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CPAC Republican jamboree is bright and loud but enthusiasm for Trump is muted CPAC Republican jamboree is bright and loud but enthusiasm for Trump is muted
(about 2 hours later)
Here at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel in Maryland, which plays host to the Conservative Political Action Conference, there’s a lot of noisemaking and hardly a mention from the main stage of the party’s largest noisemaker: Donald Trump.Here at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel in Maryland, which plays host to the Conservative Political Action Conference, there’s a lot of noisemaking and hardly a mention from the main stage of the party’s largest noisemaker: Donald Trump.
The frontrunner for the Republican nomination isn’t scheduled to speak until Saturday morning and, though one might have expected to see a plethora of Make America Great Again hats at one of the country’s largest annual gathering of conservatives, his absence from the on-stage rhetoric and the dearth of obvious fans in the audience doesn’t seem like a coincidence.The frontrunner for the Republican nomination isn’t scheduled to speak until Saturday morning and, though one might have expected to see a plethora of Make America Great Again hats at one of the country’s largest annual gathering of conservatives, his absence from the on-stage rhetoric and the dearth of obvious fans in the audience doesn’t seem like a coincidence.
Down in the exhibit hall, where attendees walk around gathering swag, cheap plastic sunglasses, big-eared Obama stress balls, and plastic bracelets announcing your opposition to marriage equality were the must-haves.Down in the exhibit hall, where attendees walk around gathering swag, cheap plastic sunglasses, big-eared Obama stress balls, and plastic bracelets announcing your opposition to marriage equality were the must-haves.
The conservative Liberty University is giving away earplugs – but their giveaway isn’t meant as a commentary on the party’s reaction to the frontrunner.The conservative Liberty University is giving away earplugs – but their giveaway isn’t meant as a commentary on the party’s reaction to the frontrunner.
“I’d use them,” the gentleman manning the university’s booth in the loud conference hall said, waving his hand in the direction of some people shouting, “But I need to hear people to be able to talk to them.” “I’d use them,” the gentleman manning the university’s booth in the loud conference hall said, waving his hand in the direction of some people shouting, “but I need to hear people to be able to talk to them.”
The lack of enthusiasm for Trump’s candidacy doesn’t mean that there isn’t an undercurrent of excitement at CPAC, which is using the slogan “Our time is now”. Down in the exhibit hall just before the lunch hour, some of the students and young people here as part of a large contingent from Turning Point USA turned up the music and started a dance party circle to the strains of LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem and Taylor Swift’s 22 as the Heritage Foundation passed out free popcorn several feet away.The lack of enthusiasm for Trump’s candidacy doesn’t mean that there isn’t an undercurrent of excitement at CPAC, which is using the slogan “Our time is now”. Down in the exhibit hall just before the lunch hour, some of the students and young people here as part of a large contingent from Turning Point USA turned up the music and started a dance party circle to the strains of LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem and Taylor Swift’s 22 as the Heritage Foundation passed out free popcorn several feet away.
“Everybody better have a ‘Big Government Sucks’ sign!” the organizer shouted as more and more observers held up their phones to tape the maybe-not-so-impromptu dance party.“Everybody better have a ‘Big Government Sucks’ sign!” the organizer shouted as more and more observers held up their phones to tape the maybe-not-so-impromptu dance party.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition’s (Leap’s) Howard Wooldridge, another CPAC regular who is always quite visible in his cowboy hat and pro-marijuana legalization T-shirt, comes to CPAC for that youthful exuberance – and for how it influences the conservative movement’s acceptance of his cause.Law Enforcement Against Prohibition’s (Leap’s) Howard Wooldridge, another CPAC regular who is always quite visible in his cowboy hat and pro-marijuana legalization T-shirt, comes to CPAC for that youthful exuberance – and for how it influences the conservative movement’s acceptance of his cause.
“Young people are trending libertarian,” he said, explaining that, in his early days, he used to get a lot more pushback from conservatives when he said that marijuana legalization should be part of a conservative agenda “if you believe in freedom and less government intrusion”. Now, because of young people, “resistance is coming to a statistical zero.“Young people are trending libertarian,” he said, explaining that, in his early days, he used to get a lot more pushback from conservatives when he said that marijuana legalization should be part of a conservative agenda “if you believe in freedom and less government intrusion”. Now, because of young people, “resistance is coming to a statistical zero.
William Temple says if Trump gets elected he will likely be impeached pic.twitter.com/kUWzPMruVEWilliam Temple says if Trump gets elected he will likely be impeached pic.twitter.com/kUWzPMruVE
While he spoke, a group of six young conservatives – one who said, under his breath, that he didn’t think of himself as a libertarian – lined up for pictures with Wooldridge. In terms of year-on-year visibility, Wooldridge and his pro-pot agenda are probably second only to William Temple, who shows up in colonial garb every year (and is, reportedly, not a Trump fan).While he spoke, a group of six young conservatives – one who said, under his breath, that he didn’t think of himself as a libertarian – lined up for pictures with Wooldridge. In terms of year-on-year visibility, Wooldridge and his pro-pot agenda are probably second only to William Temple, who shows up in colonial garb every year (and is, reportedly, not a Trump fan).
Ariel Kahane, a 44-year-old conservative activist from New York City who supports Cruz and is here on behalf of conservative congressional candidate Phil Rosenthal (who is challenging longtime incumbent Democrat Jerry Nadler), said of CPAC “It’s always very young”, which he admitted sometimes makes him feel out of place. Ariel Kahane, a 44-year-old conservative activist from New York City who supports Cruz and is here on behalf of conservative congressional candidate Phil Rosenthal (who is challenging longtime incumbent Democrat Jerry Nadler), said of CPAC: “It’s always very young”, which he admitted sometimes makes him feel out of place.
Still, the conservative from liberal New York is used to that feeling. “I kinda feel left out” back home he said, as attendees of all ages streamed in and out of the main conference hall – which is why this is his 12th CPAC. “I love the gathering of conservatives and tea parties from all across the nation and the world.”Still, the conservative from liberal New York is used to that feeling. “I kinda feel left out” back home he said, as attendees of all ages streamed in and out of the main conference hall – which is why this is his 12th CPAC. “I love the gathering of conservatives and tea parties from all across the nation and the world.”
And while the Cruz-supporting Kahane admits that “Trump is making this a very exciting election,” others are less enthused about the long shadow the frontrunner currently casts over the movement and the conference.And while the Cruz-supporting Kahane admits that “Trump is making this a very exciting election,” others are less enthused about the long shadow the frontrunner currently casts over the movement and the conference.
In years past, it was the young – and, yes, libertarian contingent – that pushed Rand Paul to his CPAC straw poll wins, to the chagrin of more seasoned conservative activists. But, with Paul’s presidential campaign at an end, his Rand Pac booth was deserted except for a cut-out of the candidate.In years past, it was the young – and, yes, libertarian contingent – that pushed Rand Paul to his CPAC straw poll wins, to the chagrin of more seasoned conservative activists. But, with Paul’s presidential campaign at an end, his Rand Pac booth was deserted except for a cut-out of the candidate.
There were cut-outs of all of the candidates, current and now-departed, scattered around the trade show floor; but only Ben Carson’s recently deceased campaign is still staffing their booth, though, doing a brisk business at a table decorated with items for sale. There were cut-outs of all of the candidates, current and now-departed, scattered around the trade show floor; but only Ben Carson’s recently stalled campaign is still staffing their booth, though, doing a brisk business at a table decorated with items for sale.
Elsewhere, at a large booth aimed at highlighting and encouraging women’s participation in conservative politics, the sponsors were doing brisk sales in elephant-themed cotton ladies’ clothing (the skirts were quite popular), under T-shirts trumpeting the remaining male candidates for the Republican nominees and a lonely sweatshirt reading “A woman’s place is in the House and in the Senate”. Elsewhere, at a large booth aimed at highlighting and encouraging women’s participation in conservative politics, the sponsors were doing brisk sales in elephant-themed cotton ladies’ clothing (the skirts were quite popular), under T-shirts trumpeting the remaining male candidates for the Republican nominees and a lonely sweatshirt reading: “A woman’s place is in the House and in the Senate”.
At CPAC, where even policy disagreements are positioned as a competition in the marketplace of ideas, there’s a lot to be bought and sold – both on the main stage and in the convention hall. It remains to be seen whether the great salesman, Donald Trump, will on Saturday find the buyers he’s been coming here to court for many years. A lot of voters at CPAC, it seems, have their hands on their wallets whenever he opens his mouth.At CPAC, where even policy disagreements are positioned as a competition in the marketplace of ideas, there’s a lot to be bought and sold – both on the main stage and in the convention hall. It remains to be seen whether the great salesman, Donald Trump, will on Saturday find the buyers he’s been coming here to court for many years. A lot of voters at CPAC, it seems, have their hands on their wallets whenever he opens his mouth.