GOP Conservatives Still Shopping

Ververs: Republican Party’s Right Flank Has Reservations About The Presidential Frontrunners

(CBS)  By CBSNews.com Senior Political Editor Vaughn Ververs.

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In 2004, President George W. Bush accomplished something his father couldn’t by winning a second term. He was elected and re-elected largely on a strategy of appealing to, then turning out, the conservative base of the Republican Party. But for the movement's movers and shakers gathering in Washington this week, Bush doesn’t hold the same place in their hearts as the last two-term GOP president. For them, George W. Bush is no Ronald Reagan.

At the 34th annual Conservative Political Action Conference Thursday morning, the 2008 presidential contest was the most visible concern for the activists, students and conservative leaders in attendance. It was hard to miss the presence of the Gipper, but more than pure nostalgia or affection, conservatives are asserting a measure of independence and staking out their claims for the coming election.

Conservatives find themselves outsiders to some extent within their own party, a position they have not been in since the early 1990s. Feeling abandoned on issues ranging from immigration to government spending, this core segment of the GOP is looking to flex its muscle. And in attempting to assert influence over the 2008 field, those attending the conference are keeping their president at arms length as well. Looking toward the future, these activists indicate they aren’t following anyone’s agenda but theirs.

David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union and the key organizer of the CPAC event, told reporters that while nearly everyone at the conference are clearly affiliated with and work through the Republican Party, “there has always been a question of, how do you do that without just being relegated to the back of the bus and taken for granted?”

When conservative author and direct-mail guru Richard Viguerie addressed the conference Thursday morning, he made a point of congratulating organizers for not inviting the chairman of the Republican National Committee to speak – something that has been done in years past. Keene said the reason RNC General Chairman Mel Martinez was not included in the program was not meant to send any message. Martinez had not yet been elected to the post last month when the schedule was firmed up. Still, Viguerie’s glee signaled how far conservative activists want to stay from the party establishment at this point in time.

Keene indicated that conservatives were weary of being taken for granted. “What you see now,” he told CBSNews.com, “is a reaction to Bush and the congressional leadership over the last few years, where there was always a reason to say, ‘well, we need to go along with this because these are our guys.’” Keene indicated that relationship hasn’t worked out that well for conservative ideals. “Pretty soon, incrementally, you do all that and you wake up one morning and not only does it turn into a political disaster but it wasn’t all that good” for conservatives. “How do you influence without being co-opted or being so outside you can’t? It’s a balancing act.”

President Bush isn’t being shunned at the conference. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was well-received by a packed room when he spoke and stressed the administration’s conservative credentials on Thursday afternoon. Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to give the main address at the event’s Presidential Banquet.

Still, organizers are sending a pointed message. CPAC is conducting a straw poll during the course of the three-day conference, designed to gauge the level of support among these conservative die-hards for the Republican Party’s presidential field. In addition to questions about candidate preference and issues of importance, the fourth question on the poll might be most telling. It asks, “all things being equal, would you MOST likely support a Republican candidate for President who called themselves” a “Ronald Reagan Republican” or a “George W. Bush Republican?”

While the candidate preference results will be most buzzed about, there’s little doubt about the statistical outcome of that question. It’s a message aimed more at the field of presidential hopefuls than the administration.

John McCain has had a rocky relationship with conservatives because of his past tussles with them. McCain championed campaign-finance legislation, an anathema to conservatives and has angered them on issues ranging from judicial nominations to taxes. When he ran for president in 2000, he clashed harshly with Bush (then a conservative favorite) and criticized leaders of the religious right, calling them “agents of intolerance.” While he has spent the past years patching up those relationships, divisions with conservatives remain.

McCain decided not to attend, but the two other perceived front-runners will speak on Friday and both have their own differences with the movement. Rudy Giuliani is soaring in the polls, even among evangelicals and self-described conservatives, on the strength of his performance on 9/11. But his moderate-to-liberal positions on social issues like abortion and gay rights are completely out of step with this audience.

Seeing a void, Mitt Romney has targeted conservatives of all stripes. But Romney’s recent conversion on abortion (he used to be pro-choice, now he’s pro-life) and other issues have many wondering about the conviction of his new-found convictions. Signs of that were evident in the halls of the CPAC event, where an anonymous man wondered the halls in a dolphin costume designed to portray Romney as a “flipper” and flip-flops strewn about with his name on them.

The activists at CPAC are still shopping for a candidate, and making that point loud and clear. “You’ve got all these candidates,” Keene said, “and none of them are born to the faith, if you will. So if we’re going to be a player, then we’re going to have to be strong and say we’re here because we believe A, B and C.”

[jpfrizz]

I hate to be the one who has to break it to the world, but it is time to draft Fred Thompson. The conservative movement has no champions in this race and to have to settle between a Romney or a Guiliani is no easy pill to swallow. McCain is not even on the radar. Conservatives and independents alike are never going to be able to trust or to put much faith in him, now that he has sold out for the opportunity to run. Unless we want to see the second coming of Al Gore we had better figure out how to get just such a quality conservative into the game!

[oldhacks]

he says wee're the beacon of civil rights and moments later culter calls Edwars a Fggut. Same as if shed called Obama a Ngger!!! Wheres the story CBS???

[j-whitman]

Still shopping ?? - Try WalMart,,, Bound to get a beter product than we've had for the last 6 years, cheaper too.

[liberalvet]

It simple~ anyone who believes that g a y marriage and taking away a woman's reproductive rights are the #1 & 2 top priorities in this country either don't have a clue or don't care a lick about this great country.
Posted by macusweil

So true so true..... It is not a factor of them not caring or having a clue. The problem is that religous fanatics are uncapable of thinking for themsleves. They follow blindly the words of fanatical leaders be it based in Islam, Christianity, Judisim, or any other religion that the core teachings are founded in hatred and bloodshed.

It is time for people with common sense and intelligence to take back this country.

[macusweil]

"ah the politics of hate. I hope it's almost over."

Yeah me too,, I just hate it when our commander in chief (who was pretty much AWOL during Vietnam) sends our troops to fight based on bad intel, under manned, under armored, and under trained.

Say where's Bin Laden?

Oh guess he's eating cheese covered Freedom Fries somewhere to celebrate his five years of freedom.

[macusweil]

"ah the politics of hate. I hope it's almost over."

Yeah me too,, I just hate it when our commander in chief (who was pretty much AWOL during Vietnam) sends our troops to fight based on bad intel, under manned, under armored, and under trained.

Say where's Bin Laden?

Oh guess he's eating cheese covered Freedom Fries somewhere to celebrate his five years of freedom and all his victories.

[formrusmcsgt]

ah the politics of hate. I hope it's almost over.
Posted by Zoroastor at 09:59 AM : Mar 02, 2007

Are you kidding? The guns of hate will be coming out on both sides in a few months from 527 groups lambasting the other side for being anything this side of a child molester!

I am old enough to remember when candidates ran on a "vote for me because I stand for this" type of campaign. Now, it's all "vote for me or you'll end up with that worthless piece of c r a p" type of campaign.

[huskerarmy]

When the truth cuts too close to the bone... just call it "hate."

[zoroastor]

ah the politics of hate. I hope it's almost over.

[huskerarmy]

"George Bush Jr. had four years to command the greatest military on earth with ALL of the resources of this great nation behind him."
That this simple and obvious truth remains lost on some 30% of the public numbs the mind.

[macusweil]

"True conservatives would never have: Lied to the people constantly -ObservantX"

Wow, could not have said it better myself. Your words sum it up almost perfectly.

Let's just add true conservatives would have never started a war of choice-- they know war is only ever undertaken as an absolute last resort.

[antoniof123]

I have now lived through Nixon and Bush, there is no prayer in h... that I will ever vote for another Republican they had too many chances they they have just lied too often. Each time they add more wealth to the rich and take it from me I have had enough.

[huskerarmy]

Nice post ObservantX. Unfortunately in my considerable lifetime, "conservatiism" has more often then not been a smokescreen for things much more sinister (i.e.- greed, class division, and plutocracy).

[macusweil]

"Wasted ? Will he be running as a Democrat ?"

Wasted is the very sad truth. We could have gone into Iraq started a civil war in three months and then left, saving the lives of over three thousand of America's bravest women & men. In the end the results will be the same, Bush as no plan to win the war only prolong it.

George Bush Jr. had four years to command the greatest military on earth with ALL of the resources of this great nation behind him. He could not win it then, he will not win it now, he has failed the Armed forces and this great nation.

[macusweil]

It simple~ anyone who believes that g a y marriage and taking away a woman's reproductive rights are the #1 & 2 top priorities in this country either don't have a clue or don't care a lick about this great country.

They should not vote; they should not support any candidates; they should pack up everything and move to a country (preferably in the Middle East) where religious extremists run the government and every aspects of peoples lives.

I am sure they'd be most happy living on such a place.

[observantx]

True conservatives, the fiscally prudent, limited government; privacy safeguarding conservatives need to take back their party from the radical crowd that has given Republicans and conservatism a very bad name. Let%u2019s contrast true conservatives and our current administration on just a few points:

True conservatives believe in responsible spending for the good of the nation. Our current administration has squandered a huge surplus by giving it away to its wealthy patrons. The waste and pork has been astounding.

True conservatives believe in limited government. We now have a bloated bureaucracy with layer upon layer of staff gorging themselves at the public trough. No bang for the buck here. Not even a pop.

True conservatives believe in the safeguards of the Bill of Rights, especially the right to be secure in one%u2019s home, possessions, and person. Our current administration has blessed us with a fledging police state that spies upon its citizens, asserts the right to kidnap, transport, imprison, torture, and indefinitely detain.

True conservatives would never have: Lied to the people constantly about nearly everything. Dragged us into an empire building escapade in Iraq. Tried to impose religioun driven imperatives concerning right to life, stem cell research and marriage.

Worst of all a true conservative would never have screamed at an aide: %u201CStop throwing the Constitution in my face! It%u2019s just a g*dd*mn piece of paper!%u201D

[grumpas]

You would think after the mess George W Bush has made out of the country these people would be rethinking their ultra conservative policies???? I would! But, then again I place my countries welfare above my personal agenda! That's the difference between me and them! I care more about my country than I do about making abortion, gay rights and gun's illegal! Which is another reason I quit voting for these creeps in the 80's when they went the religious right route! I guess you could say my husband and I grew up and moved past our private agenda's (gun's used to be our ax to grind)to what was good for the countries welfare! These people could be well advised to do the same! Maybe some of us would start getting a little respect for them again!

[skyk-2009]

When Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell went on TV the day after the attack on this nation and did nothing but USE that attack to further their OWN political Agenda, when they blamed that attack on the VAST majority of this nation for no other reason than the rest of us refused to buy into their narrow and rediculous agenda, they showed themselves and the Republican Party for what it REALLY has become. There's no way to repair something like that. The Republican's are faced with the SAME decision with these Southern Fascist that the Dems were in the mid 60's. They are NOT what American is and do NOT reflect the Image of this Nation. Either cut out the Cancer of die.

[skyk-2009]

All this GOP and Dembot stuff won't matter after Scott and I get Gore on the Green Party ticket for President.

.
Posted by HawkSprings at 11:20 PM : Mar 01, 2007


Somehow these kinds of childish responses just do not make it any more. Care to try again? LMAO

[skyk-2009]

"Americans "are very frustrated," he said, "and they have every right to be. We've wasted a lot of our most precious treasure, which is American lives, over there."

Wasted ? Will he be running as a Democrat ?
Posted by karlimhof at 04:00 AM : Mar 02, 2007

Well how would you classify the lost of life in that LIE that is IRAQ? You fascist stand so ready to attack anyone or anything that gets to the TRUTH of George Bush and the LIES that cost so many so much. So tell us HOW WOULD YOU state it? They were and will always be WASTED LIVES and all the propaganda, spin and mud slinging in the WORLD will not change it. Sieg Heil!!