Cross & Crescent

Michael Johns (Miami-FL 1986) is a health care executive, former federal government official, and conservative policy analyst and writer.

In his industry capacities, Johns has held functional responsibility for executive management, sales and marketing management, investor relations, Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance contracting and other functions.

In addition to his extensive private sector experience, Johns was a White House speechwriter to President George H. W. Bush, a public affairs aide to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and a senior aide to former New Jersey Governor and 9/11 Commission Chairman Thomas Kean, and U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe.

He also has served as a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation and an editor of the foundation’s magazine Policy Review.

Early Beginnings

Johns’ initial interest in public speaking and speechwriting began at Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, where he grew up.

“By 11th grade or so, I was beginning to get intrigued with the American political process and global affairs, and I decided to run for treasurer of our student government,” he says.

Each candidate was given a few minutes to speak to the entire school and then the election was held.

“I remember laying out my platform and then addressing the school,” he says. “I was mostly known for athletics in high school, so I know many people saw a different side of me then and I suppose that was probably the first speech I ever authored.”

Not surprisingly, Johns won the election.

White House Experiences

Not surprisingly, Johns says nothing matches working for the president of the United States.

“You cannot walk around the West Wing or the South Lawn or anywhere on the White House grounds and not be reminded of what an honor it is to serve a nation at that level where so many great American men and women have worked,” he says.

Interestingly, Johns’ view has always been that the most memorable speeches he wrote during his White House years ultimately belong to the president.

“So I try not to discuss the specific ones I wrote or some of the memorable phrases I contributed, but I was involved in plenty of very significant ones at a critical moment, with the former Soviet Union collapsing, the U.S. facing challenges from Iraqi aggression in the Persian Gulf, and the president confronting a serious challenge from then Governor Clinton in the 1992 presidential race,” he says.

Johns was often successful in positioning important conservative ideas in ways that appealed to American moderates and sometimes even liberals.

“I think growing up in a blue collar area of the country gave me perspective and appreciation that the American dream is a great concept, but it’s just that — a dream — if it doesn’t touch people’s lives in tangible ways,” he says.

Many times Johns has discovered Washington, D.C., leaders forget what life is like for many Americans: the financial pressures, the erosion of job security, paying for children’s college education, navigating our health care system, or meeting the dual pressures of work and family.

“We are a wealthy nation but too many Americans still struggle with the basics of day-to-day existence,” he says. “They want their nation protected and they want functionality and some security and opportunity in their day-to-day lives.”

President Reagan’s Influence

Johns’ has no doubt what leader had the biggest influence on him: President Ronald Reagan.

“He really successfully defined and implemented a lot of modern conservative policies and left Washington a very different place, and he influenced many young people like myself who were just beginning to get involved,” he says.

Johns was impressed that Reagan correctly understood the former Soviet Union’s aggression and brutality and did not sidestep that uncomfortable fact, and that he also was visionary enough to predict and then encourage its ultimate collapse.

“Reagan’s view that the government works for its citizens, not the other way around, always struck me as an important insight, too,” he says.

At the beginning of his first term, from 1981 to 1984, Reagan greatly influenced Johns’ thinking on the world and our nation while Johns was working as a policy analyst and editor at The Heritage Foundation.

“My fondness for Reagan only grew further during that time,” he says.

Blogging and Running for Office

As an outlet for his views, Johns decided to start his own blog (http://Michaeljohnsonfreedomandprosperity.blogspot.com) as it is becoming more and more apparent to him that this type of medium represents the future.

“The response so far has been very positive,” he says. “I write only when I think I have a new or special angle on a particular issue, and I am not afraid to write very lengthy articles, sometimes 3,000 words or so, if I feel the issue warrants it.”

Johns’ approach to writing longer entries is somewhat different than those taken by other bloggers.

“But my view is that I want to be intellectually sound in my writing,” he says. “I may disagree with American liberals, but I respect their involvement in the debate and I am not a conservative who wants to take cheap shots at people with differing views.”

He hopes that readers will come to appreciate that his writing is accurate, thoughtful, and constructive. If he can do those things, then he says his blogging will make a positive contribution.

As for his political future, Johns says he has never understood the propensity of politically engaged people to deny any interest in running for office.

“For me, running for a U.S. House or Senate seat some day seems a very logical extension of everything I’ve done to date in my career,” he says. “I know I could do some very positive things, and it would be an honor to do that.”

The more complicated issue for Johns is identifying the right time and the right district, but he says he really does hope that opportunity presents itself some day.

Lambda Chi’s Impact

When Johns originally arrived on the University of Miami campus, he spent a lot of time at the Lambda Chi house, attending parties and other events, and developing a number of friendships.

“I never considered affiliating with any fraternity other than Lambda Chi,” he says. “When I was tapped, I was very happy to be affiliated with such a great Fraternity with so many wonderful members.”

Johns says he hopes to see future Lambda Chi members get as much from their affiliation as he has received from his, and to see Miami’s chapter continue to thrive and prosper.

“I learned many things through my Lambda Chi experience,” he says. “I learned the value of team-oriented approaches, the valuable but rare nature of Fraternity brotherhood, and the ability to interact with all sorts of different people because we were a very diverse chapter. I know Lambda Chi Alpha will always be a big part of my life.”