CPAC: 8 things to watch

[undeterred]

By JAMES HOHMANN 2/26/15 5:38 AM EST POLITICO

The so-called silent primary is underway. As thousands of conservative activists descend Thursday on National Harbor in the Washington suburbs, the field of prospective 2016 GOP candidates will reach a key milepost. At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference — the most important one in the four-year presidential election cycle — the candidates will get a feel for the soul of the party while activists get a chance to kick the tires before deciding who to coalesce behind.

The conference has had an increasingly libertarian vibe in recent years, which has allowed Rand Paul to easily win the straw poll that takes place at the end of the event. But that just means the Kentucky senator has more to lose if he underperforms. CPAC also represents a major test for those in the GOP’s establishment wing. It’s Jeb Bush’s first real engagement with the grassroots and an opportunity for Chris Christie to turn back a rough couple weeks of negative coverage that has seen him slip out of the top tier.

Just as important, the next three days offer a chance for fresh faces to forcefully introduce themselves. Marco Rubio set foot on the national stage for the first time at CPAC in 2010, when he was still locked in a tough GOP primary with then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Five years later, he’s a presidential contender.

With all that in mind, here are 8 key questions for the days ahead:

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

2) Will CPAC swoon for Ted Cruz this time around?

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

4) Who‘s trying to wire the straw poll?

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

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

7) Can Carly Fiorina win over the grassroots?

8) Who is the unexpected, breakout star?

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

[randys1]

1. Cruz and Walker are the perfect combo, hatred for ALL could be their slogan.

[frazzled]

2. No, don't watch it at all

Why should anyone watch that clown circus? And don't say it's because we should "know" what they're up to. People don't know what our own party or elected Democratic officials are up to, and seem to have even less interest in finding out.

It kind of depresses me every year to see how many posts are made by avid watchers of CPAC here. There are dozens of threads already on every crackpot remark made by every minor Republican personality. Far fewer threads than there have been, for instance, regarding the historic vote today by the FCC to regulate the Internet as a public utility, preserving net neutrality. Now how can that be right?

[Archae]

3. I think it's fun watching these idiots.

Making total asses of each other.

[hifiguy]

4. The Mooninites summed up CPAC:

"Look, Err, talking farm animals."