Douglas Kmiec
A conservative constitutional scholar who made waves by crossing party lines to endorse Barack Obama, later serving as his ambassador.
Born 1951 (age 75)·American lawyer·Birthday: September 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Douglas Kmiec built a respected career as a legal mind in conservative circles, a professor who advised Reagan and penned opinions for the Wall Street Journal. His world turned when, during the 2008 presidential race, he applied his pro-life Catholic beliefs and his reading of constitutional principles to a surprising conclusion: an endorsement of Democrat Barack Obama. This act, detailed in a public letter and a book, was a profound ideological rupture that drew fierce criticism from former allies and made him a unique figure in the political landscape. President Obama later appointed Kmiec as Ambassador to Malta, a role in which he focused on interfaith dialogue and humanitarian issues. His journey from Republican insider to Democratic appointee remains a fascinating case study of conscience in politics, illustrating how legal philosophy can sometimes lead to unexpected destinations.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Douglas was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Douglas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Douglas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as U.S. Ambassador to Malta from 2009 to 2011, appointed by President Barack Obama.
- Authored the 2008 book 'Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question about Barack Obama', explaining his controversial endorsement.
- Held the Caruso Family Chair in Constitutional Law at Pepperdine University School of Law.
- Previously served as head of the Office of Legal Counsel under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
Did You Know?
He was a former dean of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.
His endorsement of Obama led to him being disinvited from speaking at a Catholic prayer breakfast.
He clerked for Judge Walter R. Mansfield of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
He is a prolific author of books on constitutional law and legal theory.
“The Constitution is not a suicide pact, but it also is not a permission slip for tyranny.”
