Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
He said the magic word!
Now is the time to eliminate redundant, failed and duplicitous federal government programs and agencies.
The emphasis is mine. Soon after, he said we should start "by looking at every government program and agency that has been created in the last ten years", but that doesn't bother me as long as he plans to tackle the bigger programs in 2012. The last ten years is a fair starting point while Obama and liberal Senators remain in power.
West also touted the $100 billion Republicans are attempting to cut from the budget. That, too, is acceptable only if it is a beginning. Cutting the corporate tax rate and some other statements are old, failed Republican promises. We'll see.
Originally, I went through and transcribed much of what Lt. Col. West said in his speech, but it's better if you hear it from him. He's bold, articulate, thoughtful and solidly rooted.
Here's the video. It really gets going about 17 minutes in (the video isn't all West).
The more I learn about West, the more I like him. John Bolton is now my backup candidate for President. Lt. Col. West has my vote.
And he's electable. He's an all-round conservative like Fred Thompson, but with the charisma and commitment to accomplish what Thompson could not.
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Dec '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
I'm with you. Others are okay but he is the only fighter I see.
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
I like him a lot, Aaron, but I prefer that our candidate be less in-their-faces (I accept that I'm in the minority on this point). A calm, controlled Mitch Daniels-ish or Paul Ryan-ish explainer-in-chief, patiently and reassuringly outlining the right course for an audience of independents, is what this moment demands.
That said, a tough-as-nails, attack-dog veep candidate could be very useful, and here Col. West might be ideal.
Dec '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
West is great, but as he himself indicated in that speech, he will be having hard time, just keeping his new seat, in 2012. If he can win another term or two, there, that should give him some legs.
I have been iffy on Mitch Daniels, but thought that this was also a pretty great speech.
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
I agree that a balance of a blunt and courageous candidate with a more typically reserved candidate would be a good President / VP combo.
But voters need to be assured that this is, as West puts it, a "new dawn" for America. Even if one is not as certain as Steyn or myself that the U.S. stands on the precipice of disaster, it should be clear that we cannot settle for temperate action.
Democrats have the advantage:
For these reasons and others, conservatives must always work twice as hard as progressives just to break even. And, historically, they're better at influencing public perceptions.
Conservatives can do nothing more than slow defeat without bold measures and leadership.
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
If another great leader steps up for the Presidency in 2012, I'll be happy to see West remain in Congress.
I'm still catching up on CPAC. I look forward to listening to Daniels.
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Aaron Miller
Conservatives can do nothing more than slow defeat without bold measures and leadership. · Feb 13 at 1:03pm
To be clear, I'm in favor of "bold." I just feel our best odds of effecting bold reform are with a "calm-assertive" type candidate.
Edited on Feb 13, 2011 at 1:49pmRe: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
"The more I learn about West," you write, Aaron, "the more I like him."
Me too.
Dec '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
HUGE Col. West fan. Just the right mix of pit bull & pragmatist. Must say, there wasn't one word of that speech I disagreed with and these days, that's saying something! May not be ready in '12 but he sure would be soon after that, IMHO.
Dec '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
My bad; as I scroll down through Ricochet, I see Peter already posted the Daniels' speech.
Jan '11
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Okay, I'm terrible at practical politics and maybe you're right. But... we've had an Explainer-in-Chief for two years now. Seems to me we need to oppose Obama, not emulate him.
Dec '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Margaret Ball
But... we've had an Explainer-in-Chief for two years now. Seems to me we need to oppose Obama, not emulate him.
Yeah that's why I think Romney would be a terrible choice. A few weeks ago after the Bush tax cut deal, all the pundits were arguing whether or not obama will be re-elected. The major reason attributed to his future defeat was that he has no place to hide from obamacare. Why would we nominate Romney and give obama the "he did it too!" argument? I want the bizarro obama.
Then we were discussing President Reagan and how he led the way to defeating the Soviet Union. What I got out of it was he knew in his heart how absurd and weak the USSR was. I want a president who understands how absurd and weak the liberal, progressives, democrats, communists, ect. are and attack them in every way.
Lt. Col. Allen West is the only politician who I have seen call out Islamofascists like this. I am also very happy to see someone point out the ridiculous rules of engagement, the second enemy our troops are dealing with.
Edited on Feb 13, 2011 at 5:12pmJul '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Aaron,
I watched Mr. West today he killed it ....
So you live in Spring, Tx. I gonna be mad if you live across the street and I didn't know. I will buy the coffee if you want to meet at Starbucks @ 45 and Cypresswood. I don't know how to contact you other than Ricochet. Listen to your songs on Youtube .... great job, your guitar is Micheal Heagesesque.
Let me know, it will be good to meet you.
Is there a secret hand shake contact thing on our accounts and I don't know about it? ... please tell me. There should be
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Margaret Ball
Okay, I'm terrible at practical politics and maybe you're right. But... we've had an Explainer-in-Chief for two years now. Seems to me we need to oppose Obama, not emulate him. · Feb 13 at 3:58pm
We have a different definition of "explainer-in-chief" then, because an Obama campaign, with its grand, overly dramatic loudness--"This is the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal blah blah" [insert delirious screams here]--is the polar opposite of what I have in mind.
We can never out-Obama Obama in a campaign. It's not in the conservative nature. Better to draw as deep a contrast as possible. Answering his grand silliness with a calm, cool, and collected "Ya, whatever. Here's why it doesn't work; here's why we can't afford it; etc." strikes me as the best way to accomplish this.
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Rep. West preaches to my choir. As he steps onto the national stage, he'll be painted as an Alan Keyes-like barefoot-and-pregnant far-right psycho. Look for the Uncle Tom card, too. I just hope we the people can see through the propaganda, unlike the last time around.
I would love to see him in a one-on-one debate with Obama. No contest!
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Boymoose:
So you live in Spring, Tx. I gonna be mad if you live across the street and I didn't know. I will buy the coffee if you want to meet at Starbucks @ 45 and Cypresswood.
It sounds like you do live practically across the street. Cool. You can find my email address at my Blogger profile.
And yes, Ricochet needs a private messaging system for situations like this.
There's at least one or two other RicocheTexans in the Houston area, and plenty more scattered throughout Texas. One of these days, we'll have to set up a Ricochet BBQ. Perhaps Dave Carter could swing over here, too.
Scott Reusser
To be clear, I'm in favor of "bold." I just feel our best odds of effecting bold reform are with a "calm-assertive" type candidate.
Fair enough.
Duane said once that doing too much too fast risks losing many voters, and perhaps Republicans could hold onto power longer (and accomplish more over the long run) by reducing government more gradually. That is a risk.
But I think grand measures require the sort of inspiration that can only be provided by bold leadership, and time is against us.
Jan '11
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Kervinlee #14 - took the words out of my mouth. The left will hate and vilify him for the reasons you mention - and also because he doesn't play nice all the time. Sometimes I think we need a little more of that however.........
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Two things:
1. Maybe we should do a Rico event in Houston?
2. Love Col. West. But I say: let a thousand flowers bloom. We don't need to have a candidate for 2012 right now. Let them all talk and argue and sort it out. For some reason, I'm confident that we've got a pretty interesting bench.
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
If the event was aimed at people in Texas and Oklahoma, then Austin might be geographically centered. But that's assuming the South will get a separate event sometime.
Houston would be more accessible to folks living along the Gulf Coast (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama). I make the 7/8-hour drive between Houston and Mobile every year, but I'm not sure how far a drive others consider too far.
Lt. Col. West is my first pick at the moment, but I agree that the field is still open. I worry, however, that we'll have too many good candidates in the primaries, resulting in a repeat of 2008.
By the way, "Lieutenant Colonel" may not roll off the tongue like "Colonel", but I suspect the difference is important to West and his fellow soldiers.
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Good point. Lt. Col. West it will remain, in my 2012 Candidate Macro.
For sure we've got to have a RicoSouth. And I think you're right about Austin, or maybe Dallas? That's a plumb line south from OKC.
May '10
Re: Lt. Col. Allen West at CPAC
Dallas is probably better. It's an extra hour from here, but closer for Midwest folks. I'm not sure how many of us would survive Dallas drivers, though.