Exclusive Interview: Chuck Woolery discusses conservatism, faith and the future
Venerable game show host and outspoken conservative activist Chuck Woolery recently spoke to me about his political views, Christian faith and his outlook for America’s future.
Woolery, who said he’s been a conservative his entire life, explained his views can be boiled down to a simple statement: “I think conservatives are right and liberals are wrong.”
The prevailing mindset among today’s progressives is unabashedly socialist, he said, adding, “Republicans have been just as egregious in trampling on the Constitution.”
Though the self-described “constitutional conservative libertarian” held the same values during his illustrious television career, Woolery said he was never free to openly express them.
“I wasn’t courageous enough to stand up and tell them who I was and what I believe because if I did, I wouldn’t work,” he said. “It’s just one of those things you deal with. Stay very quiet about politics and let them rant on.”
He explained motorcycle trip with a friend in Michigan in 2011 led to his current status as a prominent conservative figure.
Upset about a budget committee’s utter failure to reach an agreement, Woolery said he told his friend, “I could do this in 15 minutes.”
After some back-and-forth, he said the two decided he should make a video and post it online.
“I did this video called ‘Budget Cuts’ and it went viral. We’re up to over 3 million hits on it,” he said. “I cut the budget by 1 trillion, 500 billion [dollars] in three minutes.”
Since then, Woolery has put together several more videos at his site, Save Us Chuck Woolery.
After the initial attention his new site attracted, a man once hesitant to bring up his political beliefs had them exposed to a wide audience.
“I never realized the level of hate,” he said.
Embracing the potential to make a positive impact, though, Woolery has recently become involved in some innovative and ambitious conservative organizations.
Perhaps most notably, he is a member and spokesman for Generation America, a conservative alternative to the leftist AARP.
“Generation America was formed as ObamaCare was being talked about,” he said. “They are an advocate against ObamaCare and have been for the past four years.”
Woolery said conservatives cannot, in good conscience, support an organization that completely supports the current administration.
“AARP claims they are a nonpartisan group when in fact we have 70 pages – not 70 emails, 70 pages – on the Generation America site,” he said, that prove “they are in bed with them.”
Citing their opposition to numerous plans that would benefit America’s seniors, Woolery said it is obvious “they don’t represent their members; they represent their money.” For that reason, he said an organization such as Generation America is vital for the growing number of older Americans.
“I joined this outfit about a year ago, but when I looked at what they were doing, I said … ‘I’ll represent you,’” he explained.
Woolery is also a founder of Restart Congress, a group focused on holding our representatives accountable, primarily by instating term limits.
“I want a guy in Congress who doesn’t know where the bathroom is by the time his term is up,” he said, explaining “they can do more harm by being in session.”
Though he supports a constitutional amendment repealing aspects of the 17th Amendment, Woolery said he understands Restart Congress’ vision “is a pipe dream even though it’s my idea.”
Looking realistically at America’s future, Woolery said more than a century of leftist thought has taken root in a way that will be difficult to overcome.
“This stuff has all happened before; this is nothing new,” he said. “Look at Franklin Roosevelt’s term in the ‘30s – our country was a total wreck.” That sudden left turn was exacerbated by subsequent liberal leaders such as LBJ and Obama, he said.
“This will not be cured overnight,” he noted. “It will be cured slowly as people take responsibility for who they put into Washington. Whether it will happen or not, I have no idea.”
Leftists are much more successful than conservatives in spreading a specific message to captive audiences, he added, “through college, high school, television, movies – everything you see is on a progressive line.”
Woolery calls the ongoing trend “a slow progression toward a bad, bad end.”
While calling the leftist support of utopian ideals “evil in its concept,” he said most of its proponents “believe this stuff. You’re not talking about people who want to con everybody. They believe this is the answer. It’s all about centralized power and controlling people, which is the opposite of what America was formed as.”
Democrats are obviously the worst offenders, though Woolery said the current GOP is not a sufficiently effective alternative anymore.
“The Republican Party doesn’t like the Tea Party,” he said, explaining the “established Republican Party and the established Democratic Party are very much alike. They are interested in power – holding power and keeping power.”
While establishment politicians are almost universally concerned with their own interests, Woolery said “the Tea Party and the conservative are more interested in the country than in their own political gain, I believe.”
A split between conservatives and party leaders will lead to a “free-for-all in the Republican Party for a while trying to figure out who’s who,” he said. “Quite frankly, the Tea Party has to be better about picking their candidates.”
Despite a potentially grim forecast for traditional American values, Woolery said he finds perpetual hope for the future in his faith.
“When you’re a Christian and you have the ability to divide right from wrong and have the interest to actually see it, it gives you a different perspective,” he explained.
Trusting in God shows “we’re not really in control in this,” he continued. “We’re just doing the best we can do under the circumstances.”
B. Christopher Agee founded The Informed Conservative in 2011. Like his Facebook page for engaging, relevant conservative content daily.
