For What It’s Worth

Politico announces the winners and losers at CPAC:

Winners:  Rick Perry, Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, and Scott Walker

Losers:  Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, and Donald Trump

Good Point

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo on one of the reasons CPAC gets such out-sized media attention:

“In recent years, especially since Obama became President, CPAC’s wild press popularity and attention has been driven by what we might call a tacit conspiracy of derp between the event organizers and the people who cover it. You be outrageous; we’ll be outraged. And everyone will be happy. (After all, crap like this doesn’t happen by accident.) This has become even more the case as the contemporary Conservative Movement has become less a matter of ideology than a sort of performance art.”

For What It’s Worth…

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul won the CPAC straw poll for the 2016 GOP nomination with 31% of the vote.  He won last year as well.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was second with 11%.

The GOP’s Two Problems

Listening to the CPAC speeches, it occurred to me that the GOP really has only two problems:  its people and its policies.  Other than that, they’re fine.

Neither Funny Nor True

Former Bush UN Ambassador John Bolton told CPAC that America’s “biggest national security problem is Barack Obama.”

Dead Guv Speaking

NJ Gov. Chris Christie told CPAC, “We have to stop letting the media define who we are and what we stand for.”

No, actually, Chris, the media are simply revealing who you are and what you stand for.  You’ve already defined yourself.

Wonder if CPAC will have him back next year when he’s the former governor?

Quote of the Day

“I’d say if I did run for office and won, I’d serve out my term. I wouldn’t leave office mid-term.”

Karl Rove in a dig at Sarah Palin, after she criticized him at CPAC.

This will probably lead to an outraged Facebook post by the Wig from Wasilla.  Really, Karl, the best thing to do is ignore her.

Rand Paul Wins CPAC Poll

Rand Paul won the CPAC straw poll today for 2016 nominee.  A GOP nominee Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could love.

He got 25% of the vote, and Marco Rubio got 23%.

Rick Santorum was third, and Chris Christie (who didn’t get an invitation to speak) was fourth.

There were 23 names on the ballot.

CPAC skews younger — much younger — than the typical Republican voter.

Search Those Backpacks!

Mitt told CPAC that the GOP needs to learn from his mistakes.

I guess that means to make sure you search the backpacks of bartenders working at your $50,000 a plate events to make sure no cameras get in.

Trump to Rove: “You’re Fired!”

”When you watch someone who spends $400 million on campaigns with perhaps the worst ads I’ve ever seen — they did ads on Obama I thought were being paid for by the Obama campaign.  When you spend $400 million and it’s a failure and you don’t have one victory, you know something is seriously, seriously wrong.”

Donald Trump at CPAC today.