Posted on 07/15/2008 9:09:07 AM PDT by Fox_Mulder77
According a very poor analysis offered this week by the Politico, which was highlighted by Drudge for all of about half a hour before he realized how false it was and removed it, the “GOP is heading into the 2008 election without a single minority candidate with a plausible chance of winning a campaign for the House, the Senate or governor.” (snip)
Governor Jindal is one of the nation’s foremost chief executives. But the leadership he exemplifies is even more abundantly found in one of the GOP’s foremost congressional candidates, Lt. Col. Allen West. And one would have to be politically oblivious to rule out his chances of winning Florida’s 22nd Congressional District.
Allen West is a true military leader. He’s also a dedicated public servant who decided to spend a year teaching high school in the district before announcing his candidacy. Most importantly, he brings vast knowledge and well thought out solutions to key issues, ranging from small business development to healthcare and pragmatic solutions to the mortgage crisis and job creation. The fact that he’s African-American just goes to show that the GOP is the party of people of all races who share in common sense.
What are Allen West’s chances of winning? At least 50-50. He’s not only extremely likeable and dynamic, but wherever he speaks he’s met with rave reviews. After he spoke at a major event in liberal Broward County, there wasn’t a Democrat in the room who didn’t think that this man got the issues of everyday people. Speaking with them afterward, it was the norm to hear them say “I’m a Democrat, but I’m going for Allen West.” To accomplish this he didn’t compromise his core conservative beliefs, he just articulated them. When he’s spoken at Republican clubs, he’s blown the audience away, with everyone saying we need communicators like him nationally and that if we had any the Republican brand would be in a far better position. I guess they mean that we need more real people who can properly express their core beliefs, something Allen West can do better than almost any Republican political leader today.
By contrast, West’s opponent, Congressman Ron Klein, is not very well received. There’s nothing wrong with him personally (in spite of his impractical views on the issues), but he comes across as a typical lawyer, and not a telegenic one at that. There are many Democrats in the district who simply don’t like him. All West needs to do to win is to match him in TV commercials. Consider that in the Republican onslaught of 2006, Clay Shaw only lost the district 51-47, with 2% going to another conservative. This year will be far better and Allen West is a far more effective communicator and candidate than was Congressman Shaw.
That the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) has failed to pay proper attention to this contest is a testament to their current lack of vision. While our chances of retaking the House this cycle are abysmal (unless, of course, Obama’s gracious enough to help us out with a few more promised face to face meetings with Chavez and Co. and Pelosi continues to display her natural level of competence with a few more trips to Syria), there are certain districts that are clearly within reach that we must win to have any reasoned hope of regaining the House at any point in the next few terms.
FL-22 is well within reach and Allen West is the type of candidate who by his very nature can be one of the most effective voices for the GOP on the national stage. The NRCC needs to spend resources there and put the Democrats on defense in some districts (thereby causing them to siphon resources away from their offense in others) instead of just playing defense themselves. And there’s no better place to do that than in FL-22 where a few TV commercials, just getting West and his message out there, are enough to make a difference.
Republicans take matters into their own hands. Those who are interested in electing more real conservatives and real people with effective voices should support this campaign. Aside from FL-22 being crucial to regaining the House at any time in the next 6-8 years, incumbents are most easily defeated their first time up for reelection. The dynamics of this race and of the candidates favor West and, when elected, he’ll be a leading voice for Republicans nationwide. His win will also help establish a stronger African-American and minority base for Republicans. He’s a viable candidate and one the party desperately needs.
JC Watts did wonders for the party in the 90s and West is even more effective. To get involved in this important campaign, one of the few that has national ramifications, go to http://www.allenwestforcongress.com.
Allen West is not the only minority running for the GOP and I will dedicate a future column to other leading minority candidates who bring great value to the party, but West has a 50-50 shot of winning and he can do more good for the GOP than almost any other candidate can anywhere in the nation. It’s up to us to support him.
Ping!!!
Absolute music to my ears. The next generation of leadership, and not a moment too soon.
Don’t look now, but white males are in the minority.
This is one of the best blogs on Lt. Col. Allen West, IMO. It explains what I feel, perfectly!!
I’ll second that! Just goes to show you shouldn’t take the mainstream media to heart. I don’t remember any of them predicting 1994 and that didn’t happen by accident. It was coordination and message. Today’s GOP has a bad habit of triangulating only on races the press says they can win. What ever happened to demographic analysis and weighing opportunities based upon potential reception of a candidate. Instead of waiting for candidates to fall out of the sky with win tattooed on their foreheads the GOP should start selling conservative message. It wins.
We will all truly know by November 5 whether the message actually wins or not.
I believe that we might lose a few house seats, but I think we might lose 1 or 2 SENATE seats - not the blowout the Has Been DBM is saying!!
Thanks for the post. Unfortunately for the MSM, republicans don’t run their candidates based on how they look in their birthday suits. For democrats, it’s all about packaging which is why their constituents are neat little bundles of grieving toy soldiers all dressed in the same uniform.
We shouldn’t lose any seats. Virginia is a good example. How expensive is it for the national GOP to run an ad attacking Warner’s trumped up record? McCain aside at least conservative organizations could generate a little press by publicly endorsing conservative candidates. We have a lot of them running for Senate seats this time and yet nothing. They could also release negative press releases against the liberal candidates. There are ways to fight and get a message out. If I were running the National Senate campaign it would be a nerve center. I’d have staffers assigned to monitor and generate and coordinate with state campaigns to win. What does the national GOP organizations do other than hand out money?
Why oh why isn't the NRCC helping this man? I thought they were holding off until they believed he had a viable chance to win, yet everything I read about his district points out the fact that he does, and has a wide appeal to many voters.
I still say the Republicans have moved so far to the middle as a party that they don't want guys like West mucking up their new centrist "image." It seems like they're ignoring him on purpose and just hoping he goes away. West has mass appeal on so many different levels, and they are fools to not finacially support his candidacy, at least as of yet, and there isn't much time left for them to suddenly wise up and start helping this deserving candidate. The GOP makes me so mad sometimes. I don't even think they know who they are as a party anymore. Just a bunch of rudderless drifters on the sea of politics.
Yeah, it’s pretty frustrating. Won’t stop him from fighting though. He’s a fighter, and with or without the RNC’s help he’s going to do very well!!
I sure hope so! The way the GOP is moving, a guy like West will be a “maverick” in the party. Go West.
GOPAC could also help. Isn’t that what it exists for?
I suggest calling NRCC, the RNC, and GOPAC (I do) and letting them know your frustrations.
Enough people call, perhaps they’ll pay attention. :)
Thanks for the ping!
I can really see us winning a number of House seats. There are many that were lost in ‘06 because of local reasons that no longer apply and the heavy anti-Rep sentiment (which came about when we didn’t articulate the reasons our beliefs)has dwindled. And that’s without Obama being exposed as naive and untrustworthy and a national security threat, which people will come to realize before Nov.
Agree with you on the Senate.
Yes,
We need to tell them to get involved in FL-22, as it has national ramifications that would be all positive for Republicans. We have a candidate who can truly make a difference.
To anyone who is going to help ELECT OBAMA, please get over your crying and unite behind McCain. The future of the USA depends on you.
Very well said! I do think we’ll pick up some House seats. People are waking up to Obama and by election time he’ll be exposed as the danger/radical that he is. Aside from that there were some very close calls in ‘06, what will be Allen West’s district being one of them. There is much less overt anger now and that should result in a few % coming back, which is all we need for a number of seats. The vacancy special races all featured terrible candidates on our side. We have some excellent ones running in ‘08 (Lt Col Allen West, Dr Marion Thorpe, etc). We should pick up a handful just based on that.
:-) I hope you are RIGHT!!
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