TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Republican Rep. Allen West told The Daily Caller that he is not the “mystery speaker” at the Republican National Convention tonight but said he would like to see a “wounded warrior” or “regular American” on the stage.
“Let me put on my amazing carnac hat — it ain’t me, that’s all I can tell you. It’s not me. I’m just happy to be here and I’m sure whoever that mystery speaker is, they’ll do a bang-up job,” West told TheDC at the GOP Convention on Friday.
“I think it would be great if we just got a regular American that stood up there and talked about what the American dream is, what American exceptionalism is. I think too often we try to glorify big names and what have you. Just get Joe and Jane six pack up there, get a wounded warrior up there. Someone that represents the greatest of the values that this country stands upon.”
West has not formally addressed the convention. RELATED: Fox News: Source says Clint Eastwood to be RNC’s mystery speaker)
In the video interview, West praised vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan’s address on Thursday despite some of the criticism from Democrats and the Obama campaign.
“First of all, the criticism was expected because when you cannot run on any type of ideas or issues, you cannot run on your record, all you can do is try to pull apart that which was done that makes common sense to all Americans and that’s what you know is going to happen after Mitt Romney’s speech tonight even so it was a fantastic speech,” West said.
“It laid down the contrasts and the philosophy and principles of governance that we see between having a large overarching federal government that takes away more of your freedoms. I thought it was a very great quote when Paul Ryan talked about how we’re going to have free this, free that, free health care, free education, the only thing that will not be free are us as individuals and that’s what ends up happening so you’re going to see more of this from the left. You’re going to hear a lot of it coming out of their convention next week because they don’t have anything to stand upon.”
West also told TheDC what he would like to hear from GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
“Tonight, Gov. Romney needs to do his best to talk about what you’re voting for, not just what you’re voting against,” he said.
