Photos: TheMudflats at the Right Wing CPAC Conference
It’s been an odd couple of months for me.
Usually I’m covering the fringes of politics – from OWS to Ferguson protests to civil rights marches. Maybe a third party candidate or an environmental struggle that no one will care about for another couple years. But so far this past year, I’ve covered Presidential Candidates, Koch Brothers conferences (Americans for Prosperity), NRA conventions and now CPAC.
CPAC, if you don’t know the initials, it stands for the Conservative Political Action Conference. It’s an annual conference where all of the biggest names in conservative politics get together and conspire for good or evil (depending on what side of the political spectrum you’re on). Presidential Candidates mingle with libertarian masters of the universe like Grover Norquist or radio magnate Glenn Beck and hundreds of state and local level activists.
It’s an odd place for a lefty journalist to be. But there I was at the last second, driving in from Upstate New York and staying at a terrifyingly sketchy Super 8 motel near an Air Force base in Maryland. The conference is held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center – a monstrous building along the Potomac that was simultaneously having a conference of high school gymnasts. Not that this even needed any more weirdness… but there it was.
Ben Carson speaks to the CPAC audience and announces that he’s officially dropping out of the Republican primary.
Filmmaker Dinesh D’souza speaks to CPAC after releasing a trailer to his new film about Hillary Clinton and the ‘history’ of the Democratic Party.
Inside the CPAC ‘hub’ magazines and organizations, many funded by the Koch Brothers, had out swag from buttons to cups and a posters.
Jenny Beth Martin the founder of the Tea Party Patriots speaks to CPAC – calling out Donald Trump as a fake conservative.
Ohio Governor John Kasich speaks to the CPAC crowd calling for the party to come together against Trump.
Radio magnate Glenn Beck hosts his show from radio row at CPAC.
Reince Priebus, Chairman of the GOP, discusses the possibility of a brokered convention with FoxNews Sean Hannity.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz takes the stage, arguing that his electability is greater than anyone else’s in the general election.
One of the last panels of the convention was from the National rifle Association.
You are lucky,Sir. There is an internet petition that can be signed to allow open carry of guns at the wingnut convention in Cleveland. Imagine an arena full of gun toting dimdots just begging to shoot to kill anyone they disagree with.
Hope you get hazardous duty pay,Zach.