Rep. Allen West’s, R-Fla., disinterest in the 2012 GOP ticket is positively refreshing:
In an interview Saturday evening on ‘Conservative Republican Forum’, with hosts Steven Rosenblum and Daria DiGiovanni, Republican Congressman Allen West (FL-22) was asked if he was thinking at all of running for President or Vice-President in 2012. His response was, “Well of course not.” He went on to say, “It’s so important that we as conservatives avoid the cult of personality style of leadership. But we really do elevate people based upon merit and talent. And, you know, I have to prove myself as an American statesman, as a political leader, and not just someone that is able to, you know give some good speeches. I have to be able to get up there and create legislation and get legislation pushed though and make myself a game changer on the House floor.”
West also argued against the “entitlement mentality” in the nomination process, and said that, “We cannot continue to have the model of Bob Dole against Bill Clinton or John McCain against Barack Obama. We’ve got to do something totally different.”
As a newly-elected congressman, West was an unlikely choice for either slot on the GOP ticket, but as a fiery African-American war veteran from a swing state, his name would be mentioned a lot more frequently than your average freshman lawmaker…