By Stephen Macaulay
It is absolutely appropriate that CPAC was held in Orlando, the city that has even surpassed Anaheim in its association with the Magical Kingdom. Walt Disney World is the most popular amusement park on earth, with some 58-million annual visitors. . .a number that collapsed as a result of COVID-19. However, given the reaction of an audible number of attendees who booed the announcement at CPAC that because they were in someone else’s facility they had to follow that host’s rules, and the rules included wearing masks to help mitigate the potential spread of the virus, they probably wouldn’t mind a ride on Splash Mountain, even if they were doused in foul water.
Mask-free or die.
It is all too easy to see the cartoonish golden statue of Donald Trump that was made — where else? — in Mexico, a statue that had CPAC attendees posing with just as they would with Mickey, in relation to a cautionary tale from Exodus 32: 1-6. The worship of an idol. Aaron had told the Israelites that the golden calf had delivered them from Egypt. It didn’t.
And Trump has delivered his people from what?
There are some 10.1-million people unemployed in the U.S. right now.
There are some 512,000 dead Americans — Americans — from COVID-19.
Did that Golden Idol cause the unemployment, cause the deaths?
Look at it this way: Both started under his watch. He claimed the former was going to “just disappear.” He made mask-wearing a political, not a medical, thing. He knew that a bad economy wasn’t going to be good for his brand, so despite advice to the contrary, he claimed COVID wasn’t a big deal, which led to more people getting sick, more people dying, and more businesses going out of business.
Chant though they might, it doesn’t change the facts. But facts are, as we’ll see, troublesome for some people.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in New York City. She was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, representing the 14th congressional district, which encompasses part of the Bronx, Queens and Rikers Island. She is a Democrat.
It is about 1,755 miles from the Bronx to Austin, Texas.
When the winter storm that set Texans back, way back on their collective boot heels, Ocasio-Cortez went to work and raised some $5-million for affected Texans.
Senator Ted Cruz, R-TX, went to Cancun.
So what did Ted Cruz do when he spoke at CPAC?
Among other things, made fun of Ocasio-Cortez, who had posted a powerful Instagram Live video predicated on her life experiences and what she experienced during the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6.
Ocasio-Cortez raises $5-million for people far away from her district.
Cruz goes on vacation while the people in his state struggle.
Regardless of what you think of the political points of view of either of these people, ask yourself one thing: Which of the two is a serious leader, someone who would have your back?
Ted Cruz, a man who ended up carrying water for the man who described his wife as being unattractive and who accused his father of participating in one of the biggest crimes of the 20th century, is clearly not serious. Nor does he seem to care about anyone other than Rafael Edward Cruz.
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The unacronymic name of CPAC is “Conservative Political Action Conference.” It is organized by the American Conservative Union.
Edmund Burke is the father of modern conservatism. Or maybe that should be real conservatism.
Consider this in light of what happened in Orlando:
“But what is liberty without wisdom and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint. Those who know what virtuous liberty is, cannot bear to see it disgraced by incapable heads, on account of their having high-sounding words in their mouths.” ― Edmund Burke
Conservatism is about things like morality, good conduct, a free-market economy, and limited government. And these people are all juiced up about Donald Trump.
How do you square that circle?
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According to the website for the Missouri secretary of state, Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state for the following reason:
“The most widely known legend attributes the phrase to Missouri's U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1897 to 1903. While a member of the U.S. House Committee on Naval Affairs, Vandiver attended an 1899 naval banquet in Philadelphia. In a speech there, he declared, ‘I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.’”
One way of looking at this is that the people of Missouri believe in facts. That evidence matters more than what people claim.
“I stood up and I said, I said, we ought to have a debate about election integrity, said, it is the right of the people to be heard. And my constituents in Missouri want to be heard on this issue.”
That is what Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, said in his CPAC 2020 comments.
Since Trump lost the 2020 election there has been a whole lot of rhetoric about how the “election was stolen.”
Where’s the evidence?
Show me.
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Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota, who is rumored to be a potential 2024 presidential candidate attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci at CPAC.
"As conservatives, we often forget that stories are much more powerful than facts and statistics," Noem said. "Our stories need to be told. It is the only way that we will inspire and motivate the American people to preserve this great country."
It is convenient that she’s not big on facts.
Few would argue that California has been an unfortunate hot spot for COVID-19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California has had 8,784 cases per 100,000 people. It has had 131 deaths per 100,000 people.
Of course, that’s a Blue State.
So how is South Dakota doing?
12,693 cases per 100,000 people.
213 deaths per 100,000 people.
Yes, Noem, facts and statistics ought to be avoided in favor of stories because they sure as hell are damning.
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Read the full list of CPAC’s presidential candidate straw poll — click on Forum.