cpac2019 acu conference February 2019

Attending the ACU’s (American Conservative Union) CPAC, Conservative Political Action Conference, for the first time last week was a pleasant experience that I encourage anyone with an open mind to attend.
 
The conference at the Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor Maryland is a four day speaker event including smaller group breakout sessions where knowledgeable speakers answer limited questions. 
 
By definition, it is not a bipartisan affair and is refreshing how relaxed and open everyone I met was to speak their mind.  By ACU’s statistics, 50% of attendees were 25 years old or younger and they were polite and considerate.
 
Matt Schlapp is the chairman of ACU and put on a great event from venue to speaker selection.  Well done, Matt.  My only question is why did you

feel it necessary to give a platform to an open communist Van Jones?  CPAC was such an overwhelming success that his presence and invitation to perpetuate his leftist agenda was shocking and disappointing.  He pandered to the audience through obfuscation and false praise all the while spewing leftist propaganda.  The only reason someone of his ilk should be invited is when he has a complete awakening like Candace Owens had and can speak from experience how wrong the other side is.
 
My biggest takeaway from CPAC is the feeling of comfort from being around like-minded people not silenced for expressing their love of our country and our president’s leadership.  From young to old, I did not meet a rude person.  Nobody was pushing their agenda on me, granted, I was around like-minded conservative thinkers but the difference was they were expressing their opinion, not telling me what to think or do.
 
The agenda included elected politicians, cabinet officials (current and former), authors and policy experts and even the President and Vice-President.
 
The results of the chosen speakers overarching themes in my estimation are as follows:

1. China is the real threat to the United States
2. Russia, Mueller investigation is a distraction from the real Hillary collusion
3. Socialism resurgence on the left is real and dangerous
4. President Trump is doing a great job bringing back Constitutional principles
5. Conservatives need to peacefully speak their minds, the left should not be allowed to squelch the free speech in the name of snowflake political correctness
6. 2020 election is critical to the United States survival and world leadership
7. The 1st and 2nd Amendments are under attack by the leftists, we must fight back
8. Ted Cruz appears to be swampy in that he refused to call out retired Speaker Paul Ryan, John McCain and other Establishment republicans for not supporting the President when they had control of all branches of the government for two years.
9. Buck Sexton is the new Rush Limbaugh, humbly intelligent and persuasive
10. Michelle Malkin is dead on right and needs a bigger platform to call out the establishment sellout republicans
11. Candace Owens is sweet and super intelligent
12. Charlie Kirk is sharp and quick but not very nice
13. Media Row was a scrum of Ginzu Knife and Sham Wow infomercial hucksters
14. Tom Fitton’s arms (Judicial Watch) are massive and he is doing the job of the absent DOJ
15. Eric Bolling is not as tall as he appears on TV
16. Pro-Life agenda is real and gaining popularity
17. Main stream old line media from major networks, including FOX, newspapers are the propaganda arm of the democrats and not to be trusted or tolerated

 I am a Conservative in the traditional definition (lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs) or my new moniker “Constitutionalist”.  If it isn’t in the four corners of the Constitution, the government cannot infringe on you.  As a true outsider not knowing anyone before attending the conference, I am happy I made the effort to go and listen with a skeptical mind to all presenters.  My understanding and love of the blessing of the United States Constitution has been reaffirmed and strengthened.  Not adoration for the politicians and personalities but for the principles our founding fathers were so careful to articulate and put into law.