Who is Roger Stone?

People have been talking about the actions taken against Roger Stone by the FBI recently. So who the heck is this guy? I googled him. Found out there is a Netflix documentary about him. He seems to be a complex guy with a long history.

Let's start with some facts. He has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back. He was 19 years old during Watergate. Stone is best known as a political consultant / lobbyist. He created the DC consulting firm Black, Manaford, and Stone. Most says he intimately knows the convention process.

Stone says that everyone in Washington is for sale. He charges money for access to elected officials. He created a PAC to get around the $5k campaign donation limits for candidates. He thinks morals are a weakness. He also says that Julian Assange (of WikiLeaks) is a hero.

Stone has had successes and failures during his long tenure. He was a regional director for Ronald Reagan in 3 states. But he also was an advisor for Dole/Kemp. Recently he is in the limelight for his dealing with the Trump campaign. He recommend that Trump run for president way back in 1987. He served as Trump's chief political advisor in 2015. Based on who you talk to, he was either fired or quit from Trump's camp.

What does Stone say for himself? Well he has a list of rules that he calls Stone's Rules. Here is a notable quote from him: "You have to be outrageous to get noticed."

The Rise of Donald Trump

With the recent charges filed against Roger Stone, I am reminded about how Donald Trump came to be president. You hear a lot of people talking about him wanting to "Make America great again." However on the campaign trail, he also wanted to make America safe again. He wanted to make America strong again.

Donald also stated that the American dream is dead. However he said he would bring it back. He promised a new way. He said he was going to go to DC to drain the swamp. Strong words. Is there going to be follow through on that promise?

At the end of one campaign speech, Donald said to the crowd, "God bless you. I love you." He talked about going back to some basics to get elected. He said, "We are going back to the old way. You vote; you win."