The Daily Kaz

The Future of the Republican Party

Cadet Adnan Barqawi

The Future of the Republican Party – he’s not white, he’s Arabic, he’s conservative and he has a funny foreign name – look out Barack Obama…

I have seen the future of the Grand Old Party and his name is Adnan Barqawi.

America now needs to look to change its Constitution to allow the most impressive young man I have seen in my life – one Adnan Barqawi to enable him to run for President. And that is just from one speech. A big call I know but some contemplated Arnie, but this guy runs rings around the Governor of California.

Think back to Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, whilst just a State Senator from Illinois and you get the picture – times ten. I’ve heard, read, seen and written plenty of speeches in my time but this one blew even the most cynical away. Adnan’s main message encouraged natural born Americans to revaluate the choices they made in this past election.

The Republican Party of Virginia held their State Convention this past weekend and I attended along with almost another 11,000 packed into the Coliseum in the Capitol of the Confederacy. Being a Virginian, you are not allowed to take in a water bottle but were waved through with your guns. No problem there. Perfectly fine to bring in a couple of Smith & Wessons into a packed auditorium with the next Governor, but as one bumper sticker for sale said “Ted Kennedy’s car has killed more people than my guns”. Long live the Second Amendment, but forget the Evian.
There is much chatter about the death of the Republican Party. Utter nonsense.

Cadet Corporal Barqawi completely outclassed every other speaker at Convention including former Presidential candidate Governor Mitt Romney who is the darling of the Right and that other darling of the Right, Fox News Channel media self-styled superstar Sean Hannity who was billed as the main attraction. Not to mention former Governors Allen and Gilmore, Republican Whip in the House, Eric Cantor, amongst others including the next Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General. Let me point out Adnan is only 21 years-old and has been in the States for just over four years.
No one had ever heard of Adnan but now he’s the talk of the town. He is the buzz du jour. All anyone could say was ‘it’s a shame he cannot run for the Oval Office because he is foreign born”. Many wags say ‘well if Obama can do it….’ But I’m not getting into the whole fake birth certificate theory that Barack was born in Kenya or Indonesia.

A descendent of Palestinians born in Kuwait and a new citizen of the USA (as of April), Mr. Barqawi gave a speech that came completely out of the blue and ‘twas red meat to the assembled masses. It was not, however, some sort of right wing diatribe. It was nuanced, thoughtful, inspiring and it made you smile.

Too many people in the Republican Party hark back to President Reagan when it suits them, nevertheless it suits me to do so now – Adnan Barqawi IS Reaganesque; elegant, witty, charming, obviously highly intelligent but humble with it and respect thrown in for good measure. He is quite a package indeed.
Some quotes from his speech:

“I have learned the meaning of individual responsibility. That no one is in charge of my welfare except myself.”

Music to conservative ears.

Adnan had so many standing ovations it was hard to count. He lit a fire amongst folks who are looking for a way forward from the wilderness that was the Obamamania election – those Americans who cannot quite believe what happened November last. Republicans who wake up each morning to President Obama on the Today show and are in denial that this is now THEIR President.

Back to Adnan Barqawi.

Due to Kuwaiti law, despite being born there and lifelong residency, he was not deemed a citizen due to his Palestinian heritage and thus forbade him to seek higher education. His father used his lifetime of savings – ‘the greatest gift ever’ to send him to the U.S and Adnan chose Virginia Tech. Money well spent.
After two weeks in a new school, new country, and 27,000 fellow students, Adnan asked how he would find his individuality in such an unfamiliar setting in a brand new country he had only dreamed about. “However would I be able distinguish myself?”

He was enjoying lunch in one of the campus dining halls and saw a man walk in in uniform and got the gumption to approach him. And so he asked ‘how do I get to be like you Sir’ it went from there. This was his second week in the United States and he had no perception of military training could be like. He had his head shaved; no family to farewell and when commanded to be “on your face’ he put his cheek on the floor when everyone else went into the push up position. He then ran a mile and a half in what he calls a record 18 minutes and 49 seconds before he ended up in the hospital. He could barely do half a sit up by his own admission and yet this Kuwaiti immigrant ended up Regimental Commander for the Virginia Tech Corps, by the end of his college career four years later – and in the States, that’s a very big deal. Nothing Bush, Clinton, Carter, Obama et al have even come close to for their own reasons which is another story for another time….

It is not true that the Republican Party is a party of old white men in navy suits, but it almost is. Governor Sarah Palin, Governor Bobby Jindal and Congressman Anh Cao prove that the GOP is becoming more inclusive as they should if it wants to remain relevant and somewhat electable.
Next year’s mid- term Congressional elections will be a referendum on President Obama, though the first test will be in the Commonwealth of Virginia – one of only two states to hold gubernatorial and State-wide elections this year. Whilst candidates will undoubtedly run primarily on State issues, it is an obvious opportunity for those voters in Virginia and New Jersey to see whether they have buyer’s remorse on voting for ‘change’ and want to change back. Those ‘swinging voters’ who got caught up in Obamamania are now wondering what it is that they actually signed up for.

We shall see this November. If I was running the Republican Party of Virginia I would have Cadet Corporal Adnan Barqawi out front and center.
At time of writing the best web site to see his speech is www.crystalclearconservative.com