I MISS THE OLD CPAC, WHICH WAS ONLY INTERMITTENTLY IGNORANT!

The Washington Post's Henry Olsen is sad because CPAC isn't what it used to be.

This year’s lineup shows a party attempting to marry pre-Trump conservatism with Trumpian style. And what’s missing? Genuine discussion and debate of the issues.

... This year’s agenda speaks volumes as to who is and is not considered potential star material for movement conservatives. Former president Donald Trump makes the grade, as does his son, Donald Trump Jr. But former vice president Mike Pence does not. Neither does Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Kristi L. Noem of South Dakota have coveted solo slots, as do Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) and even former secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Other potential 2024 candidates, such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, are missing despite their consistently conservative stances on the issues.

No one who pays attention to Wingnut World will be terribly surprised at this list. All True Patriots know that Pence and Haley are evil RINOs, while the Trumps, DeSantis, and Noem are laboring mightily to save America from the evils of COVID mitigation and George Soros. Cruz is coming because no one tries harder to grovel before MAGA America, and Rubio has stepped up his grovel game quite a bit lately as well. Abbott is an odd omission, but the MAGA crowd is mysteriously wary of aout him, for reasons I can't quite understand. Maybe it's because he's allowed Florida to surpass Texas as the most reactionary big state in the Union. Texas held that crown for decades!

It's baffling to Olsen that CPAC is playing favorites in upcoming primary contests, though none of the picks and snubs should be surprising.

Trump-endorsed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is on the agenda, but neither of her top opponents will appear. David Perdue, the former Georgia senator running for governor in his state with Trump’s blessing, is on a panel, while his primary foe, incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp, is not. And Rep. Ted Budd, whom Trump endorsed for North Carolina’s Senate seat, is in, while his primary opponent, former governor Pat McCrory, is out.

It is thus notable that disgraced former governor Eric Greitens will be the only candidate in Missouri’s Republican Senate primary to appear at the event, since he has yet to receive Trump’s endorsement. Perhaps Trump decreed this is an audition to see if Greiten deserves the coveted nod from Mar-a-Lago.

No, it's because Greitens is an angry Trumpite who's a crook and a sexual predator and was forced to leave office when he was governor of Missouri. All that and the fact that he seems to be in the midst of a strong comeback make him a near-clone of MAGA's beloved ex-president. (Though I'm surprised that CPAC hasn't invited one of the other candidates in the primary, St. Louis gun guy Mark McCloskey.)

This Trump-infused movement conservatism is decidedly angry, if the titles of CPAC’s panels are any indication. One is called “Put Him to Bed, Lock Her Up and Send Her to the Border.” Another promises to “Lock Her Up, FOR REAL.” “The Moron In Chief” is presumably about the current occupant of the Oval Office, and Sebastian Gorka and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) will encourage the next occupant to “Fire Fauci.” Panels such as “The Invasion” and “Obamacare Still Kills” will keep the blood running hot, while “War: A Tribute to Andrew Breitbart” is presumably not about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sober discussion, it appears, will be in short supply at this weekend’s confab.

That is a dramatic departure from CPAC’s roots. Conservatives historically used CPAC to discuss and debate serious topics. The 2012 agenda, for example, featured serious debates on Internet taxation, the meaning of the Arab Spring and whether a flat tax or a VAT is the best supply-side tax policy.

Yes, but when I go to this Politico slideshow of CPAC 2012, I see Breitbart, Ann Coulter, Michele Bachmann, and a "TEBOW FOR PRESIDENT" bumper sticker leaning against a computer monitor. Oh, and there was this:

On Tuesday morning, attendees of the Red Carpet Blogger Awards at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) witnessed an unorthodox rap performance that seemed to have included the use of the n-word.

The “rap” by Steve Crowder, who is a Fox News contributor, and Chris Loesch, the husband of conservative commentator Dana Loesch, was titled “Mr. America.” The two sported colonial-style white wigs and track suits as they performed....

At one point, the lyrics of the song seemed to alarm audience members....

But right now you’re hot
Hey ain’t you, big hitter
But now I’m now I’m back from the dead
I’m bringing back all my knickers

At that point in the song, a “rewind” sound is played, making it clear that the intention was to cause the listener to think they heard the n-word.

... The “knickers” line occurs at the 1:50 mark.

Yes, really:



There might have been serious talk at past CPACs, but ignorant Breitbartism is where conservatism has always been headed. iIt's on the verge of a complete and permanent takeover of American politics, so why argue with success, Henry?