This weekend's entertainment: CPAC - How crazy will the candidates sound?: 8 Things to Watch

[pampango]

1) Does Christie pick a fight with Bush on immigration?

Christie has steadfastly refused to articulate a position on the hot-button issue. He’s said he will only do so after he becomes a declared candidate for president. He did sign a bill last January that allowed the children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at New Jersey colleges, something that doesn’t play well with Ingraham’s audience. If Christie wants to grab headlines, CPAC offers him the opportunity to hit Bush from the right on immigration. It would risk making him look desperate, but it might also get him back in the hunt. If he again refuses to delve into the issue, as he did repeatedly in 2014, it could further undercut Christie’s brand as an authentic truth-teller.

3) Does the new question-and-answer format take candidates out of their comfort zone?

Organizers want the conference to feel more audience friendly, so they are requiring every presidential candidate who is coming to take at least six minutes of questions as part of the 20 minutes they are allotted. The hope is that it results in more unscripted moments and revealing answers. It’s unclear whether some candidates might see their questions in advance, which would make the responses less interesting.

5) Will Mike Huckabee be missed? Or are there no longer enough social conservatives at CPAC to care?

Many social conservatives have felt increasingly marginalized at CPAC. What used to be a true big-tent event has been hijacked by libertarians, they believe. And the president of the pro-gay marriage Log Cabin Republicans will be speaking on a panel this year. Tellingly, Rick Santorum is not planning to emphasize social issues during CPAC. Evangelicals were his base of support in the 2012 campaign, but a spokesman said the former Pennsylvania senator will give a foreign policy speech.

6) Does Jeb Bush escape unscathed — or get bloodied?

The former Florida governor bombed when he spoke at a CPAC dinner two years ago. It was flat and painful to sit through, especially after a long day of red meat. So it was no surprise that he skipped CPAC last year and has kept his name off the straw poll ballot in the past. Watch to see whether Bush works the halls and mixes it up with the grassroots, or whether he pops in and leaves quickly afterward.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/cpac-8-things-to-watch-115525.html