While many adults far older than he is don’t know where they stand politically, or are politically ignorant and care more about sports scores than who is running for office, Nile Porter of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, only twenty two years old, knows exactly where he stands in this presidential race — and for that matter in his state’s politics.
Porter definitely knows the political players and the political scores in his home state. He has strong political views and principles and can intelligently and articulately defend his political beliefs.
Porter has been active politically for several years now. He was turned on to conservatism by a conservative-leaning guidance counselor. Porter felt that his counselor’s way of life was a good one. “He gave me good advice on how to lead my life.”
Porter joined the Young Republicans and became active, campaigning and lending his energies to man campaigns.
In the course of his involvement in the Republican Party, he met many of Wisconsin’s prominent Republicans. “I had been on a first-name basis with people like Congressman James Sensenbrenner, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch,, and Governor Scott Walker. I personally met Bobby Jindal, and even went to a private dinner where I sat next to Carly Fiorina. ” He also came to the attention of Charlie Sykes, a prominent conservative talk show host who even included a bit of a write-up about him on his website.
Though he was an involved Republican at one stage of his life, and voted for Romney in the last presidential election, he became intrigued by the ideas the Libertarian Party. Porter says that as he got older he saw certain aspects of libertarianism that he liked. He feels that “Gary Johnson is the best candidate” in the race.
Porter says that he has kept some of his conservative Republican values.
“I am definitely pro-life and am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. I also support the right of people to carry long guns as well.” He also says that he is taking “what I feel is honest from most mainstream political structures.”
He has many beliefs that are both conservative and libertarian. “My basic principles,” he elaborated, “are for lower taxes, less government, and the freedom to disagree.” Though very young, this serious young man is thinking of a world for his “kids and grandkids.”
His social conscience makes him feel that “it’s important to give tools to help people, but then they have to help themselves as well.”
At the age of eighteen he began to work for Campaign Now, which is involved with promoting candidates. He published articles about candidates, and also worked in fundraising and on special projects.
Porter is a student at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, majoring in economics, and has been on the student senate. He helped oversee $18,000,000 of funds for UWM programs for a couple of years.
On the political awareness of his generation, Porter says: “I feel forty percent don’t even think about political things, and about twenty percent are well versed, have strong opinions, and know a lot.”
Interestingly enough, his role model is the fictional character “Thomas Wayne, Batman’s father, because this character feels he has a charitable responsibility to society.”
Porter is a wunderkind. He already has a stock portfolio and follows the rule of “never buy to hold when you have small amount of capital.” At eighteen he first ventured into the market. He has his life planned from now until his seventies.
He wants to go to medical school, then buy commercial properties, and ultimately open his own bank.
As for going into politics, that’s not something he says he’ll consider.
Nile Porter will go far on whatever path he continues on, and he certainly will never lose his interest in how the country is being run and who governs it.
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