I've been on a tear the last few weeks watching video after video of Charlie Kirk speeches and debates. Yesterday I saw the talk he had with California governor Gavin Newsom, and the more I listen to him, the more I realize the sheer gravity of what the conservative movement lost when that coward took his life. Since his assassination, I've learned that like my hero Steve Jobs, Kirk prepped extensively for these campus debates. He plotted things out on whiteboards and engaged in mock debates so that what we saw was a polished final product. Jobs' did the same thing and made his "stevenotes" seem effortless, which hid the work involved in perfecting them. Watching Charlie in action in front of an often hostile college audience, made me want to up my debate game both as a commentator and as a person. Like me, he must have read CONSTANTLY in order to snap back on almost any subject. I'd guess you could ask him about the history of the potato chip, and he'd respond with the date that the first chip was prepared along with the iterations along the way. In short, he was a walking Wikipedia, and I don't know what the republicans are going to do without him. This dude was a political genius, and they're going to have to find someone with a similar template to replicate that success. Ben Shapiro is too angry and robotic. When he speaks, he sounds like a fucking cyborg. Ann Coulter is too shrill and nasty. But there's one guy that comes closer than anyone else. Vivek Ramaswamy. Listen to him talk and you'll see what I mean. I saw him speak last year during the campaign and was shocked at how intelligent he was. If anybody can replicate the passion, drive, energy and charisma that Charlie Kirk had, it's him. While he lacks the religious component that Kirk possessed, he shines everywhere else. To be clear, no one can replace the original, but like Jobs' you can get at least part-way there. Those campus debates were a savvy idea, and really made a difference during the presidential contest of 2024. What happened was that Charlie replaced the screaming, shouting, mean-spirited conservative stereotype with something far more compelling. The nation lost one of the great ones when he was taken away, leaving a huge void to be filled. I hope the republicans can get it done, as with a rich culture of robust debate, the nation will be better for it.