I’ve actually talked to former Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) a couple of times, and I was always amazed at how someone with so few abilities could reach such high levels of government.
Despite a record of accomplishment that seems to have ended during his days playing college football, Watts quickly rose through the ranks of GOP lawmakers, eventually becoming Republican Conference chairman, the fourth most powerful position in the House. By 2000, there was ample talk about Bush considering Watts for the vice presidency.
Even now, three years after Watts retired from Congress, a visit to New Hampshire prompts speculation that the Oklahoman could be weighing a presidential bid. Fortunately, Watts dismissed the talk, saying he has no plans to run for political office.
But if he’s not in office, and not planning to seek office, what is Watts up to? One word: infomercials.
Former Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) has begun a new line of work that has been popular in recent years with retired and defeated politicians: advertising.
Watts, who won a congressional seat in 1994 and before that was quarterback of the Oklahoma University Sooners, has been appearing in an infomercial for National Grants Conference (NGC), a Boca Raton, Fla.-based company that helps individuals “qualify to receive government money,” according to its website, www.ngcreg.com.
Well, are Watts’ half-hour infomercials any good?
Watts’s new line of work has earned him some sneers. A senior Republican aide snickered about his role on television, saying, “It makes the Cher infomercials look serious.”
As a rule, when someone compares your work to Cher’s hair-care and makeup ads, and concludes that Cher’s infomercials are better, it’s a problem.