Quotes About CPAC

Romney's Obama-era CPAC struggles spoke to a challenge his '12 campaign never overcame: to shore up the GOP's restive conservative base in a way that would allow him to pivot to the middle in pursuit of general election voters.

It's egregious that CPAC and Matt Schlapp have decided to bow to the leftist outrage mob and ban one of President Trump's most prominent supporters. I am extremely offended and appalled that I've been banned by my own people.

The Romney who showed up at CPAC in early 2007 vehemently embraced the conservative cause and openly mocked his home state and its liberal reputation.

Look, this CPAC convention is increasingly the Star Wars bar scene of the conservative movement. All that's missing from that convention is a couple of Wookies.

The Paul name has been a divisive one at Obama-era CPAC gatherings, with rabid supporters of Ron Paul invading the hall to cheer on their man, jeer his Republican enemies, and in 2010 and 2011 delivering straw poll victories to him.

Ron Paul's CPAC appearances perfectly captured the nature and limits of his political appeal. His libertarian message, non-interventionist views and devotion to the gold standard attracted a sizable, committed following, but many of the true-believers weren't actually part of the Republican Party.

In Trump's 2011 CPAC address he specifically calls for a relaxation of immigration restrictions for Europeans . . . that we should re-create an America that was far more stable and more beautiful. . . . No other conservative politician would say those things . . . but on the other hand pretty much everyone thought it . . . so it's powerful to say it. . . . Clearly [there's] a normalization process going on.

Instead, they borrowed a page from the same playbook they have used for decades. Now, when they want to talk about gay people, Republicans discuss a threat to "religious liberties" or "religious freedom." And if these terms are the raw ingredients of dog whistling, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is the test kitchen where the recipes are developed.