Article on CPAC - are they Republican loonies, or the conservative mainstream?

[Tee]

I think you have a point there. The GOP people I know (in this Democratic state) have a common complaint: we’re taxed to death. The state is completely flat-broke and pinching pennies, but we’re paying…where on earth does it go. I’ve worked for people who were staunch liberals until they began running a business. But ‘traditional family values’, gun ownership, obsessing over Islam and such may not be part of the package. The nuts are the ones buying the whole package as central to conservatism, and the more enthusiastic ones would be at CPAC.

I was thinking along the same lines reading about the anti-war protests last month. Thinking, what the hell does Free Mumia or the Socialist Party have to do with the war?

[Measure_for_Measure]

The Economist has an article on the CPAC in the Feb 8 issue. The caption to the article reads, “Conservatives, off their leash, are a frightening bunch”.

From the Economist
Delegates crammed into a huge hall to hear Dick Cheney, Katherine Harris and other conservative heroes speak from a stage draped in red, white and blue and backed by 18 American flags. They listened to speeches on “Islam: religion of peace?”, “Myths, lies and terror: the growing threat of radical environmentalism” and “Hollywood needs adult supervision”. They wore “Fry Mumia” T-shirts (referring to a cop-killer who, for some reason, has become a cause célèbre for the left); held up posters saying “Give war a chance: peace through superior firepower”; sold badges saying “Fight crime–shoot back”; and purchased “Wipe out Saddam” lavatory paper. The Traditional Values Coalition offered the chance to fling beanbags at grotesque trolls called “Saddam Hussein”, “Hillary Clinton”, “the liberal media” and “the homosexual agenda”.

That said, for many fresh-faced men there was one love that dared speak its name. The exhibition hall was a temple of Bushophilia, from photographs of his inauguration for $175 to cups, hats, badges, key-rings and “Pray for him” T-shirts… With their hero on their pillow, the young right will spare nothing to keep him in the White House in 2004.

Anyway, with regards to the question posed in the OP, I would say, “both”.