The annual gathering of patriots near Washington, D.C. by the American Conservative Union this past weekend served to airily loft Donald Trump’s bid for re-election as president this coming November. Known as the “Conservative Political Action Conference”, this long-standing yearly confab regularly sees several thousand consciously constitutional conservatives, both traditional and libertarian, assemble in the nation’s capital for four days of platform speeches and panel discussions, breakout meetings, book-signings, marathon media interviews, and intensive networking among activists, pundits, authors, journalists, and concerned citizens. The atmosphere of 2020’s conference possessed an electric air of vitality and spiritedness, no doubt informed by POTUS 45’s extraordinary litany of accomplishments to date in the face of the Democrats’ and major media’s vituperative, relentless but thus far abortive, onslaughts to delegitimize him and derail his bold, comprehensive policy agenda of reform and national renewal. With all of the left’s animus still well aburgeoning, conservatives surely needed a special boost going into Campaign 2020, and CPAC delivered masterfully.
Conservatives have never before encountered such an expansive array of hostile opposition presidential candidates, venomous media spin-artists, wealthy campaign self-funders, cyber trolls, and celebrity thugs as they are witnessing this election cycle. Between multibillionaire candidates lacking any substantive appeal (Bloomberg, Steyer), bilious know-nothing upstarts (Beto, Buttigieg), overtly neoMarxist radicals (Sanders, Warren), and a flack media corps that endlessly pushes filtered, perverse, and ever more disingenuous memes, the challenges faced this year by America-loving candidates are immense. But CPAC’s roster of solidly conservative politicians, media stars, pundits, and accomplished activists met all of it head-on with great élan; lots of insightful, informed commentary on all major current issues; and impassioned calls to political action in the coming months. There is a lot of bright, articulate, and seasoned talent advocating for an America characterized by constitutional limited government, free markets, fiscal responsibility, nationalist economic and foreign policies, a strong first-tier military, well protected borders, and traditional values. As such, the coming electoral fracas will see the responsible right highly focused, stolidly empowered, and very well represented.
Vice President Pence, who spoke on Thursday, delivered a workmanlike review of the Trump administration’s many accomplishments in the economy, foreign trade, foreign affairs, taxes, and criminal-justice reform. His presentation was marked by a number of droll observations, even evoking an occasional near-smile from his otherwise innately phlegmatic countenance. But it was left to Wayne LaPierre, executive leader of the National Rifle Association, to rouse the listening audience to passionate ovations on Saturday morning ahead of the president’s keynote speech. LaPierre emphasized the preciousness of our unique American liberty heritage and the central place that the 2nd Amendment’s firearm freedoms play in that constellation of treasured jewels. Because the rights guaranteed by that amendment serve to protect all the rest of the natural rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights, he reminded us that the left’s mad assaults against it are precursors of a wholesale evisceration of all of the key rights and freedoms that Americans have historically cherished, enjoyed, and fought for, should we ever falter in our efforts to preserve, protect, and defend them.
Finally, late on Saturday afternoon, President Trump strode onto the podium and up to the lectern with much fanfare, welcomed by an adoring crowd, proud of all that he has done to restore America’s stature, strength, power, and greatness both at home and abroad in such a remarkably short span of time. Alternately stern and sharply direct at times and then playful, familiar, and even frolicking, he recounted his rise to power, the scope and virulence of the abject hatred and petty mockery he has faced starting in June 2015 from so many quarters, the maniacal rolling attempts to oust him from office since his inauguration in 2017, and his grand legion of policy milestones aimed at making America great again – and keeping her that way in future. By vocal inflection and physical antics, he skewered each of the leading Democrats contending for the right to oppose him in November. A highlight was his prediction that “Mini-Mike” Bloomberg would soon disappear from the nomination contest – and punctuated it by shortening his own vertical stature behind the lectern in several incremental steps to just oh-so-cutely accentuate that upcoming event. The crowd roared and howled with delicious delight!
At the end of his speech, as the President left the lectern and strode back across the stage to the wings, he stopped to physically embrace Old Glory, standing motionless on a solitary flagpole on the floor, and flashed his trademark pearly mug to the assembled throng. All of gleeful and cute yet again, it was also a deeply poignant moment for everyone present: A fearless American president who deeply loves his country and countrymen for all the right reasons, surrounded by thousands of them who share that love, appreciation, and dedication – and who then unabashedly, exultantly return all of it to him. This past week, CPAC did him, and all of us who call America beloved home, proud indeed.