Harvard College Democrats

Lessons Learned From Tom Ridge

Posted 4/28/09 by Tiffany Wen

As one of the Visiting Fellows Coordinators at the IOP, I sat through dinner with the Harvard Republicans (and felt outnumbered for the very first time in my Harvard career) and ultimately felt very, very lucky to have gotten to spend so much time with the former Secretary of Homeland Security and Governor of Pennsylvania. After the jump, a few notable lessons I’ve picked up last week:

1) Being a Governor is the best political job you can ever have.

2) The duct tape suggestion was part of a Red Cross emergency kit list that’s been in place for years. But when a reporter does blow it out of proportion, the best thing to do is NOT to address it publicly. It does not kill the issue. It just makes you look even more ridiculous.

3) Before the Republicans can look for a messenger (Sarah Palin 2012 heyyy…just kidding. The Governor does not like that joke.), they need a message. And they’re coming after health care and energy. So we better succeed in our plans.

4) Waterboarding is torture. Look! Here’s one Cabinet Secretary who didn’t sign off on waterboarding!

5) A National ID card is the future: some day, we will all have our digital photographs and fingerprints on file. This is ultimately going to solve our border issues by creating a forge-proof system through which immigrants can legally enter and work in the US. (I respectfully disagree, but the Governor is really into biometrics, especially when it comes to border security, so I had to include it.)

Also, he has “TJR” embroidered on all of his left shirt sleeves. Baller.