CRA Convention Final Day: Travis Allen and John Cox address Board of Directors

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

Travis Allen grabbed the podium, the microphone, and the crowd.  He called for action, and the crowd cheered.  He concentrated on how people are leaving the State, and as governor he will make California the greatest State again.

Allen stated he's a businessman, and he signed a no new tax pledge as an assembly candidate and won, and now he's ready to win again.  "I have never lost."

Allen emphasized that for six years he has been in office, and he's been conservative, tax-free, and pro-life.

For a moment, Allen focused his speech on his pro-life stance, explaining that Planned Parenthood has him at 0%, and he has continually rated well as a pro-life politician on all of the scorecards.  However, "scorecards are just talk . . . I have a 96% life-time rating from the California Republican Assembly . . . and a 0% from Planned Parenthood."

He called the Democrat run government mess in Sacramento a "mafia political machine", and explained that the Democrats ruining California needs to be beat.  He threw out a list of things we need to do, but pounded his voice a little louder for "it is time to respect federal immigration law."

As a stab at opponent John Cox, who voted for Gary Johnson in the presidential election, Allen said that he is the "only candidate that supported, voted for, and wrote op-eds for, Donald J. Trump.  Trump created an economic miracle" and it is time to do the same in California.

Travis Allen then laid out his 5 point plan:

1. Cut taxes: Allen explained that from day one he was behind the repeal of the gas tax.  He was the original author of a repeal the gas tax proposition, but immediately the criminals in Sacramento launched attacks against it, and the proposal got caught up in court because California Attorney General Xavier Becerra used the liberal court to stop it after deceptively writing a misleading title and summary.  Allen then explained, understanding it was dead, he joined the other effort, a constitutional amendment by San Diego prominent politician Carl DeMaio that is still gathering signatures.

2. Get tough on crime: This is the State of the three strikes law.  We were once tough on crime.  But, the Democrats have brought us soft on crime policies, and as a result violent crime is on the rise.  "We must repeal AB 109, Prop. 47, and Prop. 57 and get tough on crime again in California. "We have been losing the battle against crime. . . Sex offenders are being released early into our neighborhoods, Governor Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom are making us less safe. . . We will back the badge and stand with law enforcement . . . if you do the crime you are going to do the time."

3. Fix our roads and expand our freeways: "As assemblyman I broke the 'no' button on my desk."  Sacramento is not interested in, and has not increased road capacity anywhere in the State, and are not building new lanes of freeways.  The money is being spent on a train, and liberal policies that have left us with cities with needles in the streets and homeless and poverty rates rising.  Sacramento is not doing what they said they would do with roads.  "We are the silent super-majority and we will not be silent anymore."

4. Education: "California is failing its children because of the corrosive influence of the unions . . . California needs to put the education of their children first."  He then explained his support for school choice, local control, and to "get rid of crazy curriculum."

5. Water: "We must complete the California water project.  Above ground, and below ground.  Delta tunnels will never get built, we don't need to steal water from noCal."

He then continued with the remainder of his speech, "I will end the high speed rail and return all of the money to the California taxpayers."

"We will reverse the illegal sanctuary state."

When referring to Xavier Becerra, who he called a criminal attorney general, "you will be arrested and prosecuted for violating federal law."  Allen then turned his focus on Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf who warned illegal aliens of imminent raids by federal immigration agents in the San Francisco Bay.  Her tip-off, according to Allen was a case of "aiding and abetting criminals."  Allen then proclaimed, "get ready to be prosecuted."

Allen explained that his voting record is clear.  He has been among the most conservative members of the California Assembly.  He has 38,000 volunteers throughout the State, and stated that he has the most efficient campaign.  "I lead in all of the republican polls, I am from here, I was born here . . . We will take back California this year."

"We have more individual donations and more donors ever than any politician has ever achieved . . . We got them all (in reference to all age groups and other demographics), we represent the silent super-majority.  My name is Travis Allen ... it is time we have a governor in the model of Ronald Reagan who believes California's best days are ahead of us ... this is your State ... message to the Democrats, "We're coming for ya."

The applause was loud, and lingered on for a while.

I have seen Allen speak in the past, and his was among his best speeches.  He was confident, aggressive, and was able to get the crowd rocking and rolling with shouts and cheers.  His name recognition and funding has improved, and he is without a shadow of a doubt the most conservative candidate for Governor.

John Cox came to the podium after Travis Allen stepped down, but how do you follow such a great speech?

The crowd agreed, cheered on some statements, but Cox fell short in convincing those attending that he was the most conservative candidate.

John Cox began his speech with a simple statement, "Are you ready for a conservative Republican for governor of California?"

"Politics is all about leadership, and leadership is what I am all about – leadership and action."

Cox stated "Conservative solutions solve problems."

The crowd agreed.

Cox continued, "I am tired of the corrupt cronies losing this state. The democrats have presided over massive increases in poverty, crumbling roads."

Cox admitted he's not a local California by birth.  He was born on the south side of Chicago.  But, growing up there, he stated even then he was one who was willing to fight a corrupt political machine.  His mom was a schoolteacher, "and I saw the corruption."  He moved to California ten years ago, and indicated that his whole family is in California, "and I am staying put."

Cox stated he has been fighting for conservative values his whole life, stating that it was Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp who brought him to the Republican Party.  He also voiced that "I have drawn inspiration from Nick Adams," who was a speaker at the convention on Saturday.

"Opportunity society free market capitalism is the only way to prosperity."  He hammered on the "false promises" of the Democrats, adding "we will lift people out of poverty."

Speaking of his background, Cox quipped he finished college because he paid for it, was a CPA at the age of 20, and owned his first business at 24.

"I Didn’t want to work for someone else, government creates inequality, free market capitalism creates growth and prosperity."

"I was on Jack Kemp’s presidential steering committee when I was 31 years old."

"I was a leader in the Prop. 32 paycheck protection plan, I stood up and led in that plan."

"I am about action, and getting things done."

He added that in 2012 he worked with Newt Gingrich, adding that he considers Newt to be quite a conservative (again, defending against doubts regarding his conservatism), and quite a smart man."

He said he "led the recall of Bob Filner," referencing the San Diego Mayor who resigned amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment in 2013.

"I did it because I have taken responsibility my whole life."

"I started Rebuilding Together – repaired homes of 2,000 seniors in Chicago suburbs. Its all about standing up for principles."

When it came to the topic of abortion, Cox also fought to dispell claims that have been circulating about him, and to add to his attacks against Travis Allen on the topic.  "I will always stand for the right to life, if abortion was legal in 1955 I might not be here."

Cox also indicated that his has attended the March for Life back east three times.  He also added, for good measure, "The California Pro-Life Council has endorsed my campaign for Governor."

He then went into a story about how sometimes Republicans lie to you about their conservatism, and he's not one of those guys.  "I supported George W. Bush … because I was so sick of the Clintons, and he told me he was a conservative but then he set out about increasing the size of government – increased debt – $10 trillion, I was not happy about that."

Then, to defend against the fact that he did not vote for Trump, he said, "I am extremely happy Trump is President of the United States.  It was a tough decision, I had never seen Trump in the conservative movement before – this president is very conservative . . . I casted a vote I now regret."

"I was a Ted Cruz supporter because he stood up to the corrupt and cronies in Washington. In Sacramento I will stand up to the corrupt and the cronies."

"I joined forces with the team to repeal the gas tax."

"I want to build the GOP, and build the CRA as the conscience of the republican party – because every party needs a conscience. We need real honest-to-God principles."

He then said that he led the Cook County Republicans, he has turned around businesses and doing so he has built a team of people around common principles and common ideals.  He proclaimed we need to "get rid of waste and corruption in California, build the water project, quit charging so much for energy . . . people want to rise.  I rose from the bottom, and we need to make that the case in California."

"We’ve got to give people opportunity."

Then Cox turned his attention to the Democrats in the race.

"Newsom was born on third base and thought he hit a triple. If Brown is the adult in the room, Newsom in the kid with the car keys and a bottle of whiskey."  Then, he turned to the inability of the Democrat Party to even come to an agreement on endorsements, quipping that "Feinstein's too conservative for the Democrats," because they would rather go for Marxist Kevin de Leon."

He called the impending pension crisis "existential".

"I am proposing a reform of our government (in reference to his disastrous idea of a "Neighborhood Legislature).  It’s not a part-time legislature, we already have a part-time legislature, they spend more time raising money for their campaigns." 

"Ladies and gentlemen join me, I am driven in this effort, around limited government and the right to bear arms … most of all, around solutions that solve problems. 19 states around the country have elected Republican businessmen as their governors. . . I have 40 years experience of building a business and a team, I am a workhorse, not a show-horse."

He concluded, "We can do it around conservative principles and get this State back to being the Golden State once again."

In the end, Travis Allen won the endorsement of the California Republican Assembly during its State Convention at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California over the weekend of March 2-4 with over 2/3 of the vote.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary