The annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in Washington DC is considered the nations largest gathering of conservative voters and organizations. While it’s true the event is large, the reality in the Age of Trump is there’s no “there” there when it comes to conservatism.
Conservatism has been replaced with compromise, and principles have been traded for profit to the highest bidder, turning CPAC into a Trump campaign rally over the past few years.
The annual Western Conservative Summit held in Denver, CO, and hosted by the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University is hailed as the nation’s largest event for conservatives outside of CPAC. While it’s true this event is also large, the reality is the WCS has also become little more than a Trump campaign event.
The Western Conservative Summit is western, but it’s not conservative.
With “Defending Religious Freedom & America’s First Amendment” as the theme, this year’s Summit features a Who’s Who lineup of faux conservatives. Some of the names you might recognize are:
- Charlie Kirk — Turning Point USA
- Sen. Cory Gardner (CO) — Conservative Review Liberty Score® 47% (F)
- Larry Elder — Salem Radio talk show host
- David Horowitz — Author of Big Agenda: President Trump’s Plan to Save America
Two additional well-known speakers confirm, in my opinion, how Colorado Christian University has lost site of its Christian conservative values.
The first speaker is Ken Starr. Yes, THAT Ken Starr.
Known for his role as the independent council whose investigation led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton, Starr is solidly in the Trump camp and he was one of the first to endorse Attorney General William Barr’s conclusions on the Mueller report concerning Trump’s possible obstruction of justice.
Starr’s Trumpism is bad, but his character issues are worse. For example, Starr was terminated in 2016 as president of Baylor University following a sexual assault scandal involving the school’s football team.
You’ve no doubt heard about the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein last week on sex trafficking charges after a plea deal to avoid federal sex trafficking charges in 2007 fell apart when a judge ruled the deal unconstitutional. The attorney who negotiated Epstein’s sweetheart deal was none other than Ken Starr.
By the way, the federal prosecutor who signed-off on the deal was Alexander Acosta, Trump’s current Labor Secretary.
The second speaker is a last-minute addition to the lineup … Donald Trump, Jr.
Considering how the WCS has sold its soul, I’m not surprised by Jr’s appearance. What really grinds my gears is how the organizers at Colorado Christian University are selling it in the name of conservatism. In the email announcement I received, they described Donald, Jr. in glowing terms:
“Donald Trump Jr. is one of the boldest conservative voices in the nation. He is a warrior for limited government, free markets, personal freedom, and the Constitution. We are elated he will be speaking at the Western Conservative Summit.”
If you’re like me, that probably made you throw up a little bit in your mouth.
Trump and the GOP aren’t conservative, which is why I’m #NeverTrump and #NeverGOP. Unfortunately, their brand of faux conservatism has reached once-great organizations like CPAC and WCS. And that’s tragic news for America because her spiritual and political health is terminal.
David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative.
His daily radio commentary is distributed by the Salem Radio Network and is heard on stations across America.
Follow the Strident Conservative on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to receive podcasts of radio commentaries: iTunes | Stitcher | Tune In | RSS
