James Dickey RIGHT for TEXAS - Allen West WRONG for TEXAS RPT Chairman in his OWN Words

by Sonja Harris on July 14, 2020 at 11:20 AM

“LIFE BEGINS AT 18 DAYS”

The Texas Republican Convention was terminated by Houston officials on July 8, claiming that it wasn’t political but due to the COVID crisis. However, the convention will be held even if not in-person. It is the SREC members that decide and vote on a virtual convention, and that information is not available as yet.

Chairman James Dickey is currently working with the SREC, training new delegates on the convention, and hammering out the details with his legal team to determine the outcome of the battle over the cancellation of the in-person convention that will be heard at the Texas State Supreme Court. In the meantime Delegates are preparing for the details of a probable virtual convention.

Wouldn’t you know it, challenger to Chairman Dickey for the state party chair position, Allen West, has not lifted a finger to assist the Republican Party in any way because he is too busy interviewing for jobs and extremely busy being interviewed by TV and Radio hosts. He has now engaged an attorney to demand experts to examine the voting tool used in the event of a virtual convention. West apparently has no clue what the duties and responsibilities are of the chairman, much less what function the SREC plays in the party.

West is very brazen to demand anything of the RPT! He isn’t a Delegate or an Alternate, or a member of the SREC or even a participant in the activities pertaining to the organization he claims he wants to lead. He doesn’t even understand the Republican Party of Texas Platform.

What about his fitness for the job he is coveting? In an interview in January, 2020 by the Montgomery County Tea Party West revealed that his interpretation of when life begins is at 18 days. These are Allen West’s exact words from the verbal interview which can be heard on the link provided. (Start at 1hour 1minute) https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=761&v=qS2SNmVcuwo&feature=emb_logo

Q: … you believe that life begins at 18 days. So it’s ok to terminate fetus before 18 days?

A: ALLEN WEST: I’m not saying it’s ok but my interpretation is:

That’s an easy way to stand up and fight against this would be when that Heartbeat starts, which is exactly why people are passing the heartbeat bills because you can’t argue against when the heartbeat starts that’s a viable human being. So again when you go over to the left you got to put them on the defense, you got to be able to say this is a life there’s a heartbeat. We are not going down that path now. From the ability to be able to go out and message this and stand against the other side that’s the best way for us to be able to go forward.

How does a man who doesn’t even know that life begins at conception sit on conservative Christian boards? Do they assume he knows, have they not asked him, are they afraid to question such a celebrity? It’s time for hard questions to be answered by a man that claims so much national acclaim and desires to be the head of the dominant Republican Party in Texas with conservative principles. Doesn’t he know that his interpretation conflicts with the Republican Party Platform?

West has been asked time and again if he plans to continue promoting his books by traveling and by appearing on national TV. He deflects with the answer that he has a right “to provide for his family.” Everyone has a right to provide for their families, but the question remains how many jobs will he hold and how many promotional book tours will he make before he will be unable to be a full time chairman for the Republican Party?

In a video West responded to an article written by Mark McCaig and published by Big Jolly Politics questioning, “How Many Jobs Does Allen West Plan to Have?” West was notably incensed by the article. https://bigjolly.com/how-many-jobs-does-allen-west-plan-to-have/ West followed with a bombastic tirade listing all the jobs and board appointments he holds, including verbal assaults on the chairman and the RPT….that was pure blind arrogance. His rant exposed his many different positions:

Retired Lt Col in US Army
A senior advisor for the committee to defend the president
Senior fellow at the Media Research Center
Interim president CEO of the Hope Center

West failed to mention that he also is involved with My Faith Votes, the Lone Star Agenda, Texas State Guard and still lists as being a Board of Directors member of the National Rifle Association, Board of Advisors of Amegy Bank, Dallas Region. He told the interviewer of the Montgomery County Tea Party that he sits on the Turning Point USA board with Charlie Kirk. While these organizations all have merit and hold a place in the conservative field, West has his fingers in too many pies!!

He should let the Delegates know if there are any other commitments or if he no longer sits on some of these boards. Delegates should know if he is going to be a full time chairman, a part time chairman or just a figurehead chairman. They have a right to know before the vote is taken.

In the same January interview by the Montgomery County Tea Party West was asked about his position as the Executive Director of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas. He was very frank and stated that the center had gone bankrupt. And said that “we hired a veteran” and “we did not do an extensive enough background investigation and he embezzled funds from the organization.” Where was his vision in hiring this young veteran?

It seems that controversy follows West, his ‘retirement’ from the army at their request or be court martialed, his second run for a congressional seat in Florida which he lost, the grievances he filed against NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre which leaders claimed “may have been part of a failed attempt to oust Wayne LaPierre as CEO and Executive Vice President of the NRA.” https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/board-member-blasts-cabal-cronyism-nra-835751/

His failure to turn the National Center for Policy Analysis into a profitable organization shows a lack of business acumen, vision and leadership. In the cases with the NRA, losing his congressional seat and his ‘retirement’ from the Army show a lack of temperament necessary to lead others. That is something that is vital in leading the Texas Republican Party. His record is clear, he seems to lack the time, temperament and leadership abilities to lead the great state of Texas Republican Party into a new era.

Being proud is one thing but a continuous boasting is a totally different situation. While Texans are grateful for his military service, we should recognize that an American doesn’t have to go in the military to be a great or greater patriot. To aver that he will be the next party chairman disrespects the Delegates who have not yet voted.

In his latest ethics report, January 10, 2020, West lists an advertising cable expenditure of $44,760 for Dallas and Houston Fox News and CNN. We should all be curious was this for the purpose to tell the viewer about his chairman’s race? Why… when the race targets a small number of people throughout the state…Delegates to the state convention.

In addition, based on my personal interactions with West over the past several months, I feel that he does not have the humility nor temperament to be an effective chairman.