Posted on 08/14/2016 5:22:00 PM PDT by fluorescence
Denver — Some 500 conservative activists convened here over the weekend for the annual RedState Gathering, an event that traditionally functions as a pep rally for the Republican grassroots.
This year, though, it felt like a funeral.
The mood was decidedly dour as attendees spoke — from the main stage, at their tables, and over adult beverages — in disbelieving tones about the state of the presidential race and the inadequacies of their party’s nominee, Donald Trump.
The event offered a unique window into how conservative activists are coping with 2016, and how they might hope to pick up the pieces after November 8. There were telling moments. At one point, the hosts aired a video message from Speaker Paul Ryan in which he spoke about the future of conservatism. When it ended, only a handful of people in the ballroom applauded.
Here are five observations from the event:
1. There Was Tension over Trump
RedState.com, the popular conservative blog, has earned a reputation for being passionately anti-Trump. This largely owes to former editor Erick Erickson and current editor Leon Wolf, both of whom have been outspoken critics of the Republican nominee. One might have assumed, then, that most — if not all — attendees at their conference would share their opposition to Trump. But that assumption was proven wrong.
In a reminder that the conservative movement is far from monolithic, there was a respectable contingent of Trump supporters in the crowd, at least one of them wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, to the chagrin of his neighbors. The clear majority in attendance were Trump detractors, however, and some of them were not shy about voicing their displeasure with his loyalists in the room.
At one point Saturday afternoon, Wolf, who emceed the event, opened the floor for…
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
FTFY.
RumpSate, what’s left of the Cubanadian’s fan base
Was the fat boy Eric there?
I think there were still scores of people who had their blinders on, re: National Review, Red State, The Federalist, Ben Shapiro, etc...
RumpState, what’s left of the Cubanadian’s fan base
Paul Ryan conservative? Cruz? What a laugh.
Conservative In Name Only.
Trump has exposed all kinds of Cheap Labor Express stooges who had heretofore been able to conservatively camoflage themselves.
I’m sure it was a funeral. Their nominee Jeb! didn’t make the cut.
And driven the neoconservatives out of the GOP. Permanently, hopefully.
At one point, the hosts aired a video message from Speaker Paul Ryan in which he spoke about the future of conservatism. When it ended, only a handful of people in the ballroom applauded.
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Maybe they know that conservatism has no future if Paul Ryan gets his way on amnesty.
So, what did they decide in the back room?
Go, attack Trump until Hillary wins?
Were there a lot of Hillary bumper stickers?
Such a scenario simply won't materialize and these RedState folks are having wet dreams. If Hillary is elected, all opposition to her will be targeted - and that includes the folks at RedState, HotAir, and of course pro-Trump sites such as FR and Breitbart. Even conservative talk radio will be under the proverbial, or God forbid - literal gun to get shut down.
It's just too bad and sad that good Republicans like Sasse are not looking at the long-term and appreciating the beauty of Trump's run. He is showing Republicans a path to fight back and win, and folks like Sasse are pissing it away to fight under the illusion of defeating Democrats in an ordinary, political election manner.
6. Erick Erickson really does resemble a Border Collie in person.
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/438980/five-observations-redstate-gathering
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