Prev Next
Featured Quizzes
Politix Daily Headlines
Featured Debates
Issues

See all 17 issues

People
White House

See all people

FLASHBACK

Romney's Return: He'll Speak at CPAC 2013

Should conservatives look for new voices?

Next>

by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney will return to the political spotlight and speak to thousands of conservatives at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference next month in Washington D.C.

The National Review reports that Romney "has become somewhat restless, and is eager to contribute to the national debate." His speech at the annual gathering will be optimistic and focus on economic and fiscal issues, the article said.

"This is really an opportunity for Governor Romney to thank all his supporters and friends," a senior Romney aide told National Review.

"The thousands gathered at CPAC this year are eager to hear from the former 2012 GOP presidential candidate at his first public appearance since the elections," said American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas. "We look forward to hearing Governor Romney's comments on the current state of affairs in America and the world, and his perspective on the future of the conservative movement."

Some in the twitterverse reacted with snark that the conservative conference had chosen to invite Romney rather than find fresh voices.

Tim Stanley, a blogger for the Telegraph (@timothy_stanley) wrote: Mitt Romney speaking at #CPAC? Was Herbert Hoover unavailable?
Twitter user John Ekdahl, Jr. (@JohnEkdahl)wrote: "GOP: Time to modernize and shake things up. CPAC 2013: Mitt Romney!"
Twitter user Jason Stanford (@JasStanford) wrote: "Romney speaking at #cpac is like me speaking at my ex-wife's wedding."
But others said such criticism was unfair:
Twitter user Joel Palmer (@PoliticalLogic) wrote: "Booing Romney at #CPAC after having voted for him (especially in the primary) is pretty ridiculous."

Via National Review and Twitter
Like this article? B Vote Up
?

Do you think having Romney speak at CPAC is good for the GOP?

View results

Comments (view in Forum)

  • u
    Buckfan4life2
    !
    So you think Obama has more wisdom than Romney? Only people like you could say things like this with WISDOM! A community organizer more wisdom than a man who has made millions and saved many companies. I can bet that our future woudn't be looking so damn bleek right now if we would have put the right man in office. Iam a poor man and not very educated but I know what was best for this country than what we have got for the last 4 years. This man has did absolutely nothing for our economy which should have been his main goal. I guess if your gay or an illegal alien hes been a great president but hell the working man and the economy. Now get mad and call me racist,bigot and a dummy that doesn't have a clue all you want but you people know damn well its the truth and thats your only defense is calling people names when they speak the truth about Obama. Just wait and see what a mess this country will be in in another year or two.
  • martydotcom
    !
    @Buckfan4life2 you left out one critical fact. Obama won the unwinable election. His party gained seats in.the Senate and House. Unheard of with 8% unemployment and the opposition had so much $$$ the still have money left over unspent. So when it comes to.winning Romney is a loser
  • u
    Buckfan4life2
    !
    @martydotcom I admit the republicans made some crucial mistakes in some of the choices of the people they had running for some seats but what Iam asking you do you truely believe that Obama is doing a good job and things are on the right path for recovery. With all thats going on and Obama still spending money like taking two vacations in the last 2 months flying his buddies to flordia on airforce one at the cost of $180,000 and thats not includeing his wife going out west on the other Airforce one for her vacation cost us taxpayers millions just for 18 rounds of golf and her little shopping sprees while the country is crumbleing down around them. This man hasn't a care in the world and you people think this man is your best buddy.. You liberals can think that the republican party is falling apart and conservatives are a dieing breed but you are so wrong. The republicans Will regroup and be stronger than ever come 2016 if we don't belong to China by then. This man has divided the goverment as bad as he has the country and thats all he accomplished. If you recall the democrat party thought they were falling apart not to long ago to. I am just amazed at what this man has done and doing and you people think hes doing a great job. Are you all really this blind or just stupid?

  • View all 7 replies >

  • o
    Sonny
    !
    Well there is "Insane Santorum" "Wild-Man-Alan West" --"Newt space-colony Gingrich" and "Have-Gun-Will-Travel- Wayne Lapierre"----Yes, sir..It promises to be one really entertaining show put on by the wacked-out far right!!!---LOL!
  • harold_lloyd
    !
    Perhaps when he's not running for anything, when he's not obligated to the conservative 'base', he might just come out with something worth listening to.

    In any case, I'd rather hear from Romney than Palin, by a large margin.
  • marine1
    !
    Hind sight is supose to be 20/20 and like him or not, Romney is a pretty sharp person. Just maybe he can get these ideologues to look at the big picture? Personal behavior is ever changing while fiscal responsibility should remain stead fast.
  • o
    Sonny
    !
    @marine1 "Pretty sharp person"?!?....LOL! What a joke...This guy is nothing more than a modern day "Robber-Baron"....He 's a LOSER...And if the Republican ever decides to get serious as a political party---This is one of the last people they should listen to!

  • View all 6 replies >

  • u
    Chromalord
    !
    Its almost March, he wants to thank his friends NOW? If I were them, I'd ask where'd all the money go and then ask him why he felt compelled to change his mind on practically every issue over the course of the long campaign, oh and another thing, sweep the room for recording devices.
  • dances-weebles
    !
    you know, i was thinking that maybe they should find a real conservative to speak, but then i thought... maybe they should find a real person
  • DARSB
    !
    CPAC isn't synonymous with the Republican Party, so the phrasing of the poll question is a little weird.

    Does anyone else remember the 2008 CPAC Mr Romney attended? He announced he was pulling out of the Presidential race and that opened the door to the McCain/Palin ticket. I wonder if Sarah will have a kind word of thanks for him?
  • martydotcom
    !
    with the GOP civil war being fought out now, CPAC may very well be synonymous with the Republican Party in the not too distant future
  • DARSB
    !
    @martydotcom It could happen that way, I suppose, but the public's tolerance for hard right ideas is falling apart faster than Kleenex at a snot party.
  • Dan_Tien
    !
    "The thousands gathered at CPAC this year are eager to hear from the former 2012 GOP presidential candidate..." Nobody asked them if they are eager to hear him again, but they just KNOW that they are.
  • DARSB
    !
    You know who they aren't eager to hear? GOProud, the gay conservative Republican group. Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council raised a fuss over GOProud a few years ago and the group hasn't been invited back. The members can attend as long, apparently, as they only talk about being conservative and Republican. No G-word.
  • o
    NTBFW
    !
    No he lost. He could have won but listened to the wrong people. I voted for him but I never really was a supporter. I just wanted Obama out so bad anyone would be an improvement. Until I looked at Biden. But it's time to get the old republican hacks out if the way and build a fresh Conservative party. That is fiscally responsible. Reduce the size of government, follow the constitution, get serious about crime, and stay out of people's lives as much as possible. Get out of the way of business to conduct business etc.
  • PayThatCEO
    !
    What does reduce the size of government mean?

    Get out of the way of business to conduct business? Do you agree with the way Wall Street helped collapse the housing market in 2008? Do you believe there should be no regulations on business at all?

    That's part of the confusion with this rhetoric that you have. There is never any explanation behind it.
  • o
    NTBFW
    !
    @PayThatCEO one thing you would have to see the new regulations from different government agencies that I have had to abide by in last three years and they all cost money from the EPA to OSHA to the FSCMA , NSTB and others. None of them needed. It was not only Wall Street that causes the housing crisis. Barney frank and friends pushed the banks to finance bad loans to unqualified buyers. The list goes on and on.
    We could get rid of homeland security. Look at the constitution and see how many areas that the government has overstepped it's authority. We should learn to be responsible for ourselves and not expect the government to be a safety net.
  • PayThatCEO
    !
    @NTBFW

    I agree with some of this. Homeland Security is a waste of time and money. But do you agree that without the EPA companies would once again dump waste in the water and the air. Would we once again have cars that spew pollution because there would be no regulations to the contrary?

    If OSHA wasn't watching how businesses do things would employees end up being told to do dangerous, even deadly activities? No NSTB? Would you want your family on the highway with big rigs that were under no safety regulations or on airplanes that weren't inspected well enough?

    I know what you're saying, and maybe there are strangleholds in some areas, but without these regulatory agencies we'd be back to working in fire traps or living in filth because businesses would not comply to safety or health suggestions on their own.

    Yes, we should learn to be responsible for ourselves, but the reason we have laws is because we aren't and we never will be. Why do we have speed limits? Because some idiots think they should be able to drive 110. Why do we have drunk driving laws? Because some idiots they should be able to drive drunk. We've had to institute texting and driving laws because there are people who think they can type and drive at the same time.

    Without laws and regulations, we'd have bedlam because people are basically irresponsible and thoughtless. When it comes to businesses, it's all about the money and they would simply run rampant. It's their lack of consideration regarding safety or the environment that caused all these agencies to be formed and rules to be made in the first place.
  • o
    NTBFW
    !
    @PayThatCEO no I don't want those things but you don't quite get how far and ridiculous some of these regulations are. And since Obama they just keep piling up to the point it's not worth staying in business. I can't find drivers with Haz mat endorsements because its not worth the trouble for them to get them. They have the hours of service so messed up they can't make money. Fuel prices are insane.
    They ran CAT out of the truck engine business. I can't raise rates because my customers can't pay them because they are in the same boat I'm in. I can keep going for a while but if things don't pick up soon I will just shut down and lay everyone off. I am over regulated over taxed.
  • PayThatCEO
    !
    @NTBFW

    If I may ask, what is the reasoning behind the hours of service being messed up? I'm not familiar with your industry. Just wondering what is going on. Thanks

  • View all 6 replies >

  • u
    BossTweed
    !
    Incredibly good man who ran a terrible campaign against the Master Manipulator.and His toadies in the Media. Why should he speak? A variety of opinions and points of view with BOTH Partys is a very good thing. Big Tents.
  • MadAmerican
    !
    It's OK to speak but the 47% will still not vote for him, and with Obama's free giveaway plans to the scabs of society, that 47% will propobly be 59% come next election.
  • Raggae
    !
    I think he's going to speak about the distruction Obama has led us in & has blinded the people of this world, then he will be shot & killed for speaking the truth.