Frank Fahrenkopf was the RNC chair for six years during Ronald Reagan's administration.
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We spoke with the man who served the longest time as the Chairman of the Republican National Committee in the 20th Century and the second longest time overall.
Frank Fahrenkopf is currently co-chariman of the Commission on Presidential Debates. He's one of the folks we can thank for having that final Presidential Debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton back in October.
He is also President and CEO of the American Gaming Association.
Frank was in the area this week to deliver a keynote address to the Palm Beach Republican Club. He spoke with us on a number of subjects, including:
Gun Control. This self-described conservative, who served six years as RNC chair during the Ronald Reagan administration says "I have always been of the view that I do not know why a hunter needs to have an automatic weapon...military type weapon. That's just been my own personal view."
Fahrenkopf told us that while the focus is always on republicans, "When the President made his proposals, Harry Reid said the bills aren't going anywhere." The Senate Majority Leader is not going to move the bill forward, and he's a democrat.
Founding the Commission on Presidential Debates. The" former Chair of the Democratic National Committee...and I...created the commission 25 years ago." He says they agreed across party lines to create something they thought was in the public interest.
Frank laments that he doesn't see that type of getting along going on these days and wishes he would.
Reagan. President Ronald Reagan was a master at compromising with members of the other major political party, according to Fahrenkopf.
"He understood that to get something done for the best interest of the American people, there were times when you have to compromise. Sometimes when you had to settle for half the pie rather than the whole pie."
Listen to the audio, at 4:30 in to hear Frank tell an interesting story about Reagan and then-Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O'Neal.
Can the GOP come back?
He answers that question very simply with a "Yes".
