Over my busy and eventful three days of CPAC (and at the Capitol), I saw, heard, and did a lot. I will be writing about a number of my observations over the next few days. Some of what went on at CPAC is what you would expect. Ann Coulter remains a flamethrower with a knack for political stand-up. The CPAC straw poll is fairly pointless. Ron Paul's supporters are somewhat cult-like.

If you know Allen West, who was the closing speaker, you would also expect that he would give a good speech, and he did. In fact, it was more than good. If I had to describe it using only only one word, it would be statesmanlike. Fortunately, I don't have to use only one word, so I can elaborate on what I mean.

Two days ago, in one of my brief updates from CPAC, I discussed one of the important elements of being a presidential candidate: The Ability to Inspire. West is not currently a candidate for president, but his speech does allow me to take that point a step further. In that post, I didn't look at ideology or saying all the right things, I concentrated on a prospective candidate's ability to reach the heart of his audience as well as their heads. As people in marketing will tell you, that is a crucial element in getting people interested in whatever your product, service, idea, or other offering is. I recognize that there is more to a presidential candidate than this aspect, but this is the aspect I am talking about now. It's not the only thing, but it does matter.

As I said—and needless to say, these were my observations and others may have felt differently—I found that Rick Perry and Herman Cain did the best job on that score (at least for the speeches up through that point). Pawlenty and Thune were fine, but they didn't have me (or many others that I could see) jumping up and down with excitement.

(As a quick aside, because I promised it: Haley Barbour's speech—which I arrived at with only moments to spare because I had to circle for ages to find a parking spot!—was just fine. It ends up going into the Thune and Pawlenty category: It was good, and he said good stuff. It wasn't viscerally exciting, though Barbour definitely conveys a quiet strength and competence reflected in his reliably steady and effective leadership in Mississippi.)

Back to West. This man appears to have it all. He's clearly brilliant, and he's obviously educated, both broadly and deeply, in a variety of subjects. He knows what he believes, and he's passionate about it it. Listening to him speak, you get the sense that he is absolutely fearless. He's handsome, dignified, and he has a fine military career. However, when it comes to the ability to inspire—that component that Cain and Perry had in such great measure—West adds a new element: leadership.

The ability to lead is not just something that is learned. One can study all the techniques of leadership that one wishes, and it may make one a competent leader. However, it does appear that certain people have something extra, something intangible, that makes people want to follow them. The phrase heard most often is "natural leader," and there's a lot of truth to it. West has that.

Perry's speech was witty and charming. You agreed with it, and it was inspiring in many ways because it was endearing. Perry makes you like him.

Cain's speech was rousing. He has the ability, while he speaks, to take the ideas of your head and make you feel them in your heart. You want to jump up and shout (and many did).

West is different. He wasn't as funny and endearing as Perry. He wasn't as thunderous as Cain. And yet he was inspiring—indeed, he was transfixing—and I believe it is because he is a natural born leader.

Though I fight nearly every waking hour as a combatant in the war of ideas, I have not been a soldier in our military. Thus, I cannot speak from experience on this, but rather only from what I have heard and read: In war, there are some commanding officers that men will do anything for. Die for, kill for, fall on a grenade for. Again, I do not know, but I strongly suspect that West is such a person. That natural leader vibe came through in his speech. To me, at least, it was obvious.

What's even more amazing is that West's speech has all the needed characteristics in balance. Perry and Cain were both great, but you could also point to one element as being the operative characteristic. Perry was endearing. Cain was rousing. But in a way, these characteristics were so overriding as to be a bit disproportionate. West's was totally in balance, in such a way that you can't find a single adjective like the others.

Indeed, West himself appears to have a great balance. He's calm, but forceful in just the right measure, at just the right time. He's obviously intelligent, yet he feels down-to-earth. He's handsome, but his greying hair and glasses project dignity. He's fearless, and yet not in the way that makes him seem isolated and angry. Rather, he's fearless, and he makes you feel fearless too.

Perry and Cain gave speeches with certain characteristics that made those speeches inspiring. West's balance of so many different positive characteristics places him on a plateau above the rest of the field—on the level of a statesman.

You may think I am over-analyzing, but I am not. These are things that combine to have an effect, both conscious and subconscious, on voters and citizens of nations—who in turn make men into leaders of nations. West may not be running for president now, but it is clear that he has a bright future, and would make one of the most formidable candidates if he were ever nominated.

I myself am not a big fan of following people. I prefer ideas, and I prefer that the people we follow are followers of those same ideas themselves. But I'm not stupid, in that I recognize that I am not the norm in that regard. Human beings are, it seems, hard-wired to follow PEOPLE. As we have seen again and again in history, natural-born leaders with the ability to inspire people have easily gotten many to follow them—to places good and terrible. Human beings follow where strong leaders lead—it's just how it is.

Allen West is clearly such a leader, and that's why I am telling you all this. Thank God he wants to lead in the right direction.

Update: See for yourself.