Exclusive One-on-One With Michelle Malkin, the Happy Warrior

Editor's note: Every issue of TheBlaze Magazine features an exclusive Q&A with movers and shakers we believe our audience would enjoy getting to know just a little better. The regular feature, "In the Hot Seat," has featured David Barton, Brad Thor, Matt Kibbe, Sen. Rand Paul, S.E. Cupp, Rep. Allen West, Pat Gray and more.

This month, Mike Opelka interviewed Michelle Malkin. Below are a few of our questions and her answers.

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On her website (michellemalkin.com), Michelle Malkin describes herself this way: “I’m a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, author and Fox News Channel contributor.”

She is certainly all of those things. However, we discovered some additional, very interesting items about the woman who calls herself a “happy warrior in the mold of Ronald Reagan.” Michelle Malkin joins us this month "In the Hot Seat."

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BLAZE: Was there ever a time in your life that you were not a conservative—or was there a pivot point, an incident sparked your conservatism?

MICHELLE: I was a “congenital conservative” from the time I was a young girl, and that’s because of my parents.

There were two huge pivot points for me. College was the first. I had never been exposed to liberal racism. I had never been exposed to progressive ideas of multiculturalism and collectivism the way I was in college. And it was against everything I had been taught and everything that I believed instinctively.

And I think that 9/11 really focused my mind and my heart on several important policy issues—national security, sovereignty and a renewed sense and appreciation for the basic freedoms that we have and that I realized were under threat in a way I had never seen in my lifetime.

BLAZE: What is a political “deal breaker” for you? In other words, what single issue position could prevent you from supporting a president and vice president?

MICHELLE: I’ve mentioned 9/11, and when I talk about national security, the importance of immigration enforcement is one of my big issues and always has been. Any candidate that would come out for the kind of blanket amnesty and the sabotage of fundamental immigration rules isn't for me.

BLAZE: Your success has also brought you some negative attention in the form of rude and crude insults, even threats. How do you deal with that side of fame?

MICHELLE: I am always a happy warrior in the mold of Ronald Reagan. After two decades in this business, you come to understand that these kinds of attacks—the ad hominem smears—come with the territory. Second of all, it’s a small price to pay to be able to make a living basically mouthing off! When I go onto college campuses, I tell the young kids, “I pinch myself every morning when I dwell on the concept of making a living broadcasting my opinions.” And I never lose that sense of wonder and appreciation.

Check out the full interview, including her thoughts on:

• What are the top three issues for undecideds to consider in the 2012 election?
• Will a third-party candidate ever win the White House?
• Was her total takeover of the social media world all part of a grand plan?
• Should we implement term limits for Congress?
• What one superpower would she like to have?
• Is there something about her that would totally surprise her fans?
• What's the one thing she never leaves home without?

Get the full one-on-one only in the pages of TheBlaze Magazine.