Full Team

Conor J Rogers | From the Right
Editor-In-Chief

Hometown: HoHoKus, New Jersey
Ideology: Capitalist Republican

Recognized by PolitickerNJ as an up-and-coming leader of the next generation, Conor got his start in politics by founding the Republicans Club at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey in 2004. The club, which quickly became a volunteer corps for local Republican candidates and campaigns, merged with local high school Republican clubs to form the Bergen County Teenage Republicans (or TARs) in 2005. Conor served as chair of the Bergen TARs until his graduation in 2008. While at Bergen TARs, he simultaneously served as head of the New Jersey Teenage Republicans, at the time, the largest teenage Republican volunteer group in the Northeast. As a youth political director in New Jersey, he worked on over a dozen campaigns, including Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign and Kean for Senate 2006. He has been featured in US News & World Report, and The New Jersey Record for his work in politics.

Conor currently attends The George Washington University and is a political science major. He served as the Freshman Representative for the GW College Republicans, interned for John McCain’s general election campaign and now serves as the Director of Public Relations for the pro-life student group Colonials For Life. Conor is the founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Politicizer.

Click here to follow Conor on Twitter.

Kathleen McCaffrey | From the Right
Associate Editor

Hometown: Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Ideology: Libertarian Republican

Kathleen, the co-founder of The Politicizer, has been interested in politics since she first listened to Rush Limbaugh at the age of five. Throughout high school and college she has served on a variety of debate and political clubs, as well as the Bergen County Republican Committee. Her favorite books include ‘Capitalism and Freedom,’ ‘The Road to Serfdom,’ ‘Letters to a Young Contrarian,’ ‘The End of Faith,’ ‘Atlas Shrugged,’ and ‘The Master and Margarita.’ Her favorite publications are The Economist and Vanity Fair.

Currently, Kathleen is a student at New York University majoring in both Philosophy and History. She served as the Internship Coordinator for the NYU College Republicans in 2008-2009, is a Vice President of the Libertarian Club, and has played for the women’s golf team at NYU. In the fall of 2009, she studied in Berlin, Germany at Humboldt University.

Michele Walk | From the Center
Associate Editor

Hometown: Boxford, Massachusetts
Ideology: Moderate

Michele has been interested in politics since childhood. By middle school, she had personal subscriptions to news magazines and considered herself a Democrat. However, in 2008 she left the Democratic Party because of Barack Obama’s policies and campaigned in DC, Virginia, and Pennsylvania for John McCain.

Ideologically, she is fiscally conservative, leans to the center-left on social issues, and tends toward conservative views on foreign policy and security. Her main policy interests are school choice/education, pro-life advocacy, and poverty reduction through capitalism (for example, microlending). She identifies as a moderate because of her belief that civil dialogue between the two parties is vital for sound public policy. Her icons are Adam Smith, Theodore Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt and Muhammad Yunus.

Michele attends the George Washington University, where she is double majoring in International Affairs and Economics. She serves on the executive board of the Colonials for Life, GW’s pro-life student organization.

Click here to follow Michele on Twitter.

Stephanie Phillips | From The Left
Associate Editor

Ideology: Environmentalist
Hometown: Portland, Oregon

Stephanie’s political focus is largely centered on sustainability and energy policy. Though registered as an independent, she often sides with the Democrats and supports a bipartisan effort in creating sustainable energy policy.

She also leans Democratic on diplomacy and social issues such as health care and education.

Stephanie graduated from New York University in May 2009 with a degree in Politics and Sustainability. At NYU, Stephanie worked for the university’s Sustainability Office on climate action planning and student outreach and engagement. This past year she also co-chaired the Energy and Water Working Group of the NYU Sustainability Task Force developing green energy recommendations for the university. Her involvement in politics includes internships for Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten, New York City Council Member Gale Brewer, and for the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission in Portland, Oregon.

Noah Baron | From The Left
Associate Editor

Hometown: Princeton Junction, New Jersey
Ideology: Progressive

Noah got his start in politics in high school, when he co-founded an anti-sweatshop and anti-genocide student group called the New Jersey Human Rights Alliance. Though only brief in existence, the NJHRA was involved in distributing information about sweatshop conditions in third-world countries and the genocide in Darfur in a number of shopping centers throughout New Jersey. Soon after, Noah co-founded both a debate club and an Amnesty International club at his high school, the former he led from 2006-7, the latter from 2005-7, when he graduated from high school.

Noah currently attends Columbia University, where he is majoring in political science and history. While in college, he has interned for John Edwards’ presidential campaign in New Hampshire, the New York State Democratic Committee, and, most recently, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Currently, he is the editor of the Columbia Spectator opinion blog, The Commentariat, as well as on the executive board of Kesher, the reform Jewish group on campus.

Staff Writers

Cynthia Meyer | From The Right

Hometown: Austin, Texas
Ideology: Very Conservative

Cynthia served as the Freshman Representatives for the George Washington University College Republicans, and is currently the Director of Publications. During the 2008 general election, she tirelessly campaigned for the McCain-Palin ticket in Virginia and Pennsylvania. In the summer of 2009, she worked for the Rick Perry campaign for governor.

An Army brat and a Reagan Republican, Cynthia is particularly passionate about supporting our men and women overseas. She has also been a strong and vocal opponent of abortion, volunteering for the Texas Rally for Life and participating in the March for Life in DC.

Click here to follow Cynthia on Twitter.

Malcolm Wiley-Floyd | From the Center-Left

Hometown: New York, New York
Ideology: Centrist Democrat

Malcolm-Wiley is a registered Democrat and a supporter of President Obama. On most social issues he holds liberal viewpoints, however, when it comes to national defense and economic issues is usually more conservative. As an economics major, he has great faith in free markets and the power of incentives.

Malcolm-Wiley is a sophomore at Harvard University, where he is majoring in economics. He is an editor of the Harvard Crimson and is a director of the Harvard Model United Nations program.

Emma Carpenter | From the Left

Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Ideology: Liberal Democrat

Emma attended her first political rally at the age of four and has been hooked ever since. In 2007, she served as a United States Senate Page, sponsored by Senator Ken Salazar. She has volunteered on campaigns in Colorado, including Obama’s campaign as well as Ken Salazar for Senate in 2004. She also worked on the Visibility Committee for the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

Emma currently attends the George Washington University, where she is majoring in Women’s Studies. She participated in the Elizabeth J. Somers Women’s Leadership Program and served as Freshman Representative for the College Democrats. Currently, she is serving as the Political Affairs Director for College Democrats.

Om Pandya | From the Right

Hometown: Fort Pierce, Florida
Ideology: Conservative
Om is a conservative but has been recently struggling with libertarian leanings. Raised in a politically neutral state by an apolitical family, he prides himself on having an open mind and basing his political beliefs on reason rather than party lines or political dogma. Om is currently a sophomore at NYU, where he is actively involved in the College Republicans and serves as the Athletic Coordinator. He is majoring in politics and economics, with a special focus on global issues.

Peter Fulham | From the Left

Hometown: Newton, Massachusetts
Ideology: Democrat

Peter typically sides with the Democratic Party on both social and economic issues. His writing has appeared in The Buffalo News, The Chicago Tribune, and USA Today. At The Buffalo News, he worked on a student-produced section of the newspaper, writing news and feature articles, as well as editorials.

Peter is a freshman at the College of the Holy Cross, where he is majoring in political science. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with his three brothers at his family’s home in Newton, MA.

Alec Jacobs | From The Right

Ideology: Conservative Republican
Hometown: Scotch Plains, New Jersey

A former liberal, Alec now aspires to be the “male Ann Coulter.” A conservative on all fronts, he is a capitalist and, unlike many of his conservative colleagues, an atheist. In high school, he served as his chapter’s treasurer and later as vice president of the Junior Statesmen of America, co-founded the school’s chapter of Amnesty International, and became a regular columnist for his high school newspaper after serving just two weeks on the staff. He has volunteered for Libertarian candidate Jason Sheurer’s campaign for U.S. Senate in New Jersey and with John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Alec is a sophomore at the George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, where he is majoring in Political Communication. He is an active member of the College Republicans and the Young America’s Foundation. He has also been published in the GW Hatchet, the campus newspaper.

Click here to follow Alec on Twitter.

Tyler Bilbo | From The Left

Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Ideology: Partisan Democrat

A longtime political enthusiast, Tyler is a self-described “red state Democrat” who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His experience growing up in the state that gave John McCain his largest margin victory forms the foundation of his political outlook. An all around progressive Democrat, Tyler emphasizes the importance of packaging liberalism in a way that can sell in the heartland. In addition to searching for a marketable liberal message, Tyler is an avid follower of the United States Congress and Congressional elections.

Tyler is a government major and a Chinese minor at Georgetown University. A member of the Georgetown University College Democrats, Tyler also serves as the political advocacy co-chair for GU Pride, Georgetown’s LGBT student organization.

Paul Marin | From the Center

Hometown: Constanta, Romania
Ideology: Liberal Republican

Born only four months after the fall of communism in Romania, Paul witnessed his country’s transition from a reign of fear and deprivation to rule of law and a free economy. This unique political experience influenced Paul’s core beliefs that politicians do not face a trade-off between good policy and good politics, and, that, only capitalism produces long-term prosperity.

In 2008, Paul worked for local National Liberal Party candidates in the Romanian parliamentary elections. In 2009, Paul joined the liberal candidate’s presidential campaign, working with its online youth group to both develop political strategy as well as work in grassroots campaign. Aside from fighting in the Romanian political arena, Paul has also advocated for his convictions in the Romanian press: he writes weekly editorials for a local daily in his home city of Constanta and maintains a blog on Romanian politics and foreign policy.

Paul has been living in the United States for the past five years and is currently a student of international affairs at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. He hopes that his international political expertise will enable him to bring back to Romania the vision the country needs to become a prosperous liberal democracy.

Adam Sieff | From the Left

Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Ideology: Liberal Independent

Adam considers himself a “pragmatic liberal.” He generally supports a liberal agenda in principle but realizes the need to compromise with conservative voices. He is disturbed by libertarianism and populism of all political stripes. Though registered as an independent, he often sides with the Democratic Party.

Adam is a Political Science major at Columbia University with concentrations in political theory and international relations. He has worked for Senator Sheila James Kuehl, Congressman Brad Sherman, and was a field organizer for Obama’s Presidential campaign. He is the editor-in-chief of Publius, an undergraduate journal of politics at Columbia, and also writes for the Columbia Spectator.

Nick Autiello | From the Center

Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island
Ideology: Moderate Republican

A moderate Republican, Nick subscribes to the philosophy that the state can and should make the lives of its people better through good public policy, but that it cannot do that without first respecting the individual rights of citizens and the power of the free market economy. Though he is interested in all areas of public policy, he is particularly interested in foreign affairs and education policy.

Nick is a sophomore at Florida International University where he double majors in International Relations and History. He is Chief of Staff of the Student Government, Chairman of the College Republicans and a Vice President of his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. He also lobbies for student interests and education reform as a member of the Legislative Affairs committee of the Florida Student Association. He has worked in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, for the Charlie Christ for Governor campaign, and for the Rudy Guiliani and John McCain presidential campaigns.

Kevin Hollinshead | From the Left

Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Ideology: Progressive Democrat

Kevin has been a self-described “politics geek” since high school, when he started reading Al Franken’s books and other political/historical non-fiction works, and developed an affinity for cable news and political commentary, notably Countdown with Keith Olbermann. He is a registered Democrat who voted for President Obama, but he has disagreed with some of his policies, notably on Afghanistan, healthcare, and the economy. He most closely identifies with progressives such as Franken, Olbermann, and Dennis Kucinich.

Kevin is a junior Political Science major at Colorado State University, with particular interest in national politics. He is an opinion columnist for The Rocky Mountain Collegian, CSU’s student newspaper, and the only student-run daily in Colorado. He is also a student facilitator for the CSU Center for Public Deliberation, an organization that helps put together and run public forums with the goal of enhancing local democracy in Northern Colorado through improved public communication and community problem solving. In the spring, he will be an intern in the Democratic Policy Office of the Colorado House of Representatives.

Emily Paige Blanco | From the Right

Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia
Ideology: Evangelical Republican

A conservative Republican, Emily incorporates her Christian faith into her political ideology, both fiscally and socially. She interned for Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ 7) in his Washington, DC office in the fall of 2008 and working for the McCain-Palin presidential campaign.

She is currently a junior at Wheaton College in Illinois, the nation’s premiere Evangelical institution for higher education. She is majoring in International Relations, serves on Class Council, and is a coxswain for Wheaton Crew.

Emily Sieg | From the Left

Hometown: Windsor, England
Ideology: Social Democrat

Emily has spent most of her life jumping back-and-forth across the Atlantic, and thus suffers from what might be called a nationality complex. Born in Virginia, she has lived in Pennsylvania, England, Germany and Switzerland. She most closely identifies with the ideology of the Social Democrats Party (SPD) of Germany, but British politics play a greater role when she is at her home just outside London and American politics naturally play an important part of her life when she is at college in Washington, DC. She is the Politicizer’s International Correspondent.

Emily is a junior at the George Washington University and is double majoring in International Affairs and German.

Ian Goldin | From the Left

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
Ideology: Liberal Independent

Ian has always been outspoken about his political beliefs – he went to his first protest at 14 years old and has been avidly participating in them ever since. Raised by a blue-collar immigrant father and an white collar working mother, he has a fairly diverse background. His political ideology has been greatly shaped by his Christian beliefs, especially by his experiences on various mission trips.

Ian currently attends the George Washington University, where he is majoring in International Affairs. A congressional intern for Sen. John Kerry, he also serves as President for GWU Colonials Against State Executions, the campus anti-death penalty group.

Jesse-Justin Cuevas | From the Left

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Ideology: Liberal

A strong believer in Jeffersonian democracy, Jesse believes that every citizen should lend his mind (but not his body) to the state. She supports direct democracy in theory but believes it impractical for modern America. Although she strongly advocates for it, she blames individualism for much of the country’s lack of political participation. Jesse is a proud feminist but not a Westernizer; the American exceptionalist attitude horrifies her. With regards to economics, she supports market regulation and government social programs because of a belief that because system is intrinsically classist and racist.

Jesse graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in Propriety and Politics: Sex, Deviance, Morality, and the Law. Her interdisciplinary curriculum consisted of intense political philosophy and many different veins of cultural and identity politics: gender and sexuality studies, feminist theory, race politics, and queer theory. Jesse currently teaches Pilates full-time in Manhattan, copy edits for $pread Magazine, and frequently updates her online writing portfolio.

Malik Neal | From the Right

Ideology: Conservative
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A Philadelphia native, Malik is a self-proclaimed pragmatic conservative and has been active in politics from a very young age. He has worked on numerous local campaigns, as well as several national campaigns, including serving as a coalition member for the John McCain presidential campaign. Malik has provided commentary on Fox News and the nationally syndicated Hugh Hewitt radio show. He has also been featured in both the Evening Bulletin and Philadelphia Inquirer. Awarded the Union League of Philadelphia’s Good Citizenship Award, Malik was appointed by Councilman Jack Kelly to serve on the Philadelphia Youth Commission.

Malik combines his interest in politics with a deep love of history. In 2008, Malik was awarded a $50,000 scholarship in the national debate/history competition, “Now Debate This,” for his successful argument that Abraham Lincoln was a greater president than George Washington. Malik is currently a freshman at College of the Holy Cross, where he is majoring in History. At Holy Cross he is active in several clubs, including being a Knight of Columbus. In his spare time, Malik enjoys reading, writing, playing his bass guitar, spending time with friends and his three younger sisters.

Tim Peterson | From the Left

Ideology: Independent
Hometown: Los Angeles, California

A registered independent, Tim leans to the left but finds conventional political labels to be limiting and prefers to consider himself “Socratic.” He is particularly interested in the role of the loyal opposition and holding all politicians accountable for their political practices regardless of ideology or affiliation. With regards to issues, he is especially interested in education reform and is currently actively following the ongoing troubles in California.

Tim graduated from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2009 with a concentration in the representation of cultural identities. He has previously written for the Santa Monica Observer, and is currently the Assistant Editor at Access magazine. He lives in Queens, New York.