About Rod D. Martin
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Politics & Economics
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Faith & Cultureby Rod D. Martin
December 19, 2006
When last I wrote, I had just spent some time on our weekly White House leadership call making the case for increased troop strength in Iraq.
Far be it from me not to give the devil (in this case John McCain) his due here. Nevertheless, you can feel good that the NFRA — your movement — is being heard at the highest levels and getting results. You make this possible.
The situation in Iraq is more like 1968 America than 1968 Vietnam. Fourteen of eighteen provinces are safer than our major cities. The economy is booming: CNBC reported today that Iraq’s economy is growing at twice the rate of China’s. Salaries are up across Iraq by an average of 100% since Saddam’s overthrow; teachers’ salaries are up 2,700%! A real estate boom is underway, with average home values up double in the past year.
Is this the picture of a war zone?
No, this is the picture of once-upon-a-time Watts and Harlem. And just as Nixon knew, the answer is law and order. If the Iraqis can’t quite get that together yet, who can blame them. But 30,000 more boots on the ground — which Democrats were demanding just a short time ago, so don’t let them get away with anything otherwise now! — could easily, if not precisely quickly, roll up a terrorist/criminal organization (which conveniently calls itself “Al Qaeda in Iraq,” Ms. Pelosi) which is trying to steal the hard-won freedom of 25 million people and which precious few of those people even vaguely support.
The key in this deployment will be what is done with the new troops. My friends in the Pentagon and on the ground assure me that where our forces are proactive — hunters, if you will — al Qaeda gets shut down and all is well. Where they are passive — defensive — there is ongoing smoldering trouble. This is an issue of command, and clearly some changes need to be made: a political blog back home shouldn’t have to tell commanders in Iraq something so deadly obvious. But that’s the long and the short of it, and conservatives need to pressure the Administration in just this vein. I will surely continue to do so.
But the point remains that Iraq is a messy, yet thriving place. There is no excuse for defeat, no substitute for — or need for anything less than — victory. What surrender-monkey fool ever thought this would be quick or easy, much less that Iran, Syria, al Qaeda, et al. would lie back and wait for us to remake the region in an image which will ruin their totalitarian party? But Iraqis have voted repeatedly for freedom, for democracy, for the (admittedly flawed, like everyone else’s) leaders we now see. We made their freedom possible. We’ve made their booming economy possible. We must now see it through, to victory.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.