could you please come get this book? So I’m having parents and teachers out of concern because they don’t want to be forced to teach something they don’t believe in. And they understand the importance of what’s shaping our young adults minds, our children. These are children. Children need to be children. You see a political agenda being put forward at the expense of high quality education in Kentucky, and you see parents reacting against that, attempting to express their concerns to you. What are they telling you on the drug front? Well, of course, I’ve had this empty chair with addiction in my family and so many parents. Matter of fact, I’ve not sat down with one family that has not experienced the heartache of either a family member or a loved one in their neighborhood, someone on drugs. So I met with a mother last week and she’s had that empty chair with both the child that overdosed and died at the age of 38 and her daughter in her forties is now in rehab. So the problem is if we don’t provide opportunities and a safety net for these individuals that are coming out of addiction facilities or incarcerated or juvenile detention, that’s another issue that I know that you care immensely about. We have to develop a program before they leave. Yeah, well, we talked a little bit about that, about trying to help people formulate a plan for their lives, which is so one of the problems with addiction treatment, generally speaking, is that you can get people off of the drug from the physical perspective, let’s say in relatively short order. That often doesn’t take more than a couple of weeks, but then if you put the person back in the environment that they’re accustomed to, the probability that they will relapse is extremely high. And the literature on addiction treatment essentially indicates that unless people can formulate a strategy for providing themselves with reward in an alternative and higher quality manner, that the mere cessation of their strict addiction won’t be enough to keep them going in the future. So it’d be very interesting to pursue some investigation on that front with you if things work out in your favor. And you understand that you can be released from rehab, but if you don’t have a purpose, if you don’t have someone to say, I’m going to give you a second chance, a third chance, or a fourth chance, and I’m going to employ you, that first taste of dignity that somebody believes in you and that appreciates the fact that you have worked the system, I mean, that’s vital to the success of that individual coming out. And these are individuals ranging from, you know, 12 all the way to 100. I mean, it doesn’t care what your last name is, what’s your income, what’s your zip code, most certainly doesn’t care what your political affiliation is. These deadly drugs are in our state. It is a huge operation. It’s an underground operation. And I’ve made it very clear that if you’re a member of the cartel or if you are a drug trafficker or anyone who provides a deadly illegal drug to a Kentuckian, then as governor, I will sign your death warrant because it’s the only way to send a direct clear message. Kentucky doesn’t fool around. You are not welcome in our state. And my big concern is now is after midnight last night, you think we just seen the fentanyl before midnight. Well, as of today, May the 12th, we’re really going to be having these illegal drugs. And furthermore, Jordan, we’re going to see an uptick in human trafficking. These are young girls and boys, by the way, they are girls and they are boys, and they are crossing over this border, seeking freedom, carrying fentanyl. So their freedom turns into a forever trafficking, human trafficking. So, you know, this is affecting our workforce. This is the third area is our workforce. People want better paying jobs, but they also understand when you talk to small business owners, you can’t find workers because either they haven’t had the proper education, there’s not been the opportunities in our education system, whether that is I’m a firm believer in our technical schools, because I believe when those adults, people that are either graduating as seniors and going straight there or people seeking a second career, they’re ready to be in the workforce immediately. And most of them are debt free. So they can, we need to be very nimble with our small business community and with our industries coming in. What do you need that we can, you know, provide a skill and a trade so that you have a job? We have five men that are in drug court at the moment in East Kentucky that are going to be helping Joe and I are partnering with Good Samaritan’s Purse to build 57 homes this next year. And they’re going to be doing part of the framing. Well, how cool is that? That these are guys that have to check off their list for drug court, or they have to go back into being incarcerated. They have dignity, they’re going to have a job. What I mean, what more can someone ask for? Just give them the opportunity. And as governor, don’t make empty promises, deliver. We have people living in tents here, Jordan, we have people living two and a half years ago. I don’t make, I’m not going to promise anything I can’t deliver on. That is one thing is my opponents have had years in political office, years to eradicate this, this deadly illegal drugs coming into our state, years to try to build up our workforce, and certainly years to tackle this woke, left, insane, it’s insanity what’s going on in our school system. And these are these are kids, these are kids minds. So I’m going to tackle it. You know, I’ve never done this before. I’m not looking for a job. But I see one that needs to be done. And if you listen, their voices are loud. So you didn’t, it wasn’t obligatory for you in any sense to pursue a political career. You’ve had an illustrious career in other domains. And so, and you certainly have the resources to do whatever you want in your life. And so what is it? Do you think that drew you into the political sphere? It’s, it’s a relatively grueling enterprise. It, it presents people with a fair bit of risk on the personal front. Politics is a rough game. It’s a reputation savaging game. I mean, why do you think that it was appropriate for you to enter into the political fray? And like what’s calling, calling to you personally on this front? Well, Joe and I have lived the American dream. You know, Joe is from Eastern Kentucky, from Perry County, from Hazard, Kentucky. He started out at the age of seven, mopping people’s homes from floods. Those were his first jobs. So he remembers very early on. He also remembers when they had a war on poverty, and how what that did to people is that took away their will, it took away their dignity. So Joe, Joe remembers this, but yet he worked hard. He had people that believed in him. He had people that, that gave him a very simple purpose, a vision. And with that simple vision, it was every step that Joe would accomplish, there was someone there to take him to the next step. I’ve achieved the American dream. And so we decided, and yes, you’re right, we could be doing anything, but what’s more important than to give back to the state that gave to you? And every day, you know, Joe and I signed a pledge in 2012 to give away our net worth. And we’re going to do that. And we’re investing in impactful ways in Kentucky. And I see, I mean, I’ve always been a results driven leader. I see a job that needs to be done in our state, and I can do that job and shame on me if I don’t. And Kentucky is craving a revival starting at the family unit. Families want to have God back in their homes, in their schools, in their government. They want to have less government. You want to be able to do more with less. So let’s, let’s be efficient. Let’s be effective. Let’s for goodness sakes, let’s be accountable. So what do you need people to do if they’re if they’ve heard you today or if they’ve heard you in other places and at other times and they want to support your endeavor? You know, there’s some crucial decisions for people of Kentucky to be making in the upcoming days and weeks and months. What do people need to do if they want to support you in the short term? And what could they conceivably do to be involved with your campaign? Well, what we’d like to do is get out the vote. Voting is, it was 11th, 12th, and 13th of May, and then election day is May 16th. So please get your family and your friends, those of you who are undecided, just think long and hard about whether you want a politician who is looking for the next office. They always look to be elected to one office just to get to the next one. Or do you want someone that’s there because they care about our state and this is not a stepping stone for me? I see a job that needs to be done. No one, no one owns me, no special interest. No one in our Washington establishment is going to be in my office in Frankfurt and I’m going to put God back in Frankfurt. We’re going to have a revival. That revival starts at home. We’ve got to teach parents how to parent. We need to have discipline back in our homes and most certainly, Jordan, in our schools. We have to have teachers respected. Our bus drivers deserve respect. Our cafeteria, our janitors, our law enforcement that’s in the school system. We have to most certainly demand that of our families, but if our families don’t have the resources and someone to guide them, what does it tell you if you are in your hometown and people just keep dishing out funds or they give you your SNAP benefits and they say, I’ll see you next year? Well, that tells you that’s all you’re worth. Well, Kentuckyans are worth far more than that and I want to be able to provide that path from poverty to prosperity because with that is dignity and with that you start holding yourself accountable. You know, it all starts from within. I mean, you taught me that very early on. You have to clean up your own house first and you have to make certain that you surround yourself with people. Yes, people that care about you, but also people that are going to challenge you and I want to challenge Kentuckyans because I love my state. You know, I’m a mother, I’m a grandmother, I’m a daughter of Kentucky, I’m a sister. I’m in this arena because I’m going to fight for Kentuckyans just like any mother would fight for their family because Kentucky is my family and Joe and I, every single day, you know us, every single day we think about what are we going to do today to better the lives of Kentuckyans? Well, I’m just going to take that same mentality and I’m going to use all my resources, all my connections. I mean, I know you and I and Joe and Tammy have been talking about what we can do for people that are incarcerated here together, you know, to get them back in that workforce, what we’re going to do for young adults. I’m going to pull in all of my connections because I have the respect from business leaders, from thought leaders, from world leaders, and from governors. I’m going to use all of that and I’m going to build up Kentucky. We’re going to be in the top 10 and in the top 10 means in the top 10 of pride, of dignity, of producing young adults that are going to be part of making Kentucky great, of making America great. You know, you’re going to want to move to Kentucky by the way. Yes, you are. Well, it sounds like it’s going to look pretty, what would you say? It’s going to, it sounded, it’s sounding pretty good in contrast to Trudeau’s Canada at the moment. Exactly, exactly. But we are going to, we are going to honestly have a revival here and you know that importance. It’s just that it starts with one person, it starts with a very strong faith in God and believing in people, but holding people in people, but holding people accountable because Kentucky can do better because we are better. It just takes someone to say, I’m going to hold you accountable. I’m not going to ask Kentuckyans to do anything that I haven’t already done or that I wouldn’t do it with them because I’m, we’re in this together and I hear, I hear people, I’m listening. Is there anything else that you want to bring to the attention of voters at the moment in Kentucky or anything else you want to call on them to do before we close? Well, I think, I think voters need to be really paying close attention to what happens and just think about the future and they need to understand when they vote for Kelly Craft, they’re voting for someone who is not a career politician. I’m not talking at them. I’ve been listening to them. I’ve traveled the state. My work ethic is second to none and I’m not owned by any special interests. I’ve not taken money from any special interest group. I don’t have a super PAC that is loaded with special interest or with, with anyone from our Washington establishment. I am going to be governing by what I’ve been listening to and that everybody deserves a better education for their children and grandchildren, better quality of life, more money in their wallet and pocketbook. And my goodness, we’ve got to say no to any illegal drugs coming into our state. So we’ve got to have to make certain that we elect Kelly Craft for governor and then we focus on electing a conservative president to bring back those policies that kept America safe, that kept America prosperous. And for goodness sakes, it keeps China, the Chinese communist party out of coming into our country. All right, Kelly. Well, thank you, Ambassador Craft. I’m hoping I’m wishing you the best in the conclusion of your campaign. I hope that you can deliver to Kentuckians what you have promised to deliver to them and that that strengthens your state immensely and helps the people that you’ve been listening to. And so you bet. You bet. Thank you, Jordan. You know, you’re always welcome to Kentucky. You know, you are, you are already a Kentucky fan. You have been to the Derby. I mean, that is as Kentucky as it can possibly be. And we would love to have you back. And I promise you, you’re going to want to have to, you’re going to want at least to have a home here in Kentucky. I’m going to win you over to Kentucky. Sounds good. All right. Thank you, Ambassador Craft. Thank you very much for that. Thank you, Jordan. Yeah, you bet. Thank you very much. Thank you.