VIDEO: Allen West at CPAC 2011

The first 8 and a half minutes is David Keene's introduction to Allen West.  Jump to the 8:45 mark for the beginning of Allen West's keynote address.  This video cuts off about 5 minutes short.  You can view the end of West's speech at The Right Scoop.

Allen West is everything Obama pretends to be, highly intelligent, well spoken and patriotic.  Of all the new TEA Party candidates, West is clearly the ideal.  


What saddens me is that West is about a decade too late getting to the national scene.  Had he been elected ten years ago, he could  be finishing up a term or two as governor of Florida.  He would destroy Obama in two seconds flat, because he is a man of solid convictions who knows how to wage and win a war.


My hope is that West will pull another term in the House and then seek a governorship somewhere.  After a term or two as a governor, he should seek the White House.  Then he could easily be one of the best GOP candidates the nation has ever seen.


Via: Drudge

VIDEO: Ron Paul at CPAC 2011

Once again Ron Paul looses me on foreign policy. In some aspects, I think Ron Paul is correct. Why are we still paying for defense in Europe and Japan?  Let these nations pay for their own military needs. We can no longer afford to pick up their slack.  I also agree that when we prop up dictators we pay for it in the end. The number one reason why America plays footsie with dictators is because we lack energy independence. It is this lack of independence why we must compromise our principles of freedom and democracy .

However, even if we were energy independent, America simply cannot bury its head in the sand.  As we retreat from the world stage others rush in to fill the void. In our absence the world gets shaped into ways unlike our own and eventually those conflicting views will come knocking on our door. It would be far better to get our energy independence and then engage the world with true principles of freedom and democracy.

Foreign policy aside, I think Ron Paul is a man ahead of his time on the spending issue and the Federal Reserve. Sadly though, Donald Trump is right, Ron Paul will never be president. I think on of the biggest stumbling blocks for Ron Paul getting elected is his supporters.  It seems so many of them are brash and cult like.  Some of them refuse to realize that winning a campaign means building a coalition. You cannot build a coalition by shouting down those you disagree with or insulting those you do not share your vision.  If Ron Paul supporters truly want their guy in the White House, then they will have to take the time to win over some hearts and minds in the Republican Party.  It's not impossible, they are a dedicated lot.

VIDEO: Mitt Romney at CPAC 2011

In the words of the Black Eyed Peas, that speech was so 2000 and late.  Through out the whole speech I keep saying to myself, nice stuff, but where was all that tough talk over the last two years when conservatives needed him? Also, don't think I did not notice that ObamaCare was not mentioned once during the entire 20 minutes.


Mitt Romney is a very polished career politician.  He has groomed himself for the White House with the right style, all the needed positions and all the right connections.  Unfortunately for Mitt the landscape he based his rise to White House on has now shifted drastically.  Things like strong convictions, authenticity and honesty are now all in high demand.  Romney is falling short on all three.  


He still has a shot at the nomination so long as conservatives cannot quickly rally around a candidate.  Should conservatives become confused or dispirited like they were in 2008, Romney will be our nominee by default.


Via: CPAC Live

VIDEO: Herman Cain at CPAC 2011

Herman Cain is on my shortlist for 2012. Aside from the obvious (he's a another black conservative) I like the fact that Herman Cain is a long time businessman and an outsider to Washington.  My only concern about him is that he has never run a national campaign before.


I am concerned about this because 2012 is going to be brutal.  First, the left has set new standards for low with their continued attacks on Palin.  All that nasty stuff they throw at Palin will be thrown at the GOP nominee, make no mistake about that.  Is Cain ready for all that? Nothing would be more devastating than to have a good man like Cain tarred, smeared and defeated because he wasn't ready for the grinder.


Hopefully the GOP nomination will be extra nasty so that we can gauge how well Cain handles himself.


Via: CPAC Live

Video: Ron Paul supporters heckle Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld at CPAC

Talking Points Memo: Dick Cheney just popped up here at CPAC to introduce his old pal and Bush administration colleague Donald Rumsfeld. Fans of Ron Paul turned what should have been a friendly moment before an audience of fellow conservatives into a screaming match and protest action that resembled what a Cheney-Rumsfeld hug at the Netroots Nation convention might look like.

Rumsfeld is being given CPAC's "Defender Of The Constitution" award, a concept that apparently rankled Paul supporters in the crowd. Many of them got up and walked out en masse at the mention of Rumsfeld, though some stayed behind in the conference hall to heckle the architects of the invasion of Iraq.

One shout of "where's Bin Laden?" rang out as Cheney spoke of Rumsfeld.

That led to the pro-Cheney contingent (which it should be said greatly outnumbers the opposition) to shout the hecklers down with the familiar "USA, USA" chant.

Methinks the Ron Paul supporters were still chaffing over Donald Trump saying Ron Paul can't win.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Talking Points Memo

Via: The Hill

Video: Donald Trump at CPAC

This was a sales pitch, pure and simple.  I can easily see where some Republicans would find the Donald quite appealing.  He is a straight talker, has a reputation (fair or unfair) as a successful businessman and seems pretty ready to get tough with America's adversaries.  


I have met Trump in person several times.  For a wealthy man with celebrity, he does not have a pretentious bone in his body.  A very rare characteristic when among America's movers and shakers.  That being said, I don't think I will be voting for the Donald anytime soon.


For starters, America has been transformed into the land of Crony Capitalism.  Because of this, we need a true patriot to undo that mess or we risk electing a man who would know how to take complete advantage of the situation. I hear a lot of patriotic talk from the Donald, but is it really true?  I am not too sure. I say this because of his new declaration that he is Pro-Life.


A quick Google search reveals that the Donald said in his own book he was Pro-Choice. If Donald Trump can try to fake an issue like abortion, I don't have a lot of faith when it comes to his patriotism or anything else. The decision the nation makes in 2012 will be as serious as a heart attack. There is no time to waste on posers or opportunists. Trumps's 11th hour conversion to Pro-life reeks of opportunism. Sorry Donald, keep on moving.


Via: Memeorandum
Via: The New York Times
Via: CNSNews

Palin and gay rights, where does she stand

Yesterday, I shared with you all the video clips of Sarah Palin's interview with David Brody of CBN.  Well, today it appears the blogs are all buzzing about Sarah Palin's answer on CPAC.  The big issue is whether or not she supports GOProud being involved with CPAC this year and where she stands on gay rights.

Sarah Palin:Well, I’ve never attended a CPAC conference ever so I was a little taken aback this go around when I couldn’t make it to this one either and then there was a speculation well I either agree or disagree with some of the groups or issues that CPAC is discussing. It really is a matter of time for me.

But when it comes to, and David, perhaps what it is that you’re suggesting in the question, is should the GOP, should conservatives not reach out to others, not participate in events or forums that perhaps arising within those forums are issues that maybe we don’t personally agree with? And I say no. It’s like you being on a panel shoot, with a bunch of the liberal folks whom you have been on and you provide good information and balance, and you allow for healthy debate, which is needed in order for people to gather information and make up their own minds about issues.

I look at participation in an event like CPAC or any other event along kind of in that same vein as the more information that people have the better.

From her answer, Palin gives the impression that she doesn't have a problem GOProud's involvement in CPAC.  Some are taking this as support for GOProud in general.

I have followed Palin very closely and I have not heard her come out strongly against  gays.  On Don't Ask Don't Tell, her only real criticism was the timing. On gay marriage she said during the Vice Presidential debates that she did not support gay marriage (just like Joe Biden), but seemed to go out of her way to state she was quite tolerant of different lifestyles.

If I had to guess, I would say Palin is probably a lot more tolerant than the left gives her credit for and probably a lot more tolerant that some on the right might be comfortable with.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Note

Video: Sarah Palin's interview with David Brody on CBN

Here are the videos from Sarah Palin's interview with David Brody the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).  This is the interview where Sarah Palin says that Egypt was Obama's 3 AM call and it went to the answering machine.  The interview took place right after her keynote address at the Reagan ranch.


On Egypt

On Obama's handling of Egypt

On the MSM

On running in 2012

On attacks in the media

On Faith

On CPAC

Via: Memeorandum
Via: CBN

Sarah Palin turns down CPAC keynote

The Note: UPDATED: After skipping the popular Conservative Political Action Conference for the past three years, Sarah Palin has once again turned down the invitation of CPAC officials to address the conference this year.

CPAC organizers invited Palin to deliver the closing-night keynote speech on Saturday Feb. 12, immediately following the announcement of the results of CPAC’s annual presidential straw poll,  but after several days of negotiations, she declined.

“We’re disappointed that she wasn’t able to make it this year,” American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene said through a spokesman on Thursday. He noted that Palin "expressed interest in wanting to come this year," but said that it came down to "a scheduling issue." [MORE]

It turns out that Palin maybe putting family first.  Both her birthday and an Iron Dog ceremony are happening around that date.

Honestly, I don't know why every year everyone makes such a fuss about Palin skipping CPAC.  When you think about it, CPAC doesn't offer Palin anything she doesn't already have.

Most Republican candidates seeking the White House use CPAC to gain notoriety, polish their conservative credentials or to make a good showing in the non binding straw poll.  Palin already has all of those things so why fly almost 4,000 just to get what you already have?

If I had to guess why everyone tries to make Palin's skipping CPAC into a big story, it would have to be because no one want to acknowledge that Palin is actually bigger than CPAC. That or one more "Palin controversy" is always good for the media's readership.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Note

Via: Conservatives 4 Palin