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.
That be true...
Palin made that statement on Hannity’s show in June, several months before the election.
http://dailycaller.com/2012/06/20/palin-denies-withholding-support-for-romney/
She said she would vote for Romney over Obama “in a heartbeat”.
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.
What statement, that the republican veep choice of 2008 would vote for the republican presidential candidate of 2012?
Yes, when cornered, she did say that, what politics are you promoting?
Yes, the statement that she would vote for Romney over Obama “in a heartbeat”.
I agree with Palin that you should generally vote for the most conservative candidate given the choices at hand.
Did anyone talk about religious liberty....at all?
If you agree with Palin, then you waited until hours before the vote to endorse him?
May I suggest you use a rope.
Like Palin, I was planning to vote for Romney once he got the nomination.
Since attack Palin with your own twisted politics?
According to your home page you are anti-conservative.
You oppose us.
Pfft. Yeah man.
You are who you are, and your politics are what they are.
That is a fact.
Thanks for the report. It’s great to hear about what’s actually happening on the ground. Much appreciated!
Thank you for your report too.
One more thing I forgot to mention.
Cruz during his Brietbart Meet/Greet was talking about the power of individuals to effect change. One of his examples was that “a blogger in his pajamas found the truth and brought down Dan Rather.”
Someone else and I both yelled, “FreeRepublic!” at the same time.
After reading about your trip- I think I want to go next year.
Thank you for the insight!
The Paul campaign always has a ton of college groupies, these who have not lived life at all, except to read about it. They are the least informed, but they are the most ardent. They are like democrats, in one sense. They know all the cliches and sound bites, but know nothing about that which they speak. They parrot Paul nonsense. I wised up to the Pauls a LONG time ago. They talk a BIG talk, but they also vote against some of the same things they say they support. “Buyer beware” kind of thing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.