Orange County's Jeremy Yamaguchi–the Republican activist and Boy Scout who first won election to the Placentia City Council as a 19-year-old Cal State Fullerton student in 2008–garnered a national cable television audience on Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C.
During a CPAC segment titled “Next generation of conservatives,” Yamaguchi made a four-minute speech that highlighted his youth. He recalled one man telling him that he has ties that are older.
Said the councilman, “I told him, 'With all due respect, sir, it might be time for a wardrobe update.'”
The line earned some laughs, but the crowd was most appreciative of Yamaguchi's personal story.
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He said he'd run for student body president in elementary school, middle school and high school.
“All
three times, I lost,” Yamaguchi said. “It wasn't until the fourth time I ran
for a leadership position that I won and that was for the city council.”
The lesson?
“If at first you don't succeed, you are normal.”
Many of the political enthusiasts in the crowd loved the line and applauded.
Yamaguchi
also ridiculed public employee unions, government expansion and taxes
on businesses. Before he finished he encouraged older conservatives to
educate, motivate and empower young people.
“My generation is
ready to carry the flag of conservatism into the future,” Yamaguchi
said. “It's time to stand up for conservative values.”
CSPAN broadcast his speech live as well as remarks by the likes of Ann Coulter, Brent Bozell, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio.
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