Grovetown - The T-shirt-clad teenager is in his grandparents' kitchen when he unleashes his latest broadside against Barack Obama, staring intently at a webcam as he questions whether the president is "ignorant" and "incompetent."
C.J. Pearson’s post could easily be ignored as the juvenile rant of a gawky 13-year-old in the throes of puberty. But his biting rhetoric and in-your-face videos have earned him a place firmly on the Georgia GOP’s radar as a young black spokesman for a party desperate to attract minorities.
Recordings like that one, which attracted more than 2 million views on YouTube in two weeks, have helped Pearson garner thousands of social media followers and ample media attention. He's rocketed to a role on Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign — Pearson heads Teens for Ted — and that platform helps him push legislation that would allow younger Georgians to run for office.
That fame has led to dizzying consequences for Pearson. Operatives and candidates have eagerly tried to tie themselves to his brand. At the same time, his credibility is under fire for bizarre and embarrassing fabrications on social media. His grandparents don't agree with his political views and would rather he focus on school. And skeptics question whether outsiders are taking advantage of a brash teenager.
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