The first Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was held in 1974. On that auspicious occasion, future president Ronald Reagan nearly split the Republican Party in two with a speech that included the first use of his trademark phrase, “We Will Be As a Shining City upon a Hill.” Reagan spoke at CPAC 11 more times, and somehow the group has managed to not name its annual event after the only popular conservative president in recent memory.
You can watch the convention live here.
In 2013, the speakers allotted the longest speaking times are reality stars Donald Trump and Sarah Palin. Rick Santorum, Rick Perry and Paul Ryan will all share the wisdom attained during their 2012 losses. Dozens more conservative celebrities and politicians will take a turn saying mean things about President Obama. (If you’re looking for samples of some of the terrible things CPAC participants have said in the past, start here.)
Most notable is who wasn’t invited to participate. The most popular Republican governor in the country, Chris Christie, was shunned, along with Virginia’s governor Bob McDonnell, who recently was caught committing that most heinous of crimes in the Republican Big Book of No-Nos—compromising. The gay group GOProud had its sponsorship check rejected for reasons of them being either too gay or too proud.
Here’s the schedule:
And if you’re interested in attending, here are a few tips for your attire (think Alex P. Keaton with more starch):
Source: Uploaded by user via Blog on Pinterest
Photo: Sarah Palin’s Facebook page
