There are two measures of current conservative taste and popularity. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) poll indicates professional opinion and should measure abilities of the candidates as they are judged by professionals. The second is the NASCAR track, the Baptist church and the popularity of the candidates in the heartland for whatever reason. Mitt Romney, who won the last three CPAC polls, lost by a good margin this year to Ron Paul, the conservative libertarian who offers Austrian economics. This is bad news for Mitt Romney.
This is a shocker. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) wins the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in D.C.
For Paul, this is huge, a major boost if indeed he wants to run for president. Though glasses of champagne will not be clinking at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington!
For conservatives, this creates a potential 2010 primary donnybrook if Paul chooses to run.
Note: A correction for this post was made by the author at 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20. — Ed.
Sarah Palin had a big day Thursday. She didn't mean to. But
as she was notably absent from the big event in the Republican
universe, the annual Conservative Political Action Conference
(CPAC) here in Washington, questions about her political
viability landed in four significant places in the Lamestream Media (as Palin likes to call it).
Palin skipped CPAC but will speak for another $100,000 fee at the Southern
Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans on April 8. Despite her
absence from CPAC — the mother of all conservative gatherings that this year
participants are calling their own "Woodstock" — she will be included
in a presidential straw poll conducted at CPAC each year. Results will be
tallied Saturday evening, and despite the fact that Mitt Romney has won it each
year since 2007, you never know; maybe Palin takes the prize.
The first time I went to CPAC was in the mid-’90s. I worked for
Tom DeLay at the time, and DeLay was completely in his element.
CPAC is a trade show for conservative activists. It is a
place where Ann Coulter books sell like hotcakes. You can find big booths for
the National Rifle Association, pro-life groups and any other libertarian and
very conservative group.
Have you ever watched a football game where the two sides continuously fumble
and throw interceptions and blow their opportunities by repeatedly turning over
to each other?
Have you ever sat through nine innings of inept baseball where both teams
combine bad pitching and fielding errors to hand the lead back and forth?
Read more...
While the Republican hack wing of the Tea Party movement thinks it is smart, Republicans in Congress are in for a rude awakening, because huge numbers of the American people hold them in contempt. While the Democratic partisans may think public relations will strengthen their position, Democrats in Congress are in for a rude awakening because the American people hold them in contempt, too.
When you deconstruct and closely analyze the details in their rhetoric, one quickly realizes the major philosophical and principle divide between liberals and conservatives.
Put simply, conservatives like us believe in equality of opportunity and unfettered freedom. Liberals, on the other hand, want a world where the outcomes are equal — almost guaranteed — even if it requires less societal income/wealth and lesser freedoms.
I watched with amazement at the discussion that occurred last week in Baltimore between President Barack Obama and the House Republican Conference.
I was not amazed by the president’s performance. I knew he would rise to the occasion, because he is good at being exactly at who he is. He does not have to make this up. He does not have to try hard. He does not need to write notes on his palm. He was civil and likable. You could tell that even conservative GOP House members who strongly disagreed with him ... well, they clearly like him. And how can you not? He’s a nice guy, a good guy, a decent guy — who is as good at depersonalizing criticism and moving on, as good at not holding grudges (though he might be entitled to do so, in many instances), as any person I have seen in 40-plus years of active involvement in politics.
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