[darieBarexish]

Hey everyone, if you want a black president, I say we rally to get Congressman Allen West to run this shit. This guy is level headed and a patriot. I sent an email but since I don't live in his district they said they could not reply and to follow him via the newsletter.

[pharmacologist30]

LTC (retired) West is one of a long line of fabulous black potential Presidents. If he can overcome the acusations of "uncle tom" or "leaving the plantation", he can do it. The left wingers will begin their attacks by accusing him of betraying the black race, though.

[polleroy]

I did a (small) amount of reading up on him, did you hear about his "interrogation incident". Which, in my opinion, was perfectly sound in the situation.

[XIMHOTEP-X]

Why not elect a President based on the content of their character rather than the color of their skin?

Don't go chasing waterfalls

[BariGrootrego]

Allen West would make a shitty president, even by GOP standards. The only reason for putting West in office would be for "Hey, Democrats! We're not racist! See? We're putting a black man in office!"

Herman Cain wouldn't have even gotten as far as he had, were it not for the fact that there's a black Democrat in office. Look how far black GOP candidates have gotten in previous primaries (Alan Keyes, for example), and you'll see what I'm talking about.

[sposteTipsKage]

How about we just a sane president in office. Obama blew his chance. Lets give Romney a chance. He cant be much worse. Also screw political party lines. I vote for who I think can do the best.

[Ibrattnofich]

I honestly had no idea who this guy was, so I looked up his wiki page.

-Retired Army... cool.
-Got in trouble for detainee abuse... okay that's not a good thing, but shit happens in combat and mistakes are made. Its understandable.
-Accused the Congressional Progressive Caucus of being "card carrying Marxists". A silly accusation. And even if true, what's wrong with being a Marxist? Especially since their beliefs are in many ways the same as libertarians.
-Made a silly comment that a Muslim is the ""antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established." Really?
-Protested the flying of the PLO flag, because of their often violent activities. But apparently has no problem with the flying of the Israeli flag, who often engage in identical behavior.

So basically, your run-of-the-mill GOP drone. So... besides being black, what would make him a viable candidate?

[we0MA4MI]

So basically, your run-of-the-mill GOP drone. So... besides being black, what would make him a viable candidate?

That's what I was saying earlier. The GOP would only put him in office just to "make a point" with regard to their perceived relations with blacks.

A point that, honestly, won't be a very convincing one. And that fact pisses off white Republicans to no end.

[isogeople]

Why not elect a President based on the content of their character rather than the color of their skin?

Don't go chasing waterfalls

Awesome! I still believe the Colin Powell would have made a great, first "black" President.

[muytreda]

Awesome! I still believe the Colin Powell would have made a great, first "black" President.

The only black GOP candidate who was worth a damn.

Unfortunately, the majority of black Republican politicians and lawmakers take the conservative/Republican stance on EVERYTHING. They tend to be the most "extreme."

And understandably so. They can't afford to take a liberal view on anything. To do so would be detrimental to their credibility with their white counterparts. They have too much to prove, and their credibility is very fragile.

Colin Powell was one of the few that wasn't like this.

[Louthcoombutt]

-Supported the implementation of DADT, later supported its repeal
-A moderating influence in the invasion of Iraq
-Pro-choice
-Advocates gun control within reason
-Called the Neo-Conservatives "fucking crazies".
-Opposes military tribunals
-Opposed Obama's surge
-Stresses the importance of JOB CREATION.

If he ran for president, he would have my vote. But it won't happen. The Republicans would never support a centrist. If you're not a far right wing Social Conservative, you're a liberal sympathizer. Powell would have to run as a Democrat.

[Helloheshess]

The Republicans would never support a centrist. If you're not a far right wing Social Conservative, you're a liberal sympathizer. Powell would have to run as a Democrat.

The thing is the Republicans always do nominate a centrist *after* they've sufficiently smashed him into giving up the things that would make him appealing to the average voter. The last guy they nominated who was right-wing, relative to their fellow Republicans, was Reagan. And by modern standards he was a moderate!

[Caunnysup]

The thing is the Republicans always do nominate a centrist *after* they've sufficiently smashed him into giving up the things that would make him appealing to the average voter. The last guy they nominated who was right-wing, relative to their fellow Republicans, was Reagan. And by modern standards he was a moderate!

I have to disagree with that statement. Unless, by modern, you mean post-2008; where Republicans got psychotic because Obama is in office.

First, the realignment of the Democrat and Republican parties. Where the Democrats were once conservative, and the Republicans were once liberal. Woodrow Wilson was the last conservative Democrat, and Eisenhower was the last liberal Republican.

Nixon was the first conservative Republican, however, he still bore some relevance to the Republicans who preceded him; as did Ford. The transition to conservatism in the GOP was 100% complete when Reagan took office. Even David Duke converted from Democrat to Republican that same year (1981).

The biggest kicker of them all? Reaganomics - or "trick-down economics." You can't get possibly get more conservative than that. Well maybe, just MAYBE, 9-9-9 MIGHT have been worse; but still.

Some of the results of Reaganomics is the trend away from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans in the private sector; CEO's making 500 times that of their average employee, when they only made 35 times in the 1970's; and far lower pay (in terms of purchasing power) for blue collar jobs.

[nickayary]

Considering that the blacks within the democrat party are about as moderate as Mr. West, I have a hard time understanding where you guys are coming from. It is apparent that the libs on this board associate ALL republicans as lynch mob loving Klansmen. If 95% of your race votes for one guy, its not because they love his ideas. The republicans might be forever associated with the backwoods, alabama redneck lynch mobs ( who, back in the day voted democrat.. strom thurmond anyone?) but in practice, it is the democrats who do more to play the race card and hurt the race they purportedly support.

I think its sad that democrats get elected because of their skin color. Black republicans actually have to defend their viewpoints and run a good campaign to have a chance. Mr. West might be considered right wing by some or maybe most, but he atleast has nothing to hide and does not shy away or attempt to avoid questions about his past, ficticious or otherwise.

-3D

[Hftqdxpm]

........... Even David Duke converted from Democrat to Republican that same year (1981).

I wouldn't argue the details of your post but the possible implication of the cause and effect with Dukes changing parties is a bit misleading. Dukes was a Democrat to begin with because the GOP is the party of Lincoln and by the time he ran for office the Democratic Party had become the party which seemed to carry the water for the Civil Rights movement and therefore was considered by likes of Dukes to be the party of the African-American (or whatever Dukes chose to call them). He made a choice of, what in his mind, was the lessor of two evils.

[erepsysoulpfbs]

After hearing him speak on subjects of foreign policy, I personally believe he would have made a comfortable VP candidate on the McCain platform in 2008. I'm never comfortable with any politician who operates under the mentality that they never met a war they didn't like, and they should only adhere to constitutional principles when it's convenient to do so.

[forextradinginfo]

After hearing him speak on subjects of foreign policy, I personally believe he would have made a comfortable VP candidate on the McCain platform in 2008. I'm never comfortable with any politician who operates under the mentality that they never met a war they didn't like, and they should only adhere to constitutional principles when it's convenient to do so.

It would have been a waste. 2008 should have been a year that the GOP only put out the paper candidates. After Bush, the GOP wasn't going to keep the White House. It just wasn't going to happen.

The best GOP candidates; i.e., McCain and Huckabee, are gone in 2012. They're the last of the pre-Tea Party Republicans.

[electmobile]

It would have been a waste. 2008 should have been a year that the GOP only put out the paper candidates. After Bush, the GOP wasn't going to keep the White House. It just wasn't going to happen.

The best GOP candidates; i.e., McCain and Huckabee, are gone in 2012. They're the last of the pre-Tea Party Republicans.

I just meant the two are overly-zealous hawks, and in this case neither can accurately be referred to as "chicken-hawks" although it should be noted they're currently not the ones who are presently putting their lives on the line in the battlefield either. Rick Santorum made me cringe more than this fellow, but not by a significant margin.

[BipiewExifese]

The thing is the Republicans always do nominate a centrist *after* they've sufficiently smashed him into giving up the things that would make him appealing to the average voter. The last guy they nominated who was right-wing, relative to their fellow Republicans, was Reagan. And by modern standards he was a moderate!

You're right on that one! I actually kind of liked Romney until he whored himself to the far right.

I was hoping Huntsman would win, but looking back, its not unlikely he would do a complete 180 on everything he previously stood for like Romney has!

[lalpphilalk]

So... besides being black, what would make him a viable candidate?

He rides a motorcycle and he's all about the troops. He is also black. *cough *cough