In the days leading up to last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), I wrote about how the event hosted by the American Conservative Union (ACU) had replaced conservatism with compromise. Trading their principles for profit, CPAC repackaged the conservative movement into a compromised product sold to the highest bidder.
CPAC 2017 was filled with a host of speakers who had little in common with conservatism, including Donald Trump, and unfortunately, the 2018 edition has continued the tradition. Selling its conservative soul to the National Populist devil, the ACU has become for all intents and purposes a political action committee promoting the Trumplican Party platform.
In addition to featuring Trump and most of his administration, the CPAC 2018 itinerary includes appearances by members of Trump Pravda (FOX News and Breitbart). There will be panels focusing on a host of issues to conservatives Trump, such as: how the “Trump Effect” has impacted national politics hijacked conservatism, and how the Russia investigation is fake news—featuring an appearance by Trump’s favorite member of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes.
One of the most obvious indicators of how CPAC has lost its way was confirmed yesterday in the appearance of French Nationalist Socialist Marion Maréchal-Le Pen. Le Pen’s party affiliation is with the National Front Party in France, a party that questions the holocaust, but ACU Chairman and CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp extended the invitation anyway because Le Pen is a Trump supporter.
Le Pen’s appearance was so controversial that it prompted a Twitter war between Schlapp and National Review Senior Editor Jonah Goldberg who questioned the wisdom of her appearance at CPAC.
Reagan battalion I've come to respect you but do your research. This is Marion not her aunt. Marion is a classical liberal, a conservative https://t.co/fok5TSpcpP
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) February 20, 2018
This is fantastic news. I mean if she's a classical liberal, she'll announce she's leaving the National Front, right? That's a coup for CPAC. Congrats. https://t.co/2EEqgx9Iy5
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) February 20, 2018
Hey Jonah our biggest coup was getting your wife to join mine on the trump train. Choo choo https://t.co/N1WxQiPrlU
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) February 20, 2018
Hey Matt, please address my point. You know I like you (& your wife). Personally I think it's bad form to drag my wife into this. Regardless, CPAC claims to speak for the conservative movement. A speaker from the National Front, never mind a Le Pen seems like a bad decision. https://t.co/WNnAPAI7WW
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) February 20, 2018
Seriously, @mschlapp I'm psyched to learn that she's a classical liberal. I've always known her economic policies were less statist than her grandfather's or mom's. But I didn't know she was a disciple of Bastiat et al. I'd like to see the research you refer to though. https://t.co/VLorlGyUg7
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) February 20, 2018
Part of @CPAC is hearing people out. Debate is good for democracy and we are honored to have her address our activists. We hope to see you https://t.co/sgSURjRh4F
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) February 20, 2018
Wait. I thought you said she's a classical liberal. Is that not right? We need to hear Nationalist ideas now for the sake of democracy and debate? https://t.co/DkBAr4jVty
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) February 20, 2018
I'm proud of our spouses working for trump. And I'm proud that Marion has moved away from the politics of her forebearers. Hear her out. https://t.co/64G2xe7Y1u
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) February 20, 2018
Oh I'm sure Marion will say lots of things the CPAC audience wants to hear. But do us both a favor stop tweeting about my wife or associating her with what you're defending. https://t.co/PX1rOMwAfy
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) February 20, 2018
Did you catch Schlapp’s defense of Le Pen when he said that she “has moved away from the politics of her forbearers”? Rather ironic when you think about it since that’s exactly what Schlapp and the ACU has done with conservatives; they too have moved away from their forbearers.
In 2017, CPAC replaced conservatism with compromise, but in 2018 it’s they have found other “C” words to replace conservatism with. Counterfeit. Capitulation. Cowardice. Craven. Corrupt. Crooked. Contrived. Clandestine. Con-artists. Well, you get the idea.
In the age of the Trumplican Party, conservatism is dead, and the ACU’s decision to turn CPAC into a Trump campaign rally confirms this sad reality.
David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative. His politically incorrect and always “right” columns are featured on RedState.com, NOQReport.com, and TheResurgent.com.
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