Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
Oys, headdesks and facepalms all around, everyone.
Some may recall the stir caused by last year's sponsorship of CPAC by GOProud, a group of gay Republicans whose platform reads like a Tea Party manifesto, with no mention of "gay issues". But since they self-identify as gay, three groups boycotted the event. The Heritage Foundation, Concerned Women for America and some family values group or another. Attendees to last year's event will also remember two things vividly:
- The CPAC party was THE hot ticket. Not to stereotype, but I will anyway, gays know how to throw a party. Breitbart was there, Coulter was there, all the yoots were there. Good time had by all, though they may have been hurting in the morning.
- Harshing people's mellow, a young speaker the next day delivered a harangue against gaydom generally, and how it had no place in the conservative movement. He was hooted off the stage by irate attendees. Thus giving a sense of the gathering.
Well, this year, Breitbart will have left the building. The chair of the ACU has passed from David Keene to one Al Cardenas, who has announced that GOProud will not be allowed as a sponsor this year. I have a theory about this involving taut domestic drama in the Cardenas household . You may draw your own conclusions.
But the upshot is this: we're going to look bad. They will pound us on this. Gays aren't a huge voting bloc (be generous and say 5%), but most people are sympathetic. Our candidates will be asked about it relentlessly, and will be on defense. And it's all so unnecessary. GOProud doesn't wander the corridors of CPAC french kissing while wearing chaps sans pants. They're conservatives, of a Tea Party sort.
Besides, who wants to attend the big bash thrown by the Concerned Women for America? Sounds like a fun crowd. Oy.
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Comments :
Jun '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
There is nothing more gay than the fear of appearing gay.
May '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
Hence my awesome threads, pictured here. I mean, if I see two guys making out, I get a bit skeeved, just as I would seeing two ugly people making out. But feeling threatened by them or tainted by their proximity is profoundly silly.
It is telling that the #1 lefty insult directed at Breitbart is accusing him of being gay. Guy's married with kids, and I think secure enough to hang out at a party thrown by gay conservatives.
Jun '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
Sooooo.....I guess Socrates, Plato, Alcibiades, Aristotle will be personae non gratae?
Why make it an issue?
Now, cramming an aggressively gay curriculum into the minds of young kids via the state funded public education system, now there you have an issue.
Edited on Aug 4, 2011 at 10:52amFeb '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
So if someone delineates a line in the sand, so to speak, about moral absolutes then your impression is that they are old fashioned, insulting and stupid? Your comment about feeling skeeved about seeing a homosexual or heterosexual couple making out is a straw man's argument. Those social conservatives you are criticizing are also skeeved about either situation and want more restraint to be shown from all individuals in the public square. Ever been to a gay pride parade? I read Mrs. Cardenas statement and she states that she wants to preserve the institution of marriage. Her arguments are not that different than the ones stated by other groups including those that are not social conservatives. So if what you really care about is who throws a better party and what others will think of conservatives then you have already capitulated.
May '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
We all can agree on the awfulness of today's curricula, Michael, though I've never noticed GOProud pushing for a gay curriculum (whatever that would be; guess they'd watch Teen Wolf). They basically push for a smaller government and adherence to the Constitution.
May '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
Ah, Rosie, you Raise an Issue. I have been to a Pride Parade, and while it was a good time (aside from having to shake hands with Rod Blagojevich), I don't think those parades flatter gays. They're sort of a minstrel show, and I can see how they'd be offensive.
However, as to the mood of last year's CPAC, I think it's pretty clear that even a hefty majority of conservative attendees have moved toward acceptance in a very short time. So "what others think of us" is also reflective of what conservatives think. And the partiers were, y'know, conservatives, not some fifth column infiltrating our ranks.
As to protecting marriage, it is true that GOProud does not favor a Marriage Amendment. Nor do I. The US Constitution is a document for defining the structure and powers of government, and guaranteeing the rights of citizens against government. Aside from Prohibition (which seems to be oddly missing in my revised version) it does not enshrine our ideals for the mores of citizens. Such an amendment would be as much a misfit execrescence as a flag-burning amendment.
Mar '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
ACU, being a private organization, has every right to decide who can co-sponsor its events. Freedom of association and all.
But CPAC is a pretty big tent event—you have folks from every wing of the party there and they disagree on many things even while agreeing in broad strokes.
If it is merely that there are two sides in a debate about a public policy—the state’s position on marriage—why can’t that debate be had and still allow one of the participants to sponsor one of the biggest conservative events of the year?
Or, is there something happening here that's more than just a policy dust up?
Jun '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
No, Mr. Kennedy Smith, I have not either. I'm referring to some articles I've read over the last couple of years where the gay curriculum thing is being pushed by Progressives.
But I did think the Socrates/Plato comment was sort of funny. Just sayin'.
Jun '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
So, now there is a conservative purity test for CPAC? How sad.
One can be conservative on economic but not social issues. One can be conservative on social but not economic issues. And have lots of positions in between. This move sends the message that CPAC is limiting itself only to those with the most pure conservative credentials. That is not good for the conservative movement as a whole.
May '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
CPAC really is bigger than the ACU. It's a sort of flagship event. They are indeed a private organization, though I think they have a greater responsibility in trying to get conservatives elected, rather than engaging in internal squabbles. I think there are two factors at work:
I don't think either of these factors reflects well on our marquee event of the year, nor do they reflect the future of the Republican party or the conservative movement. We should be trying to oust Obama and cut spending.
May '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
David Carroll: So, now there is a conservative purity test for CPAC? How sad.
One can be conservative on economic but not social issues. One can be conservative on social but not economic issues. And have lots of positions in between. This move sends the message that CPAC is limiting itself only to those with the most pure conservative credentials. That is not good for the conservative movement as a whole. · Aug 4 at 11:45am
Thing is, the anti-gay thing is over. It's not the future. It doesn't win. Young people are now more pro-life than they used to be (as am I), so that's good. But they'll never become less tolerant of gays than they used to be. That's not happening. This is just an unforced error and a self-inflicted wound caused by the internal machinations of the ACU.
May '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
Crow's Nest:
Or, is there something happening here that's more than just a policy dust up?
Certainly. It's an attempted takeover of the conservative movement by libertarians including gay rights groups, and to do that they have to kick out the social conservatives.
Don't believe me? What about the letter last year that GOProud put out, basically telling Congress after the election that they should ignore social issues? They claimed to speak for the entire Tea Party movement and were trying to marginalize the vast majority of Tea Party members who also happen to be social conservatives, who still want their social issues addressed.
Edited on Aug 4, 2011 at 12:21pmJul '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
To suggest the conservative movement require heterosexuality is an error. I know plenty of conservative gays that are in the closet about voting GOP. They should not have to be ashamed around their gay friends for voting their conscience.
Michelle Bachman's husband has a Christian therapy clinic where I believe young people can "pray the gay away". This will be very very bad press if she gets the nod.
I am personally a Christian but the above concept is laughable and more importantly will be an automatic DQ for a large percentage of voters.
Jul '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
I've got to say that I am with Kennedy on this point. This year and next must be about removing the worst 'peace time' president in the history of the Republic, not about which logos appear on the banners. We are a federal republic, the states can all be different from one another and still live in harmony, why can't the conservative movement?
Jul '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
double post gnomes strike again
Edited on Aug 4, 2011 at 1:12pmJul '11
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
I'd like to see some evidence of that myself. I have yet to meet a single tea-partier who is concerned about anything other than intrusive government, run away spending and the breakdown of federalism. Maybe I just live in a bubble.
May '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
J.Voss
I'd like to see some evidence of that myself. I have yet to meet a single tea-partier who is concerned about anything other than intrusive government, run away spending and the breakdown of federalism. Maybe I just live in a bubble.
Certainly the economy and runaway spending is the issue in the headlines the last couple of years. But that doesn't mean other issues don't matter to people anymore.
There are plenty of us who think the real root cause of all this fiscal mess is, well, our social mess. You can't have small government without responsible, self-governing citizens, and that's where social issues become paramount.
Jun '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
Traditional Evangelicals are a bigger and more reliable voting block on the conservative side. They'll come to CPAC if they feel welcome, but they're not begging to come. Who do you want? You have to pick your poison.
Aug '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
Good for Brietbart. The GOP needs to become a much bigger tent to be successful.
Look, I think we're all agreed that the major challenges of the upcoming years are going to revolve around getting entitlements under control and controlling the growth of government. This is not going to be easy, and it's going to require the biggest coalition you can muster.
If the GOP continues to insist on adherence to social conservatism as well as fiscal conservatism, it's going to continue to struggle to get 50% of the country on its side, and its 'base' will be 20% of the public. But if the GOP can get past the social conservatism and focus on being the party of small government and maximal personal freedom, it can build a coalition of Reaganesque size, and that's what it will take to get the kind of majorities required to make sweeping change.
May '10
Re: Not Enough National Drama? Lets Start a CPAC Civil War!
I think a large number of Tea Party members (how does one define that?) are social conservatives. I'm pro-life, and, um, what's the other social stuff? I forget.
However, social issues are not the focus of the Tea Party movement. It is sage political advice to hammer the Democrats on Obamacare, the debt and the pitiable state of the economy. Now, while we're united in the face of crisis. This splits our forces, and turns off much-needed independents.
Edited on Aug 4, 2011 at 12:30pm