CPAC 2013: Hearing from some of the possible next GOP standard bearers
We’re approaching the midpoint of CPAC 2013, and we’ve heard from about half of the people expected to be contenders in 2016 (at least, those who are on the agenda — and no, Donald Trump isn’t one of the people I have in mind). We can begin to see the ground these potential candidates are beginning to stake out.
The first of these possible candidates was Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Rubio covered the waterfront of long-held conservative beliefs, on both fiscal and social issues. “Our challenge,” he said, “is to create an agenda applying our principles.” The broad outlines of such an agenda from him mostly included conventionally conservative stuff. If there is one theme he wants to own, I’d say it is American exceptionalism.
He cited a different book: “The China Dream,” recently written by a Chinese army colonel. The gist, Rubio said, is that “China’s goals should be to surpass the United States as the world’s preeminent military and economic power,” and that the 21st century should pit China and America in “a race to see who should become the champion country to lead world progress.”
It was in that context that Rubio responded to criticism that the GOP was not promoting any new ideas (as opposed to those new-thinking Democrats who are still pursuing long-time goals such as universal publicly funded health care and gun control) by citing the hope America offers to the rest of the world, such as his parents who immigrated from Cuba.
“We don’t need a new idea,” he said. “There is an idea. It’s called America, and it still works. You want proof that it still works, look around the world today. Who are they copying? Not the former Soviet Union. Not Russia. They’re not even copying China. They’re copying us. They may claim to hate us, but they sure would like to be us.”
***
Immediately following Rubio was Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentuckian and son of former congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul. He took the stage to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and wearing a sports coat, tie and blue jeans. He was dressed like some college professors I had, and he launched into a constitutional semi-lecture that began with a discussion of his now-famous, 13-hour filibuster on the Senate floor about the Obama administration’s drone policies.
“We need to jealously guard all our liberties,” he said, before turning his message to one of those voter groups Republicans know they have to be more successful with.
“The Facebook generation can detect falseness and hypocrisy a mile away. I know, I have kids,” he said. “They are the core, though, of the leave-me-alone coalition. They doubt Social Security will be there for them. They worry about jobs and rent and student loans. They want leaders who won’t feed them a lot of crap or sell them short.
“Ask the Facebook generation whether we should put a kid in jail for the nonviolent crime of drug use, and you’ll hear a resounding ‘no.’ Ask the Facebook generation if they want to bail out too-big-to-fail banks with their tax dollars, and you’ll hear a ‘hell no.’ There is nothing constitutional about bailing out Wall Street. Likewise, there is nothing ‘progressive’ about loans to billionaires to build solar panels.”
As you might have expected, Paul is going to try to pull the GOP in a more libertarian direction. “The GOP of old has grown stale and moss-covered,” he summed it up. His speech didn’t receive as much consistent applause as Rubio’s did, but he had the audience in his hand by the end. Could the same thing happen in the 2016 primary?
***
Friday brought Rep. Paul Ryan to the conference, and the 2012 vice presidential candidate received a very warm welcome. As you might expect, the House Budget Committee chairman focused a lot on budget matters, but he wanted to talk not just about the numbers but the reasons balancing the budget is important.
“A debt crisis would be more than an economic event,” Ryan argued. “It would be a moral failure. By cheapening our currency, government would cheat us of our just rewards.”Even now we are hurting American working families. By living beyond our means, the government is sending us a message. It is saying, if you plan ahead, if you make sacrifices for your kids, if you saved, you’re a sucker. It is brazenly stealing from our children and from young adults, and it has to stop.”
He argued for restoring government to a more appropriate size, one that allows it to do certain things well while leaving other things to the people.
“We need to make room for community, for that vast middle ground between the government and the people,” he said. “They don’t find common ground through grim isolation or government fiat,” but through the connections they make themselves.
***
Later Friday and Saturday, we’ll hear from Rick Santorum (hey, he finished second last year, which was yet another year the GOP nomination went to the “next guy in line”), Bobby Jindal, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker. I’ll post thoughts about their speeches afterward.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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357 comments Add your comment
getalife
March 16th, 2013
2:56 pm
I think cpac divided the gop more as the cons boo moderates and the newt freaks out.
Best cpac ever.
indigo
March 16th, 2013
3:20 pm
td – “we are not to question God”
That may or may not be true.
In order to prove that, you must first furnish testable evidence that God exists and then prove you know what God’s will is.
I eagerly await this evidence.
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 16th, 2013
3:20 pm
You’re stuck on stupid. Your Democrat orientation leads you to think that everyone in a political party has to think the same way. Not so in the Republican party.
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 16th, 2013
3:22 pm
indigo: In order to prove that, you must first furnish testable evidence that God exists
——————-
Link please.
getalife
March 16th, 2013
3:27 pm
Stuck on stupid is a good definition of the gop.
The clowns posturing as cons will not save your party.
You will remain losers.
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 16th, 2013
3:33 pm
Sarah Palin: “If we truly believe the words of our other founding document, the Declaration of Independence, with its world-changing assertion that, yes, all men are created equal,” she continued, “then there are no Hispanic issues or African-American issues or women’s issues; there are only American issues.”
——————————-
Democrats don’t believe in that. Division, racial politics, and rabble-rousing are what they believe in.
Why do Democrats hate America?
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
3:36 pm
….and furthermore.,…….
You know, on other blogs, commenters first wet their fingers and hold them up to see which way the political winds are breaking, and then comment. Thus the reading in those blogs is very safe, redundant and back-of-the-cereal box; after all, common sunshine is the best fumigant for all. Not on this site, no siree blog. The natives here stick their fingers where the sun don’t shine and then break wind so that they always know which way the air is moving. Am I the only one who’s afraid of what might happen if they start living their lives like a candle in the wind, as Elton John, who keeps popping up on their Friday video moronathons from hell, has suggested on numerous occasions?
I worry ’bout foks, is all.
Numbers-R-US
March 16th, 2013
3:37 pm
Look at the silly Republicans, each vying for the grand prize as the one that licked Sheldon Adelson’s… boots, uh huh, that’s right, boots, the cleanest.
Numbers-R-US
March 16th, 2013
3:39 pm
Even the idiots at FOX were not stupid enough to keep Sarah Palin around.
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
3:56 pm
Spam Alert! The AJC hacked into my email and sent “work at home” spam to every single contact in my email, and has been doing this for over two years. Can I sue the AJC?
indigo
March 16th, 2013
4:01 pm
Barry
Link please?
What in the world are you talking about?
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
4:18 pm
I would have never figured it was the AJC, until I just tried to log on to one of the “register only” blogs. Suddenly a welcome pop up appears with my name in the same strange configuration, with my middle initial as part of my first name then a space and then my last name. Exactly as it appears on the spam. I just now discovered this after two years of spam hell and me apologizing to every single member of my family. Over and over.
The AJC is busted, man.; it’s so over, and if any of you geniuses are smart you will get real scarce real fast. Cause a storm is a brewin, folks. A legal storm. Save yourselves. I promise that none of you will get mentioned if you all simply disappear and never post again.
Rafe Hollister
March 16th, 2013
4:26 pm
One man’s opinion
Now that Bush is gone, Sarah Palin serves as the bogeyman, someone the progs can use to mock and poke fun at, because she believes what they were brought up believing, but renounced later, as they became “enlightened” and “smarter than their parents.
She represents back home, America loving, Mom and Dad, happiness, self sufficiency, old foggies sitting around the corner store, responsibility to family, ability to take care of oneself and their family, God fearing, and moral certain.
By disparaging and ridiculing her, they are trying to convince themselves they made the right decision in abandoning their upbringing. Maybe America has moved on from those traditional values she represents, at least they are trying to convince everyone else that it has.
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
4:26 pm
So. The editors at the ajc are responsible for this. I always suspected that they were prying and probing and playing tricks, but until now, I’ve never had definitive proof. Scatter, rats. Run for the hills, cause this is big.
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
4:31 pm
Boy have I got a story to tell. The Wooten disaster. The Bookman fiasco. Then there was that contest for conservative blog writer, back in 2009, remember? I knew that they had already picked Kyle Wingfield and that the whole thing was a publicity stunt, so I sent in this comedy application form. You know, a stupid name, I forgot what it was, but let me tell you it was funny, and then I wrote a bunch of nonsense on the application, just for a laugh. Well, I guess I must have po’d somebody off way up high in the AJC mgt.
You screwed up big time, sir. Yes, you embarrassed me with the work at home spam that went to my entire family, because it had my name on it, and it was like, I was trying to make money off my family through a spam email. A peculiar way of spelling my name gave it all away.
OMG. Is my life in danger now?
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 16th, 2013
4:38 pm
indigo: What in the world are you talking about?
——————-
You made a claim about another poster being required to provide proof of this or that. You didn’t back up your claim with any proof, however.
Link please.
Numbers-R-US
March 16th, 2013
4:39 pm
Rafe should do all that he can to get Sarah Palin nominated as their next presidential candidate. Go for it.
Numbers-R-US
March 16th, 2013
4:42 pm
And Rafe should email FOX and tell them that they are the idiots for getting rid of Sarah Palin because Rafe believes that Sarah Palin is the true image of the GOP. Make my day.
indigo
March 16th, 2013
4:44 pm
Barry
TD said “we are not to question God”
This shows he believes God exists.
Since HE is the one making this claim, I am asking HIM to provide testable evidence to back up this claim.
I do not claim God exists.
The burden of proof falls on the one making the claim.
td
March 16th, 2013
5:09 pm
indigo
March 16th, 2013
4:44 pm
If you do can not look around you and believe that there is a God then you are lost. Let us examine the alternate alternative:
Atheism:
The belief that there was nothing and nothing happened to nothing and then nothing magically exploded for no reason creating everything and then a bunch of everything magically rearranged itself for no reason what so ever into self-replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs.
Now which is harder to believe?
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
5:09 pm
Okay, here’s what I think happened, and why I think I’m in danger. Wooten kept doing a piece about how single moms were a black problem. Never mind that the vast majority of single moms in the USA are white. Wooten had a way of looking at individual races, like the black race, and then showing data that suggested that the vast majority of black mothers are single moms, and then extrapolating that data to play down entitlement initiatives. So I clobbered him for it. I love Jim Wooten, and think his column was wonderful, fun, and original But after I cautioned him that his data was the worst hate-mongering I ever read, he persisted, and an all out war erupted. On his blog, I was targeted by trolls, bullies and thugs (oh my) in fact, the same people who comment all day long on this blog now. What, does EVERYBODY work for the AJC? Or all you are horrid racists?
Doesn’t matter, it’s gonna all come out in court. See ya all soon!!!
Dusty
March 16th, 2013
5:11 pm
Mostly quiet on the AJC front this afternoon, I see.
RAFE, read your poetry and we need more of it. Very nice! I also like your comment at 4:26. You are talking about the same values I was raised with and they are still the best. I’m afraid the “new values” are about to sink the country
.But this blog is not representative of our country. The liberals here are mostly propaganda people, those with dementia, drug ridden or psychotic, fearful of religion and their own life style who lash out at anyone not like them. This particular blog subject shows it only too plainly.
Kyle is too busy to do any housecleaning. Maybe when CPAC is over he will have more time here..
Have a pleasant weekend. The weather is wonderful. Enjoy!
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 16th, 2013
5:12 pm
indigo: TD said “we are not to question God”
——————
Go ahead and question God. God doesn’t give a crap.
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
5:31 pm
This is getting too easy Anyone else want to NAME THEMSELVES?
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
5:49 pm
I’ll say this: the dusty/@@ creepshow has held a grudge for how I satired their sorry bony asses for over seven years now, maybe longer. They are the psychos. They just can’t let it go. They keep stalking me and regurgitating old bits I did. Throwaways, but they cant drop them. Wow. Scary, people. that’s why I feel threatened. How would you like it if someone reprinted bits your wrote ten years ago as proof that they are not stalking you? or as proof they have good reason to stalk you? There’s no way to spin this but dusty/@@ is a total psyco-stalker from hell. You all know it. I havent addressed dusty/@@ in over five years, maybe longer, like seven years. I don’t read them, or reply, or address them ever ever. Its just a fact, yet, look how at hand they are when I comment. Proof solid. They are total stalking delusional sociopaths from hell.
And now, as delusional revisionists, let them voluntarily accessorize the felony charges. and it is a felony. You may not stalk or threaten or harrass another commenter, Dusty/@@. It’s not allowed. THere are judges out there just waiting for animals like you.
So take this advice: get lost. take a long hike. disappear. save yourselves from this, because until I get the names of everyone responsible, I’m not going to stop. Unless You never post again ever. Then maybe I don’t sue your sorry behind, you dementzilla.
Georgia
March 16th, 2013
5:51 pm
The spam emails. great gag! too bad it’s your undoing, whoever you are.
indigo
March 16th, 2013
6:04 pm
td – 5:09
That pattern of pseudoreasoning is known as “false dilemma”. It comes from limiting consideration to only two alternatives when, in fact, there are others.
I am an Agnostic. I do not know if there is, or is not, a God. I will patiently await for evidence.
Mathematical physics has shown something really can come from nothing. Evolution is not a theory, it’s a fact. Every living Nobel Prize winner in the sciences believes this.
If this conflicts with your scripture, then it’s up to you to either live in knowledge or live in ignorance.
indigo
March 16th, 2013
6:07 pm
Barry – “God doesn’t give a crap”
Which God.
The Jewish one?
The Christian one?
The Islamic one?
The Gods of the Hindus?
If you have proof of God’s existence and know which God you’re talking about, please let us all know.
Otherwise, keep your superstitutions to yourself.
MarkV
March 16th, 2013
6:10 pm
“Sarah Palin serves as the bogeyman, someone the progs can use to mock and poke fun at, because she believes what they were brought up believing, but renounced late”
Rafe forgot to mention a few things that Sarah Palin represents, such as arrogance, ignorance, and self-righteousness. I do not know if that is what Rafe was brought up believing, but he certainly does not know anything about others.
td
March 16th, 2013
6:12 pm
Ted Cruz is knocking the door down at CPAC.
Dusty
March 16th, 2013
6:26 pm
MarkV
Evidently you did not read Rafe’s second paragraph where he says exactly what he believes and enjoys. Maybe you should tell us which of those values and experiences you find disagreeable.
As to Sarah Palin, she seems quite able to express herself having been elected a mayor and then governor of one of the largest states in the Union. I find her life style as a “commoner” and not a dignitary somewhat refreshing. Perhaps you prefer someone a little more elite. Or maybe the word is “stuck-up”?? Why is that? Why don’t you tell us about the “others” you mentioned?
Rafe Hollister
March 16th, 2013
6:31 pm
Dusty thanks, hope you are enjoying this wonderful day!
Numbers
I never said she was the best choice for the GOP, she like Shillary is too polarizing, half the country goes rabid at the sound of her voice. Doesn’t mean that she in not solidly in tune with 45% of the voters, and whomever is selected should bring her on board with the campaign. She is a better campaigner than Barry, which is saying a great deal.
Mark
arrogance, ignorance, and self-righteousness. If asked to describe Obama, those would be three of the four adjectives I would trot out, the other being incompetent. Sure has worked well for him, so those traits obviously must not hinder a politician. .
wsm_marathoner
March 16th, 2013
6:41 pm
ABORTIONS ARE EVIL!!! WOMEN SHOULD NEVER DO IT!!!! MY PARTNER AND I SUPPORT ABORTION LAWS AND THE UNBORN!!??
F. Sinkwich
March 16th, 2013
6:53 pm
CPAC from WaPo:
““Remember no-drama Obama? If only. Now it’s all-drama Obama,” Palin said. “We don’t have leadership coming out of Washington. We have reality television. Except it’s really bad TV, and America tuned out a long time ago.”
Turning to guns, Palin criticized the background-checks bill that passed through a Senate committee this week and Obama’s push for more gun control.
“More background checks?” Palin said. “Dandy idea, Mr. President. Shoulda started with yours.””
Bwaahahahahahahaha
She nailed it. Standing O time!
MarkV
March 16th, 2013
6:54 pm
Dusty @ 6:26 pm
“Evidently you did not read Rafe’s second paragraph where he says exactly what he believes and enjoys.“
Dusty,
If you want to correct me, perhaps you should first read what you wrote about for the second time.
This is Rafe’s second paragraph:
“She represents back home, America loving, Mom and Dad, happiness, self sufficiency, old foggies sitting around the corner store, responsibility to family, ability to take care of oneself and their family, God fearing, and moral certain”
He writes about Sarah Palin, not about what he believes, although I have no reason to dispute that he might be enjoying sitting around the corner store, and I am fairly sure he always feels moral certain.”
“Maybe you should tell us which of those values and experiences you find disagreeable.”
And why should I? I criticized Pailin’arrogance, ignorance and self-righteousness, not any of the above.
MarkV
March 16th, 2013
7:00 pm
Rafe Hollister @ 6:31 pm
“arrogance, ignorance, and self-righteousness. If asked to describe Obama, those would be three of the four adjectives I would trot out, the other being incompetent. “
I am always amused by people like you, who call President Obama incompetent and ignorant. Apparently believing that you tower over him in knowledge and competence. That is a good evidence of arrogance.
F. Sinkwich
March 16th, 2013
7:12 pm
“I am always amused by people like you, who call President Obama incompetent and ignorant.”
Well, I’d add narcissistic, belligerent, euro-socialistic, and anti-American.
So laugh your ass off, doofus.
MarkV
March 16th, 2013
7:18 pm
F. Sinkwich @ 7:12 pm
“Well, I’d add narcissistic, belligerent, euro-socialistic, and anti-American.
So laugh your ass off, doofus.”
I do not laugh at stupidities; I just pity those who write them.
F. Sinkwich
March 16th, 2013
7:30 pm
Well, I pity this country for voting this America hater into office.
Dusty
March 16th, 2013
7:32 pm
MarkV
If you want to be honest, just say I don’t like Rafe because he doesn’t think the president is doing a good job and is not a good president.
You can’t seem to reconcile yourself to the fact that MANY PEOPLE do not think the president is doing a good job and say why they think so.
I almost know the feeling. When Bush is blamed for everything that has happened in the last four years I don’t like it either.
Anyway, this was the best spring day ever. I still have all my doors open. But my wren disappeared after the last big wind storm. I hope she comes back.
@@
March 16th, 2013
7:32 pm
GEEZ!
PoliFore’s 3:31 wasn’t too bad. Kinda went downhill after that.
Havin’ a bad day, I s’pose.
@@
March 16th, 2013
7:33 pm
Take note, PoliFore.
Dusty and I both posted at 7:32.
We’re not the same person.
Dusty’s much nicer than I.
F. Sinkwich
March 16th, 2013
7:35 pm
““The election came and went but the campaign never stopped,” Palin said. “Mr. President, we get it, you won. Accept it. Now step away from the teleprompter and do your job.””
Bwaahahahahahahaha
Dusty
March 16th, 2013
7:45 pm
Hi @@,
Come on!! You know that both of us are as sweet as buttercups!!
Did you get out in this nice weather and look at your “future farm” or something like it?
MarkV
March 16th, 2013
7:48 pm
Dusty @ 7:32 pm
“If you want to be honest, just say I don’t like Rafe because he doesn’t think the president is doing a good job and is not a good president.”
Dusty,
Rather than calling in question my honesty, why don’t you make the effort to understand that I do not like or dislike Rafe. I occasionally respond to what he writes and some other people write, that’s all. There are only one or two on this blog I have no doubt about their personal depravity, as clearly evidenced by their comments, but I do not bother to answer those.
“You can’t seem to reconcile yourself to the fact that MANY PEOPLE do not think the president is doing a good job and say why they think so.”
Reconcile? I have not doubts about what they think. I respond to what they write.
Anyway, I am enjoying the spring like weather, and I am sure our birds enjoy my feeding them, seeing them waiting for it every morning. I am sure your wren will find the way back
G’nite.
breckenridge
March 16th, 2013
7:55 pm
“arrogance, ignorance, and self-righteousness. If asked to describe Obama, those would be three of the four adjectives I would trot out, the other being incompetent. “
I don’t agree in full. I don’t find Obama to be ignorant (see GW Bush) or self-righteous.
I do agree with arrogant. I would also say he’s from the elitist intellectual left and a very liberal democrat. He reminds me of a super-smart weirdo grew-up-in-the-hippy-60s professor I had in college. He was quite maddening actually, any time you tried to pin him down on anything he’d just squirm and slither and slip and slide.
Cherokee
March 16th, 2013
7:55 pm
“““The election came and went but the campaign never stopped,” Palin said. “Mr. President, we get it, you won. Accept it. Now step away from the teleprompter and do your job.”””
And to think that this ignorant brain dead moron would have been a heartbeat away from being President….
(I still hope you choose her as your candidate, cons….)
Dusty
March 16th, 2013
7:57 pm
G’ nite MarkV,
Most people write what they are thinking otherwise how would they do it? OH well…
My bird feeder is inactive at the moment ’cause there’s been nobody around who wanted any.The wren did not go there. The squirrels will be happy to oblige when I get some birdseed. Birdseed? Squirrel feed!. (I go through this every year!)
Hillbilly D
March 16th, 2013
7:59 pm
Run for the hills, cause this is big.
I’m already in the Hills. I’m not one for running, anyhow.
And didn’t somebody exceeed their allotted 3 posts for the day?
Rafe Hollister
March 16th, 2013
7:59 pm
Apparently believing that you tower over him in knowledge and competence. That is a good evidence of arrogance.
Mark
So you think you tower over Sarah Palin, does that make you arrogant.
I am not arrogant, never think I am the smartest person in the room, unlike Barry, I know my limitations, but I do know there are only 50 states and corpsman is pronounced “coreman” not “corpseman”. If he would release his college records we would have a better idea about his intelligence. We know what GWB and John Kerry did in school, and we know John McCain finished at the bottom of his class at Annapolis, and we know of Mitt Romney’s stellar grades and degrees, but do not know squat about the Emperor’s education, wonder why.
He may be far above ignorant, but he is certainly often out of his league in areas like the Fed Budget and economics, and unlike me, he doesn’t realize that many of the people giving him advice are more knowledgeable than he.
His lambasting Paul Ryan, to his face, after inviting Ryan to sit it on the speech was low down, mean, and ignorant. Ryan could school him on the federal budget, but he would be a petulant obnoxious student, so they wouldn’t get far.