Brendan Steinhauser
The 29-year-old Texas native has been one of the key operatives working to shape the Tea Party's energy into a ballot-box force. The author of a book about the conservative movement's struggles on college campuses, Steinhauser trains Tea Party recruits in the mechanics of social networking, voter outreach and grass-roots organizing.
Who is your political hero/inspiration?
William F. Buckley, Jr. and Saul Alinsky. Both were revolutionaries that inspired my work to help spark the tea party movement.
What's your go-to political blog?
I'm a big fan of realclearpolitics.com. They have all the latest news, articles and polls that help me shape my political strategy for the 2010 elections.
If you weren't working in politics, what would you be doing?
I'd work in a job that would allow me to travel and meet thousands of interesting, passionate people from around the country. That is the best part of my job now, and I don't know how I could do anything more fascinating.
What's the most overlooked issue facing America these days?
I think we need to be more worried about the national debt and the fiscal disaster that we face if we don't make some difficult decisions soon. Both political parties have failed to rein in federal spending and it is seriously threatening our future, both in terms of the economy and our national security.
Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
I would like to be here at FreedomWorks, focusing on driving a limited government policy agenda through Congress. We still have to work hard to build our movement so that we dominate American politics for decades to come. Saving freedom in America is my motivation to keep going, and I plan to make this my life's work.