With Ted Cruz among speakers, will CPAC target Democrats or look to prop up Trump?
Texas’ own Sen. Ted Cruz is giving the final speech of the evening on CPAC’s opening day, Thursday.
As is typical of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, gathering this year in Orlando, Florida, the schedule is packed with speeches from Republicans and activists, along with panels on hot topics.
With President Joe Biden’s approval ratings at an all-time low, skyrocketing inflation and Ukraine and Russia on the verge of war, this is a great time for Republicans to denounce liberal policies and pave the way for a new kind of conservatism.
But will they do it?
A first glance shows CPAC’s agenda still seems to lean disproportionately on the GOP’s past, particularly President Donald Trump. The agenda includes multiple speeches from former administration staff or Cabinet members, such as former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, former Ambassador Ric Grenell and former Housing Secretary Dr. Ben Carson.
It also includes a panel called “The Truth about January 6th: A conversation with Julie Kelly.” Kelly is a political commentator who believes Jan. 6 was not an armed insurrection. Trump speaks Saturday evening in the primetime spot – his speech the obvious linchpin of the entire event.
It’s not clear how much influence CPAC has on grassroots politics, midterm or presidential elections. Some years, it seems far more prominent than others. Some panels seem designed to hit on timely important topics such as what’s happening in school systems and the “new age of social media.”
Still, it’s disappointing to see the grassroots part of the GOP fail to take advantage of Biden’s obvious recent blunders and use them to propel the party toward a better future better than Trump.
A midterm election year when the president in power is flubbing up speeches and partially responsible for uncomfortably high gas prices and massive inflation is a prime moment for the Republican party to demonstrate just how liberal policies hurt everyday Americans. Yet few items on CPAC’s agenda are delving into this, except for perhaps one panel weirdly focusing on Obamacare.
In campaign terms, this is like free opposition research and an “October surprise” handed to would-be activists years ahead of time. Why aren’t Republicans harping on bad liberal policy instead of focusing on Trump retreads? It raises the question: Which direction is the GOP moving?
It’s one thing to wax nostalgic about likable conservative presidents – we do it to Ronald Reagan all the time – but Trump was no Reagan. In his one term, Trump implemented some great policies and appointed hundreds of solid jurists. But he left without grace or humility, unable to admit defeat, and now releases near-daily statements through his PAC that sound like a conspiracy-laden blog written by an angsty, selfish, middle-schooler.
Conservative ideas, not individuals, should be the focus. . Limited government, low taxes, bolstering the private sector and emphasizing liberty for all from everything to schools and masks to businesses and vaccines. These are revitalizing concepts that so many people and politicians embrace.
The GOP needs to stop acting like there’s only one person that can win the White House with an R next to his or her name. The party encompasses a wide tent with Texans like Rep. Dan Crenshaw, governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis and women like Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor.
If CPAC really wanted to be effective, it would honor Trump’s previous achievements but continue to look forward, lambasting the awful liberal policies that have a chokehold on this country now and offering voters a brighter future through different principles.
