President Donald J. Trump delivers his remarks Saturday, March 2, 2019, during his appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)
At The American Conservative, Robert Stacy McCain previews the upcoming CPAC event, the “48th annual Conservative Political Action Conference.” There the audience will hear from “dozens of Republican politicians, authors, strategists, and media personalities.” He writes (abridged):
By the time President Trump speaks Saturday afternoon at the Gaylord Hotel National Harbor, the thousands of activists at the 48th annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) will have heard from dozens of Republican politicians, authors, strategists, and media personalities.
As important as any of the other speakers might be, none will pack the Potomac Ballroom the way Trump will. It’s an election year, and Trump’s speech at CPAC can be considered the official launch of his 2020 campaign for reelection.
With socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont currently leading the field of Democratic presidential contenders to face Trump in November, the contrast could scarcely be clearer.
Trump has repeatedly vowed — most recently in his State of the Union address — that “America will never be a socialist country.” Democrat primary voters seem intent on putting that proposition to the test, and Sanders’ promises of “Medicare for All,” free college tuition, and all the rest are as direct a challenge as any conservative could ever hope to see.
Perhaps not since 1984, when Democrat Walter Mondale ran against Ronald Reagan with a promise to raise taxes, has the American electorate faced such a stark choice.
This year’s CPAC promises to be one of the best parties ever, mainly because of the man who will deliver Saturday’s closing speech. Donald Trump has helped lead the movement out of the wilderness and into the White House, and in politics, there is no substitute for victory.
By Robert Stacy McCain. The American Conservative. February 27.2020
