Allen West does not garner the same name recognition as other GOP presidential hopefuls, but that has not been an obstacle to talk of an Allen West 2016 ticket surfacing among Republican voters.
West, a former one-term congressman from Florida, does stand out as perhaps one of the more controversial candidates in the crowded GOP pool.
West has made headlines many times with the way he has chosen to denounce President Barack Obama and his policies.
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What can voters expect from West as he makes a bid for the White House in 2016? If his political background serves as an accurate barometer, West could be a polarizing figure within the GOP.
Here are eight facts about his political background:
1. Making history
When West was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010, he became the first African-American Republican congressman from Florida since 1876.
Josiah T. Wells was the last African-American congressman from the Sunshine State, leaving office near the end of Reconstruction.
West also became the first Republican to join the Congressional Black Caucus since former Connecticut congressman Gary Franks retired in 1997.
2. Tea Party leader
West was a high-profile member of the Tea Party Caucus during his single term in Congress. He remains a vocal leader of the nationwide Tea Party movement.
3. Committee assignments
West put two decades worth of military experience to use by serving on the House Armed Services Committee. He also worked as a member of the Small Business Committee.
4. Opposition to Obama
There's no secret to how West views the current administration. He has characterized President Obama as an Islamist.
West was especially vocal on his Facebook page about new rules expanding military service to undocumented immigrants and called on the military to ignore "the illegal order" from Obama.
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5. Views on Islam
West consistently condemned radical Islam during his term and since leaving office. He sees the United States as defending Western civilization from Islamic extremists. In 2011, West supported extending the provisions of the Patriot Act because, in his words, it offered defense from radical Islamic terrorists,
the Sun-Sentinel reported.
6. Views on Democrats
West isn't known for bipartisanship. He has painted Democratic leaders with a negative brush on many occasions, accusing the Democratic Party of using government handouts as a modern form of slavery to oppress poor people and keep them from empowering themselves.
7. Fox News contributor
Since losing re-election in 2012, West has contributed political commentary to daytime and evening shows on the Fox News Channel. He was hired because of his political and military experience, and willingness to be outspoken on key issues.
8. Think tank leader
West transplanted his family from Florida to Texas in January 2015, when he accepted a position heading up a conservative think tank. He is the CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis based in Dallas.
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