My Five CPAC 2014 “Takeaways”

Until about a month ago, it didn’t even cross my mind to pack my bags, load the kids in the car, and head to D.C. in the (still) FREEZING month of March. Yet, when the opportunity arose for me to cover CPAC, I decided to just go for it!

This was my very first year attending this Conservative-palooza packed full of our movement’s favorite political warriors, brilliant writers, and charismatic media giants. Initially, the enthusiastic crowd seemed a bit overwhelming. However, it didn’t take very long for me to realize that I was completely in my element. At the end of the weekend, I have to say that I was deeply moved by the entire experience. Here are My Five “takeaways” from CPAC:

1.  We are a movement brimming full of bright young faces:
Seeing so many college-age individuals attending CPAC actually made me feel incredibly hopeful about our nation’s future. Knowing these are the very people who will be running our country one day, it was encouraging to watch them all just marinating themselves in the time-tested principles of freedom embraced by many liberty-loving Americans. Lord knows- our youth have their work cut out for them. So, it was great to see them all fully engaged and participating in all the CPAC events.

One thing is also for certain– all the fresh faces blew that old Conservative “fuddy duddy” stereotype right out of the water. I know I was certainly electrified by their energy and enthusiasm.

• 2.  Conservative women are indispensable:
• Many of us are so sick and tired of hearing about the stupid, phony Republican “war on women” and how Conservative men supposedly hate all women. Quite frankly, these are some of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. Yet, the Left has been very successful at convincing many of our female friends of such insanity.

I personally think that our very own gentlemen find themselves completely caught “off guard” by these ridiculous accusations that they don’t even know how to respond to them. As a result, they don’t really respond at all, which ends up making it appear like the Left is right about them after all.

At CPAC, I realized just how important the voice of Conservative woman truly is, and how vital it is for us to jump in the conversation to push back against the Left’s childish nonsense.  In fact, I believe that the more Conservative women get “on offense,” speak up, and start explaining how Conservatism actually empowers women (to be the strong, capable beings that they actually are… instead of the helpless victims Liberals want them to be), the more others will actually listen and be inspired by their own personal stories of success.

• 3.  We must always maintain our unwavering stand for principle:
  When we attend a HUGE political event like CPAC, we find ourselves surrounded by many like-minded individuals, and are we are reminded why we were inspired to jump on the frontlines in the first place. Yet, when we get back out on the battlefield, we can often find ourselves feeling alone and outnumbered by the opposition yet again.

At CPAC, I was reminded how important it is to continue standing for principle, even though it feels like we are standing alone at times. In reality, many Americans do actually think the same way we do. Our unwavering courage does truly inspire others than we often realize.

4.  It’s time for a marketing blitz of our Conservative brand:
It’s true. The Conservative product is FAR superior to what Liberalism ever has to offer Americans. Yet, the Left has been much more successful in the realm of marketing. Of course, our competitor has the aid of mainstream media, Hollywood, universities, and late night comedy. Part of the problem has been that while Liberalism has strategically infiltrated many of these popular venues, our own side has gone completely missing. As a result, many Americans have bought into a lousy product that has been absolutely detrimental to all of us.  

At CPAC, I realized that it is time for our team to ‘up the ante’ when it comes to marketing our fabulous Conservative brand. Also, we can advertise it with the same kind of optimism as our favorite hero, Ronald Reagan. Right now, many Americans are very pessimistic about our nation’s future. That’s where we come in to lift them up.

While it is important for us to point out the faulty defects of our competitor’s destructive BIG government policies, we must also articulate how our SMALLER government alternatives will actually drastically improve the lives of all Americans. Let’s show others what we are actually for and why.

5.  The right pair of shoes is essential:
At CPAC, I realized that it’s all about the perfect pair of shoes (at least, if you are a female). If you can find some drop-dead gorgeous shoes that are actually comfortable, you’ve just discovered gold.