As many of you may know, the Conservative Political Action Conference occurred in Washington, D.C., this past weekend. A variety of conservative-leaning Americans attended the conference, such as anti-homosexual rights advocates and anti-liberal media activists, setting up booths to promote a plethora of causes.
Among these groups, which are to be expected at a conservative conference, some had questionable motives. There was a group that advocated Americans moving to New Hampshire to start the second Revolutionary War. Another called attention to the tyranny of liberalism by selling a book titled “The Tyranny of Liberalism,” along with “A Consumer’s Guide to the Apocalypse.”
The Oath Keepers, a group of law enforcement officers, were represented at the conference, promoting their ideals of disobeying laws they don’t agree with. They were only founded in April 2009, interestingly only months after Barack Obama was inaugurated as our president.
Finally, Let Freedom Ring published “Grandma’s Not Shovel-Ready: Signs from 9/12 and the Tea Parties of 2009.” The publication highlighted and promoted different signs that were proudly held high at the tea parties, which included countless references to socialism, Marxism, communism, czars, fascism, comrades and, my personal favorite, the sign that read “We came unarmed... this time.”
If this was merely a conference for people with certain political affiliations, it would be harmless. But the problem is that is not what the CPAC is, it’s a pre-primary opportunity for Republicans to feel out their constituency for a possible presidential push in a few years. The problem with having these kinds of groups represented at the conference is they become affiliated with the Republican Party. And by speaking at the conference, Republicans such as Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney are supporting their ideas. By pandering to some of the most extreme examples of conservatives, these potential presidential nominees are allying themselves with what extreme conservatives believe.
I can’t imagine possible presidential nominees attending a liberal counterpart to the CPAC. Just looking at what the conservative media has done to Democrats with ties to liberal groups proves my thoughts. Glenn Beck began a campaign against Van Jones, one of the many “czars” appointed by President Obama, because of ties to left-wing causes in his past. Jones was forced to resign from working in the administration because of the campaign, yet conservative extremists are pandered to by important political figures.
Democrats should be pointing this out to the American people. The only reason I found out about all of this was because Rachel Maddow’s show came on after Olympic hockey on MSNBC. She had a story on how the conservative movement, as represented by the CPAC, continues to move away from pro-active politics and toward anti-Democratic and, more specifically, anti-Obama politics. I feel bad for the normal conservatives I know because they are being ignored in favor of more extreme groups.
Regardless of their motives, the Republican speakers should be criticized for partaking in the conference. Centrist Republicans should be offended that their possible future presidential nominees are already moving to the right. Perhaps if the Republicans had stayed more toward the center in the 2008 presidential election, they could be in the White House right now. I guess getting Sarah Palin’s name out there was too important to ignore. But by being isolated to the far right, they are already hurting themselves. And Democrats must call attention to the – let’s face it – crazy groups represented at the CPAC and the seeming endorsements by the Republican speakers.
