What I Learned at CPAC

Freeper in Attendance. | 22/28/15 | Self

[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.

[ziravan]

I'm glad I came. I've been jaded about politics for awhile and this is the first political thing I've done in a year. I want Cruz to win. I flew all the way to D.C. just to cast a straw poll vote for him.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Nice report.

The Paultards are always a “force” early on... but idiots IMO.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Thanks for the rundown from somebody on the ground.

[uncitizen]

Thanks for that info. Very helpful.

[Patton@Bastogne]

well done ... little “Ricky” Santorum certainly deserved the walk-out ... as did Ann Coulter NOT being invited to speak at CPAC ...

[smokingfrog]

Is it true that Jeb had his supporters bussed in?

[Carthego delenda est]

Thanks for the report!

[leapfrog0202]

Thanks for the on scene report!

Am I wrong in remembering that Ron Paul also found most of his followers in college age people or those just slightly older? I wonder if Rand just took over dad’s supporters?

[PghBaldy]

Thank you for taking the time to write and post this.

[ziravan]

Sorry about the typos. I was typing on my Iphone from hotel room.

[familyop]

What lurks behind contemporary political speech:

Heavy Hitters: Top All-Time Donors, 1989-2014
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php
American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees $60,949,129 [Democrat] 81% [Republican] 1%”
National Cmte to Preserve Social Security & Medicare $10,414,606 [Democrat] 82% [Republican] 17%

Leviathan (Uncle Sam employs more people than you think)
National Review ^ | 02/03/2011 | Iain Murray
"...nearly 40 million Americans employed in some way by government."

Behold the NIMBYs and regulators against all productive activities. Local politicos have the money and time for politics, while people remaining in the private sector are regarded by them as old fashioned trash to be driven out of every neighborhood.

[dadfly]

thanks for the report!

[Politicalkiddo]

I know some real idiots my age. Doesn’t surprise me that all the Paul people were college students. All pot smokers, no doubt.

[ziravan]

Oh! Best speech: Mark Levin.

[TADSLOS]

Great report. Thanks for posting.

[txhurl]

Thank you! Cruz fan here, too.

[RginTN]

CPAC should advertise more on natl television maybe then more average people would show up to counter the establishment interns and the Paul college kids. I only hear about CPAC the week of and on some talk radio shows

[Chauncey Uppercrust]

Thanks for the report.....Is it not true that the straw poll is a joke, and that most do not even take part in the vote, and that they do not really push people to vote?

The fact that Paul won the straw poll was of no surprise to me.

Over the years it has bothered me the way the media including Fox has reported all these Straw Polls.

It`s a joke...am I right or wrong?

[mojo114]

Interesting report, thanks for letting us know.

[upchuck]

Is it true that Jeb had his supporters bussed in?

Yes.

Report: Jeb Bush Attempting to Rig CPAC Straw Poll with Bused in Supporters