Lincoln Days and CPAC update
This is the update I put together for my radio show, the Liberty Restoration Hour, this past Thursday. Stay tuned for more CPAC updates from both myself and Chip in the next day (including photos/videos from the Tea Party rally!)
Here I am in the belly of the beast, Washington DC for the Conservative Political Action Conference. I felt very optimistic about this experience in the days leading up to my flight out of town because of my experience this past weekend at Lincoln Days (the Missouri Republican Party State Committee Meeting). At the state committee meeting I spent my time having frank and honest discussions with elected officials, candidates, and Republican supporters about issues and ideas I felt were important for the MO GOP to focus on including reducing the size of government, the idea of FISCAL conservatism, ending the war in Iraq (if for no other reason than economic), ending the Federal Reserve Banking System, and believe it or not, medical marijuana.
The greatest opposition to my words were surrounding the idea of ending the war. This is going to be a hard topic to sell as many people involved in the GOP are still touting the party line on this issue, BUT I was able to discuss liberty minded issues including how young conservative thinkers are fundamentally opposed to this war without facing harsh criticism or negative response, yes at times they opposed me, but not once was I made to feel bad or out of line for speaking my mind.
I think it was SO HEALTHY for the discussions to start and I left feeling very optimistic about the future of this party if for no reason other than the fact that CONVERSATIONS are FINALLY happening. Most of you remember how difficult it was to facilitate constructive conversation about these issues 6 months and a year ago! At the RNC this year I heard not one conversation about the role of government or changing the direction of the party – so blindsided by election fever, I was surrounded by talking propaganda machines who attacked anyone who asked questions or offered dissenting opinions as they cheered with vigor for a candidate they didn’t even support! The culture of this group of people is absolutely going through a transformation.
Maybe failure has caused folks to reconsider the direction of the party, maybe the influx of young conservatives into the political spectrum are opening some eyes, I’m not certain of the cause behind their openness to conversate about formerly taboo subjects, but it is absolutely happening. I also had many people come up and tell me how horrible they felt the MOGOP’s actions were when they treated the Ron Paul activists poorly. Are they waking up? Quite possibly. Now that I have arrived in DC I am more than confident the answer to that question is YES.
Is the GOP changing directions? Today I have heard talk about how Bush and Karl Rove have derailed the Republican Party, discussions about homosexual civil unions, and re-focusing on small government and fiscal conservatism instead of the divisive social issues of the failing Republican message in recent years. I have to admit I was extremely surprised by the presence of so many young people here this week . Typically, I am the youngest person at Republican events but this year at CPAC 2009 I am but one of many. What does this mean for the Republican Party? I think it means growth and a newly found openness to explore the behavior of their recent past in order to preserve the message of less government and FISCAL conservativeness.
Possibly one of the most amazing speakers I have heard recently was today during the Conservatism 2.0 forum hosted by PJTV. Deroy Murdock received the only standing ovation during the event – he identified by name the individuals, such as Karl Rove, and John McCain who have steered our party in the wrong direction and how we MUST be discussing this in a frank and open manor.
March 1st, 2009 at 8:47 pm
I’m sorry, but as long as Romney is calling Obama “Fear Politics” and in the next breath talking about how “Islamic Terrorists receiving rights is the wrong way to go”….and conservatives are awarding Rush for being a “Defender of the Constitution”….the party has a loooooong way to go.
March 4th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
You are looking at the “leaders”, not the people who are the heart of the movement or the party, the constituents who vote for those leaders. The average “conservative” seems willing to discuss fundemental issues that 6 months ago I would have been austrocized for bringing up… I don’t disagree with you with regards to those representing themselves as leaders of the party, but if you are able to truly tap into the heart of those who were in attendance you would see that we have come an awful long way in a rather short time period. This is something worth celebrating!