Posted on 02/28/2015 7:04:26 PM PST by ziravan
So. I flew from Texas as a guest of Ted Cruz' PAC to attend CPAC. I'm in my hotel room in Crystal City getting ready to go back home in the morning.
This was my first time to attend CPAC.
My observations:
1. Three types of pepole in attendance: college intern type, political operative type, and far fewer: average people.
2. The Paul people were everywhere. Judging by the idiot sitting behind me at the "Big Government Sucks" rally, I'm not impressed. This college kid was trying to explain, very patiently, to his buddy that the problem isn't really big government, but how that big government is run. Oh! and the Constitution was designed to be flexible with the times.
3, Paul had a huge group there, all college kids. Cruz had a decent group present. Ben Carson had a decent crowd. I didn't see any Walker people there. Anybody else was negligible. The only time I saw el Jefe people was when they raided the ballroom before his speech.
I prefer Cruz over Walker. Indeed, I attended for the sole reason to vote for Cruz. I have to give Walker this prop: his showing was based soley on his current rise in awareness for the early campaign.
Let me also say that candidates could invite people to attend, and it seemed to be standard that invitees from candidate could get half price tix: 67.50/day instead of 125. I believe the campaigns paid the difference.
2, I was surprised just how many interns filed in for Bush during his speech. It was the only time we saw Jeb! stickers on interns the whole event. They literally crowded the ballroom to SRO.
3. Rick Perry came across angry and focused his whole speech on foreign policy. He didn't play to his strength as one of the most successful Govs in recent history. At all.
For all the talk of a walkout for Bush, the real walkout was on Santorum. Half the room left when he got up to speak. Of course, he was on right after Rand Paul spoke and all the Paul-ites were leaving as Sen. Santorum was coming to the podium.
4, I met Freeper C. Edmund Wrigt and he gave me a copy of his book, "How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again." I'm going to read it when I get home. Thanks.
5. I bought a T-shirt of the Cruz Tattoo Pic.
6. I finally learned how to manipulate the Metro to my advantage...now that I'm leaving.
7. CPAC 2016 is Wed Mar 2 - Sat Mar 6. The Texas Primary is now set for Tueday, Mar 1. That should make CPAC 2016 a shake-up event for the race.
8. I went to a breakout session w/ FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai. Essentially, everybody thinks this will go to Court and there's a good chance that they Administration didn't cross it's Ts and dot its Is to survive a challenge.
I had a good time. I'm more jaded about politics and how it works. And less so.
2012 was an election that republicans could not lose, we were on the verge of a depression and Jimmy Carter’s second term was the decision, yet the GOP worked to find the one man who could not win, Mitt Romney.
“People like Sarah should go behind the scenes and let it be known that they will not support Bush. Bush needs to get an ear full and quit right now. But he won’t”.
This is what I said earlier. That is not an attack, but it is a compliment to her.
I accept the apology you won’t give me.
To: Chauncey Uppercrust
Sarah will endorse whoever the Republican nominee is.
27 posted on 2/28/2015, 7:32:22 PM by laplata
To: ansel12
She will support the Republican nominee. She urged people to vote for Romney.
71 posted on 2/28/2015, 8:23:27 PM by laplata
Between dissing Palin and old people, you are just trolling on this guys thread about CPAC.
If you call those statements of fact, attacks, you need some help.
Sarah Palin has a different outlook than you do. I think that is confusing you.
So when did Palin endorse and start campaigning for Mitt Romney?
I never said she campaigned for him or endorsed him. This is what she said on Facebook the night before the election:
“Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have offered a credible alternative to Barack Obama’s failed policies. Governor Romney understands how the free market works. His pro-growth economic policies will benefit all Americans. He has promised to move us toward energy independence, deficit reduction, and responsible entitlement reform that honors our commitment to our seniors and keeps faith with future generations. Governor Romney deserves a chance to lead. President Obama had his chance. He’s failed, and we can’t afford to go backwards”.
She came to Texas to my town, Conroe, when Cruz was winding down his campaign for US Senate - voting was just days away. One of the pictures you always see of Cruz with Palen is one taken on the stage they set up in The Woodlands, just a few miles out of Conroe.
After that rally, Palen and husband went to a Chick-fil-A to eat, photographers everywhere. That was during the Chick-fil-A/government insurance fiasco.
Palen and Cruz are definitely a political combo.
Thank you, I had already posted that, but it is good that you support my post.
Wow, Conroe, cool.
Your post about what she said on Facebook proves what I said. I think you are confusing the issue and looking for something that isn’t there. Goodnight.
:)
Thank you, I had already posted that, but it is good that you support my post.
Wish I could agree, but I have no faith in the Electorate.
FReepers yes, the typical Low Info Voter, no.
Today people Vote for a Living, even the Illegals that Vote thanks to the Democrats and Motor Voter.
I fear we Conservative types are a permanent Minority.
Sure, but politics is what we have, and we have to fight in that arena.
It’s good that you have finally come to admit I was right from the beginning.
Thanks for getting involved, and for reporting.
I attended also, and echo your observations.
Setting aside the Paulistas, who are mostly a separate breed, it seemed that it was Walker and Cruz who were the real favorites of the crowd, with Ben Carson coming in third, but with less enthusiasm than last year. The Jeb Bush vote was artificial, and he was clearly the least popular - even hated.
The big winners out of CPAC were Walker and Cruz, especially Walker, who shows more momentum.
Although not a big winner, I did get a feeling that Marco Rubio was coming back in from the cold with attendees, with his contrite statement that he has learned that we don’t trust immigration reform before the border is secured, and that he now believes that is probably right.
I was surprised how well dressed and overfed the Bush astroturf guys were. They didn’t look to me like my image of awkward interns, but rather like privileged elitists with lavish expense accounts. Maybe that was just the ones who sat by me. Bush got a total of about 250 votes. I would not be surprised if almost all of them were astroturf, who just dropped in briefly to vote and cheer his speech.
I think that the walkout when Santorum came on was just the Paulistas filtering out after Rand Paul as you said, and general disinterest, no animosity whatsoever. There was some clear walkout protest during Jeb Bush, but it was a minority and not well organized. I noticed a nervous look from Bush early in his talk, and turned to see the guy in garb with the flag leading a column of attendees out the back door - clearly making a parade of it, but not making noise.
Agit Pai, the commissioners from the FTC and the ITC, and Rep. Goodlatte were all great in that breakout session. It was a real boost for my morale to see such quality people in Government, after all the depressing news from this administration. I didn’t know Congressman Goodlatte before, but I support him now. Agit Pai is brilliant and principalled - he is a star.
Bottom Line for me was a recommittment to get out there and help next election cycle. Some brave and competent Americans have been fighting on for our constitution while I have wallowed in bitterness during this administration. I have got to stand with them, in defense of our constitution, against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Thank you for that post.
Good report. Thanks for going, and thanks for posting this.
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