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Conservatives, off their leash, are a frightening bunch (The Economist's view of CPAC)
Economist ^ | 2/6/03 | Correspondent

Posted on 02/08/2003 8:19:16 AM PST by P.O.E.

The right, unrestrained

Guys and dolls

Feb 6th 2003 | WASHINGTON, DC
From The Economist print edition

Conservatives, off their leash, are a frightening bunch

Do you wish that George Bush would quit pussyfooting around with the United Nations and simply march into Baghdad? Do you regard the recent tax cuts as nothing more than a prelude to the biggest chop of all, the abolition of the income tax? Do you wish that America would unleash Ariel Sharon?

You are not alone. Last weekend more than 4,000 conservative activists—1,700 of them college students—gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for the 30th annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the biggest audience the organisation has ever attracted. The delegates were pumped up and ready to do battle. They brimmed with hatred at the dastardly liberal establishment: grasping bureaucrats who want to steal your money; liberal professors who want to indoctrinate the young with “black Marxism” and teach them “how to be gay”; peaceniks who want to undermine the nation's will to defend itself. And they positively glowed with pleasure at the thought of another Republican victory in 2004.

Delegates crammed into a huge hall to hear Dick Cheney, Katherine Harris and other conservative heroes speak from a stage draped in red, white and blue and backed by 18 American flags. They listened to speeches on “Islam: religion of peace?”, “Myths, lies and terror: the growing threat of radical environmentalism” and “Hollywood needs adult supervision”. They wore “Fry Mumia” T-shirts (referring to a cop-killer who, for some reason, has become a cause célèbre for the left); held up posters saying “Give war a chance: peace through superior firepower”; sold badges saying “Fight crime—shoot back”; and purchased “Wipe out Saddam” lavatory paper. The Traditional Values Coalition offered the chance to fling beanbags at grotesque trolls called “Saddam Hussein”, “Hillary Clinton”, “the liberal media” and “the homosexual agenda”.

That said, for many fresh-faced men there was one love that dared speak its name. The exhibition hall was a temple of Bushophilia, from photographs of his inauguration for $175 to cups, hats, badges, key-rings and “Pray for him” T-shirts. You could even buy talking George Bush dolls that repeat his classic lines, such as, “We will not allow our enemies to hold our nation hostile.” With their hero on their pillow, the young right will spare nothing to keep him in the White House in 2004.

But love for Mr Bush has not blotted out their hatred for his predecessor. Anti-Clinton memorabilia was almost as popular as the pro-Bush sort. One of the most visited exhibits was for the Counter-Clinton Library. The proposed institution will be within walking distance of the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, and will try to tell the story of the Clinton years as conservatives see it. Exhibits will include the Hillary Hall of Shame, the Clinton Casualties, the Grifters' Gallery and the Department of Domestic “Affairs”. The exit foyers will remind people how the Clintonites trashed the White House when they left. Dick Erickson, the man who thought up the counter-library, says that several people, including Dick Morris and Gary Aldrich, have already promised to donate material to it, and that money is flooding in from anti-Clinton activists.

Two other figures dominated the conference: Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Arab fanaticism now plays the same role for conservatives that Communism played until the fall of the Berlin Wall: it justifies both a vigorous foreign policy abroad and an ever-vigilant approach to potential subversives at home.

One activist stopped selling his “No Muslims = No terrorism” stickers when the vice-president's office complained. But there was no shortage of anti-Islamic ware: T-shirts mocking the idea that Islam is a religion of peace, mugs hinting that Islam is a new form of Nazism. A company called Decisive Action, proclaiming its devotion to “our conservative Judeo-Christian heritage”, sold water purifiers and body armour. “The police have it; the military have it; and now you have it.”

CPAC no doubt regarded the conference as a triumph. But surely the organisation missed one trick. Why hold the conference in Virginia, where conservatism is in the drinking water and liberal-baiting a sport? Next year, try Paris.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: cpac; thesocialist
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To: dixie sass
You should have stayed long enough to attend this year. How about coming next year?

You wouldn't have wanted me there. I probably would have burst a few veins in restraining myself from knocking out some of Terry McAuliffe's teeth. Certainly I would have told him what a lying sack of donkey excrement he is.

Regards, Ivan

101 posted on 02/08/2003 3:40:20 PM PST by MadIvan (.)
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To: Libertina; diotima
You were having a allergic reaction from the nearness, both you and Dio. Did she have her picture taken with Bob Barr after the "Terry Mc" incident? If so that explains what happened to her hair - it was infected and tried to eat Bob Barr's hand. Good thing y'all took drastic measures right after!
102 posted on 02/08/2003 3:43:08 PM PST by dixie sass (From the Palmetto State, in the LowCountry)
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To: IronJack
I did at that! The wealth of information, the networking, the people - yep, a kid at Christmas or better yet, a chocoholic let loose in the Godiva Store!!!! Meeting up with everyone after the day was over was still the highlight of the event. Time to talk and mull over the events of the day - who, what, where, when and how!!!

The last day was definitely a downer with the Shuttle news, but still turned out to be busy lots of people to talk with. You would have enjoyed it.
103 posted on 02/08/2003 3:49:02 PM PST by dixie sass (From the Palmetto State, in the LowCountry)
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To: dixie sass
it was infected and tried to eat Bob Barr's hand
LOL I saw that! Dio was having trouble with it for the rest of the weekend ;)
104 posted on 02/08/2003 3:51:20 PM PST by Libertina (Get rid of Jim McDermRAT)
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To: Seeking the truth
Jim, for some reason has it with a small "D" and "S". I keep forgetting to ask him to change it. I can't login unless I use the Caps, sooooooooooo...
105 posted on 02/08/2003 3:51:27 PM PST by dixie sass (From the Palmetto State, in the LowCountry)
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To: MadIvan
Yes indeed, we would have wanted you there. You are, as always a gentleman and I know that you would have behaved as one and told him that with a smile, so the invite still goes - next year?
106 posted on 02/08/2003 3:54:32 PM PST by dixie sass (From the Palmetto State, in the LowCountry)
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To: Libertina; dixie sass
Actually I am infected. I have some plague that was circulating around CPAC. I think Gene had it too.

Bob is very sick, so I have an encouraging picture as to what I'm going to go through in the next few days. I'll bet McAwful brought some germs with him.
107 posted on 02/08/2003 3:57:04 PM PST by diotima (****DO NOT TAUNT HAPPY FUN BALL****)
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To: RobFromGa
Is he saying that Radical Islam is just a made-up enemy of American Freedom?

I think the issue is that the author hasn't heard about the stuff that happened on September 11.
108 posted on 02/08/2003 4:03:27 PM PST by gitmo ("The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain." GWB)
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To: diotima
Aha! So that's were it came from - it was all those liberals on the train to D.C. and the McAwful contingent! I have been sick for the last day and a half. Yuck! Over the cold and now this crap! I am not a happy camper today!

109 posted on 02/08/2003 4:09:46 PM PST by dixie sass (From the Palmetto State, in the LowCountry)
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To: dixie sass
It ain't so...I wuz framed!!! It's not my fault...LOL!!

"John Ashcroft...Time to RESIGN!!!"
(To be sung to Waylon Jennings' "Amanda")

I've held it all in, Lord...God knows I've tried...
But it's an awful awakening in a patriot's life...
To know of Left's Tyranny and Slick's shameless lies...
We put "OUR GUYS" in Justice, then They IGNORE Clinton's CRIMES!!

John Ashcroft, please do what's Right!!
Fate...it SHALL force you to INDICT Left's Blight!!
John Ashcroft...Fight the Good Fight!!
Patriots will help you when you do what's Right!!

That's what's special 'bout FReepers, folks, we understand...
The pleasures of fightin' Slick's TreasonousScams.
T-Mac screwed o'er the Teamsters...his crimes are OBSCENE!!
Now Ashcroft's in Power, Fer Justice We FReep!!

John Ashcroft, Show US Some Spine...
Sure, RATS may hate you, but they'll learn our Might!!
John Ashcroft, Slick We'll INDICT...
FATE Shall Then Make Bill His Cell-Buddy's "PIE"!!

Mudboy Slim...Let's boogie!!

BTW...Time to pick it up a notch, folks, we've got to get the word out about McAuliffe before the Statute Of Limitations runs out with respect to his TeamsterGate Involvement. For those of you new to FreeRepublic, what we call this is "e-FReepin'", wherein we inundate as many sources as possible with information about an issue we care deeply about. In this case, the issue that many of us care deeply about is "JUSTICE!!"

Thank you and I hope you will enjoy your stay on our thread.

FReegards...MUD 1 Posted on 08/27/2001 01:25:35 PDT by Mudboy Slim (Justice@the.Mudcave!!)

110 posted on 02/08/2003 4:13:54 PM PST by Mudboy Slim (RATS're IGNORANT DOLTS...Educate Dems into ThinkingConservatives!!)
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To: P.O.E.
Hmmmm? Such an attack does elicit the posibility that the conference was especially good!

That said, I thought this quote was a bit over the top: "They brimmed with hatred".

Then, this line sort of hit me too: "George Bush dolls that repeat his classic lines, such as, 'We will not allow our enemies to hold our nation hostile.'

That last word "hostile" - did the author make that little mistake - the word should be "hostage". I think the author was the only one there who was hostile.
111 posted on 02/08/2003 4:18:27 PM PST by CyberAnt ( Yo! Syracuse)
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To: All
Also - I loved the statement about "Bushophilia"

However, just a couple of paragraphs later, the x42 stuff was referred to as "Clinton memorabilia"

Obvious Bush hater!!
112 posted on 02/08/2003 4:20:46 PM PST by CyberAnt ( Yo! Syracuse)
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To: dixie sass
Ah ha........now I understand why I was alway confused.

At least, I think I do!
113 posted on 02/08/2003 4:28:55 PM PST by Seeking the truth (Visit www.0cents.com to see the "banned at CPAC" items!)
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To: P.O.E.
What, no mention of the FR booth?
114 posted on 02/08/2003 4:30:37 PM PST by Bob J (Join the Free Republic Network! www.freerepublic.net)
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To: diotima
Dio, both Darlie & I got sick. I mean real sick; particularly Darlie. She missed 3 days of works this week.
115 posted on 02/08/2003 4:34:09 PM PST by Seeking the truth (Visit www.0cents.com to see the "banned at CPAC" items!)
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To: Seeking the truth
You confused? Seeking the truth? lol
116 posted on 02/08/2003 4:38:41 PM PST by dixie sass (From the Palmetto State, in the LowCountry)
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To: Bob J; IronJack
What? No mention of FR Radio, SAS, NRSTA, DC Chapter, Network booth, just a vague reference to 0cents - sigh, some people just don't know what's important and what isn't!!!

Do you realize that the kids with the black t-shirt with W. on the back was started by the young man that Iron Jack interviewed last year on FR Radio? He came up to the booth early on the first morning last year and introduced himself to me. Said that his mom was a FReeper and told him to come by and say hello. He is from Ark. He told me what he was doing and I took him over to IJ for an interview. Delightful young man, well mannered and sharp as a tack - I just can't remember his name though!!

FReepers were well represented though.
117 posted on 02/08/2003 4:45:28 PM PST by dixie sass (From the Palmetto State, in the LowCountry)
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To: P.O.E.
Well color me naive, but I don't see any horrible anti-right bias, here.

It's tongue-in-cheek, to be sure, but hardly a devastating indictment of CPAC.

And the last line, that CPAC might consider holding its next meeting in Paris is actually pretty funny.

Awful lot of indignant responses to a pretty fluffy little story.

118 posted on 02/08/2003 4:52:51 PM PST by BfloGuy (The past is like a different country, they do things different there.)
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To: P.O.E.
What never ceases to chap my hide is the haughty, tight-assed, pinched-faced, condescending way these prissy little libs flick their wrists and paint us as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals.

All this because we happen to believe in America, the Constitution, honor, and possess a visceral hatred of tyranny wherever it may be.

To the Economist: Save your pants-pissing. You aren't on our target list.....................yet.

119 posted on 02/08/2003 5:36:28 PM PST by RightOnline
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To: Mudboy Slim; sauropod; leadpenny
They think we're scary....BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Now this is scary!

120 posted on 02/08/2003 6:16:47 PM PST by KLT (NY NEEDS TO BE CLINTONFREE!)
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