CPAC 2013 Highlights – Day 3

Sarah Palin Rocks the CPAC House… Holding-Up Her Big Gulp as She Ends Her Speech…

Video: CPAC 2013 - U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Video: CPAC 2013 - President Obama's Prayer Breakfast Club (feat. Dr. Ben Carson and Eric Metaxas)

If you haven’t seen it… See Dr. Benjamin Carson's Amazing Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast with

Video: CPAC 2013 - Mia Love, Mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah

Video:  CPAC 2013- Brent Bozell, Founder and President Media Research Center

Video: CPAC 2013 - Former U.S. Representative Artur Davis

Video: CPAC 2013 - Phyllis Schlafy, Founder, Eagle Forum (Emcee: Steven Crowder)

Video: CPAC 2013 – Former Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK)

CPAC Star: We are not here to re-brand a party… We are here to rebuild a country!

Palin rouses the faithful at CPAC

Video: CPAC 2013- Ann Coulter

Video: Senator Ted Cruz Gives Keynote Speech at CPAC 2013

Jeb Bush Beats the Drum for Inclusion and Acceptance at CPAC

Rand Paul wins CPAC straw poll

No surprise here, as Paul's supporters worked hard to get out the vote for their man.

Robert Costa:

Rand Paul won the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, a victory that cements his status as a tea-party favorite.

Paul, who spoke at CPAC earlier this week, drew the support of many college-age activists and libertarians. Throughout the conference's hallways, the support for Paul was strong, and his backers handed out "Stand with Rand" posters.

Conservative leaders say Paul's victory is a sign of his popularity within Republican ranks. "I'm glad someone who says bold things is rising," says Arthur Brooks, the president of the American Enterprise Institute. "At a time when many conservatives are reflecting on the future, his views are connecting."

Boyden Gray, a former counselor to President George H. W. Bush, agrees. He says Paul may not be cheered in every corner of the party, but he's a formidable figure. "Even within the GOP, people are beginning to question big institutions, from big government to big banks, and Rand Paul is speaking to them," he says.

Senator Paul, a Kentucky Republican and ophthalmologist, follows in the footsteps of his father, Ron Paul, who won the CPAC straw poll in 2010 and 2011.

Paul's supporters were not the only activists pushing a candidate at the Gaylord National Hotel in suburban Maryland. Supporters of Rick Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, and supporters of New Jersey governor Chris Christie also had informal get-out-the-vote operations.

But Paul's group was, by far, the most vocal, and its efforts paid off. According to a CPAC official, Paul was expected to win, and he drew heavy, consistent support.

Other Republicans on the ballot included Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz, Governor Bobby Jindal, and Governor Scott Walker. Rubio, for his part, came in a close second. Paul won 25 percent, and Rubio won 23 percent.

Tea Party favorite, rising Republican star, libertarian heartthrob - but a successful candidate for the GOP nomination in 2016?

It won't be his fiscal conservatism, or his ability to articulate conservative principles. But it may be his foreign policy positions that would make Rand Paul a bridge too far for a majority of Republicans. Is the party ready to accept isolationism as a foundational principle in foreign affairs? This remains to be seen.

Rand Paul is not as stridently anti-interventionist as his father and that has to count for something. But you can bet the major line of attack of Paul's primary opponents will be questions about his commitment to Republican foreign policy principles.

Rand Paul won the CPAC straw poll and was closely followed by Marco Rubio… and many feel that if Ted Cruz had spoken earlier in the event that he would have come in higher in the poll… but again, Sarah Palin rocked the house!!

Related:

CPAC 2013 Highlights – Day 2

CPAC 2013 Highlights – Day 1

Rand Paul takes a stand for the Facebook generation and tears apart Big Government spending

CPAC Star: We are not here to re-brand a party… We are here to rebuild a country!

American superstar: ‘STUPID people’ running country

Technorati Tags: CPAC,Conservatives,Constitutionalists,Libertarians,Republicans,Conservative Political Action Conference,GOP,Washington D.C.,speeches,CSPAN,CPAC schedule,Sarah Palin,Dr. Ben Carson,Ann Coulter,Mia Love,Ted Cruz,Phyllis Schafley,Rand Paul

CPAC 2013 Highlights – Day 2

Video: CPAC 2013 - U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Video: Sen. Rick Santorum Speech at CPAC 2013

Here is video of Sen. Rick Santorum speaking at CPAC 2013 earlier today. Santorum spoke with emotion, explaining that his nephew had just passed away.

Video: CPAC 2013 - Former Governor Mitt Romney (Intro by Gov. Nikki Haley)

Video: Donald Trump CPAC 2013 Speech US Is Run By " Very Stupid People " Trump

Read more at Ask Marion: American superstar: ‘STUPID people’ running country

Video:  CPAC 2013 - Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA)

Video:  Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR): U.S. Fighting Against “Radical Islamic Jihad”

Read more at Jihad Watch…

Video: NRA’s Wayne LaPierre Rocks CPAC: ‘You Keep Your Advice, We’ll Keep Our Guns’

Read more at The Blaze…

Schedule for (Final) Day 3 – Saturday 03.16.13:

Associated Press – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Conservative Super Star Sarah Palin: Brought the Red Meat to CPAC 2012 and They Loved It… Loved Her!

9:05 a.m.: Rep. Steve King (R., Iowa)
9:45 a.m.: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R., Minn.)
10 a.m.: Dr. Ben Carson
10 a.m.: Technology panel
Noon: Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska
3:45 p.m.: Reince Preibus, chairman of the Republican National Committee
3:55 p.m.: David Keene, president of the National Rifle Association
5:10 p.m.: Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas)

Associated Press

Dr. Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital

Related:

CPAC 2013 Highlights – Day 1

Rand Paul takes a stand for the Facebook generation and tears apart Big Government spending

CSPAN will be covering the CPAC Event

Technorati Tags: CPAC,Conservatives,Constitutionalists,Libertarians,Republicans,Conservative Political Action Conference,GOP,Washington D.C.,speeches,CSPAN,CPAC schedule,Sarah Palin,Dr. Ben Carson,Mitt Romeny,Paul Ryan,Wayne LaPierre,Donald Trump,Rick Santorum,Bobby Jindal

Romney picked as 2012 GOP front-runner at CPAC

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Conservative activists on Saturday named former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney the winner of a poll for best 2012 GOP presidential candidate.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won 20 percent of the vote in straw poll for presidential favorites.  

The poll marked the third consecutive year Romney came out on top.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal placed second in the annual poll, conducted at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Romney received 20 percent of the vote and Jindal got 14 percent.

Close behind were Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who each received 13 percent of the vote.

The results were culled over two days from 1,757 of the party activists who came to Washington for the annual conference and filled out ballots on Thursday and Friday. Nearly 60 percent of the straw poll participants were between the ages of 18 and 25. More than half of the conference attendees this year were college students.

The choices in the poll were: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist; former House speaker Newt Gingrich; former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; Jindal; Paul; Palin; Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; Romney; South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, and "Undecided." There was also space on the ballot for a write-in candidate.

The results could go a long way in shoring up a presidential hopeful's conservative resume, as was the case with Romney when he won the straw poll in 2007 for 2008.

The eventual Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, finished fifth in the 2007 vote, and lost to Romney in 2008 as conservatives at the conference expressed frustration that the Senate maverick was close to cinching up the nomination.

On Friday, Romney and Gingrich packed the ballroom.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul also drew a big crowd and lots of applause. Paul said the conservative movement has struggled to define what it means to be a conservative.

In criticizing Obama and House Democrats in a speech Friday, Romney -- often interrupted by standing ovations -- made clear that he intends to remain a player in Republican politics as he eyes a potential presidential bid in 2012.

CPAC attendees also were able to vote on their approval of President Obama and Republicans in Congress.

Only 4 percent said they approve of the job Obama is doing.

CPAC ended Saturday with radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh delivering the keynote address.

Limbaugh called on conservatives to take the country back.

"I want to tell you who conservatives are. We conservatives have not done a good enough job of just laying out basically who we are because we make the mistake of assuming that people know," he said.

"We love people. When we look out over the United States of America, when we're anywhere, when we see a group of people such as this or anywhere, we see Americans."

In order to take the country back, Limbaugh said, "All we need is to nominate the right candidate. It's no more complicated than that."

Limbaugh praised Obama as one of the most gifted politicans he has seen, but said, "It just breaks my heart that he does not use these extraordinary talents and gifts to motivate and inspire the American people to be the best they can be. He's doing just the opposite."

Limbaugh accused Obama of wanting people to be in fear instead of motivating the country.

In the absence of a clear GOP leader, a political ad airing Friday put out by supporters of Obama implies the conservative radio host has himself become the de facto head of the Republican Party.

The ad argues that the Republican leadership in Congress is following Limbaugh's lead in opposing the Obama administration's $787 billion stimulus package.

"So who are Republican leaders listening to?," the announcer asks before the 30-second ad cuts abruptly to footage of Limbaugh saying, "I want him [Obama] to fail."

It was paid for by Americans United for Change and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union, two groups that supported Obama during the election and are advocating for his agenda.

In response to the ad, the Republican National Committee said, "The Democrats are running a permanent campaign rather than doing the bipartisan work of governing."

"These ads are part of the Democrats' larger strategy to do something, anything, to try to take the focus off their massive spending binge," RNC spokesman Alex Conant said.

Meanwhile, throughout the conference, other Republican leaders and rising stars took turns at the podium.

Pawlenty told the conference audience Saturday that Republicans must do a better job of reaching out to working-class voters, a group he said agrees with the GOP on most issues, from gun rights to health care to education.

The problem, Pawlenty said, is that lower and middle income voters -- a group he terms "Sam's Club voters" -- don't believe Republicans "are for the working person."

He said the party must stress its commitment to job creation and market itself "with a feel and concern and tone and an understanding of the importance and the challenges of the working class of this country.

"And it doesn't mean we have to sacrifice our principles to do it," Pawlenty said.

Like most of the Republicans who have addressed the annual gathering of conservatives this week, Pawlenty characterized the White House economy recovery package as a "sprawling spending buffet."

The governor bemoaned the president's budget plan, unveiled earlier this week, which predicted a $1.75 trillion deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.

"A day or two later the Democrats convened a fiscal responsibility summit," he said. "What's next? Are they going to have Rod Blagojevich convene an ethics summit?"

Pawlenty and his wife Mary also spoke Friday night to a closed-door reception for "Rebuild the Party," a Web-based grassroots initiative to modernize the party.