American Principles Project, which has taken on a leadership role in advocating for full-spectrum conservatism, has staff members participating in four panels at CPAC this week. At 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25th, Emmett McGroarty (who is one of the principal architects of the Common Core rebellion) will be on the main stage for a Common Core panel. At 2:10 p.m. on Thursday, Terry Schilling, our young and smart executive director, will be speaking about monetary policy and its emerging role in Campaign 2016. Alfonso Aguilar, a leading voice for common sense, pro-human dignity immigration policy, as well as a voice for Latinos for life, marriage, and religious liberty, will make APP’s Reaganite case on Thursday at 2:10 p.m. as well. And one of the most articulate new young voices for life, marriage, and religious liberty, Kate Bryan (our communications director) will be moderating a panel on the future of marriage in America at 2:10 p.m. on Friday.
This year, the organizers of CPAC, to their credit, have worked hard to reach out to the whole of conservatism: all three legs of Reaganism’s sturdy stool. CPAC recognizes the need to include and give a voice to the full spectrum of conservatives, because without such a continuing effort, there is real torquing of the conservative movement from a fusionist conservatism towards a more libertarian, immigration-restrictionist, and corporatist Republican party.
The way I propose to prove this is by discovering how much you can drink while playing my CPAC Drinking Game.
The rules are simple. Every time a speaker from the CPAC podium says any of the following words or phrases, you do a shot — preferably of fine single-malt scotch (our younger adults with less money can substitute Jim Beam):
- Capital Gains
- Corporate Tax Rates
- Secure the Border
- Rule of Law
- Job Creators.
- Any speech which includes the words “pro-life” and “but” in the same sentence. (Let’s make it a double-shot penalty if you hear this last one.)
Conservatism and the Republican Party are at a clear turning point in 2016. Will we repeat the mistake of the last two election cycles and handicap ourselves by trying to run a race on a two-legged stool?
The CPAC Drinking Game will be an early warning indicator.
Frank Cannon is the president of American Principles in Action.
