Jackie Gingrich Cushman: In our exceptional country, 'our individual rights come from God'

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s five OFF-SET questions is Jackie Gingrich Cushman,  columnist for the Creators Syndicate that focuses on current events and political issues from a mom's perspective.  

Her book “5 Principles for a Successful Life: From our Family to Yours,” was co-authored with her father, Newt Gingrich. Cushman serves on The Georgia Advisory Council for the Trust for Public Land and on the board of Genesis: A New Life. She is founder and chairman of the board of the Learning Makes a Difference Foundation. She is also the author of “The Essential American: 25 Documents and Speeches that Every American Should Own.”

On June 3 and 4,  Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition will sponsor a conference and strategy briefing in Washington DC. Scheduled speakers include John Boehnor, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Tim Pawlenty,  Marco Rubio, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum,  Paul Ryan, Jon Huntsman, Donald Trump, Eric Cantor, Dannon Danon, Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset—and others.

First of all, what will you be doing—and listening for—at this year’s conference?

I am excited about attending the Faith and Freedom Conference and Strategy Briefing. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends and meeting a lot of new friends. It is exciting that between Memorial Day and the Anniversary of D-Day that I get to gather in our nation's capital with thousands of like-minded individuals working toward making our country's future brighter.

I will be participating in an afternoon breakout session titled "Combating the Liberal Media Bias."

We understand that your father had a scheduling conflict and won’t be able to attend this year’s Faith and Freedom Conference. Do you advise him on his campaign strategy? Will you campaign for him?

Dad will not be able to attend, but sends his well wishes and looks forward to participating in future events and meeting grassroots activists in their home states. Our family is thrilled he is running and my sister Kathy and I are both active in his campaign.

On the conference website is this statement: “No one who seeks the Republican nomination for the presidency can hope to emerge victorious without the support of social conservatives, arguably the largest and most dynamic constituency in the GOP primaries.” What issues do you think will resonate most with social conservatives in the upcoming months?

I would not begin to guess which issues will resonate the most. However, at the core is the belief and understanding that America is an exceptional country founded on belief in God and an understanding that our individual rights come from God. Individuals then loan these rights to the government. My recent book, "The Essential American," includes speeches and documents that remind us of our great country's foundation. 

Given that you write your column from a mom’s perspective, do you sense that the declared candidates are paying enough attention to issues that are most important to America’s moms?

We are in the media portion of the campaign. The media are trying to set the tone and tenor of the campaign. This will soon wear thin with the voters and more substantive issues will become more prevalent.

From my perspective, understanding the foundation of our country is very important, as all other issues build from this core understanding. The economy is very important as a robust economy allows for so many other opportunities. Education will also play a large role. 

In addition to your father (of course), which declared candidates are interesting you the most?

Herman Cain is interesting because he has a different background from other candidates.

Dad, is also very interesting (as you mentioned) as he has served in office, worked in the private sector and has an understanding and appreciation of history.

More importantly, he is most qualified candidate as he has balanced the Federal Budget, reformed welfare, and cut taxes. At this juncture in our nation's history, he is the the right person to move our country in the right direction.