As the Conservative Political Action Conference wrapped up its annual gathering here on Saturday, conservatives were determined to conquer their persistent divides and work together to help Republicans mount a credible push for the White House next year.
After two presidential elections won by Democrats, recent CPAC meetings have often been more about airing grievances and wallowing in the legacy of Ronald Reagan than preparing activists for power. But CPAC leaders worked to keep the focus this year on the future and a new, more diverse generation of GOP leaders.
“We need to go out and communicate a modern message to voters who weren’t alive when Reagan was president,” said American Conservative Union board member John Eddy.
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, 43, added: “a conservative candidate who ignores moderates is as misguided as a moderate candidate who ignores conservatives.”
But talking about unifying Republicans is easier than actually doing it.
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The party’s relatively minor potential contenders, like Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum, John Bolton, and Rick Perry, also gave speeches which seem more likely to usefully shape the party’s debate rather than drive it to the extreme.
Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, meanwhile, offered a tutorial in how to take down Clinton, who was universally condemned as a disastrous secretary of state who will seek a “third term for Obama.”
“The funny thing about Hillary Clinton, the more people that hear from her the less they like her,” Priebus said. “Hillary never comes out in public these days. If there’s not a private luxury jet and a quarter of a million dollar speaking fee, you can forget about it.”
But Democrats scoffed at the idea that conservatives were now turning to the kind of techniques pioneered by Obama.
“Of course they are trying to run their presidential campaigns with our message (#WeWonTwice), but their policies don’t match and voters know that. And with 619 days until the election, anyone who hasn’t figured that out already is going to,” said DNC spokeswoman Holly Shulman.
