My Top Five Favorite CPAC Moments
CPAC 2016 kicks off this week. The drama has begun. Organizers will be asked to uninvite or disavow speakers. Activists will network and argue. Reporters will file the same “conservative movement in disarray”story they’ve been writing for years. College Republicans (and many others) will drink too much. The same drama happens every year. I should know — from 2006 to 2011 I served as the director of CPAC. There was a little bit of dust-up with my ousting after CPAC 2011. As Don Henley said, “You keep carrying that anger, it’ll eat you up inside.” Either time heals all wounds or because it’s February 29 I feel ok praising CPAC since it only happens once every four years. In all seriousness, I loved organizing CPAC despite the way things ended and how the conference has changed. I got to meet wonderful people and organize some of the conservative movement’s greatest moments.
Here are my top five favorite moments from CPACs I’ve attended and organized:
1. Rush Limbaugh at CPAC 2009
At CPAC 2009 I had the opportunity to introduce Rush Limbaugh and it was truly one of the highlights of my career in the conservative movement. As a Gen Xer, Rush was my Reagan. My introduction to conservatism was through Rush. I’ll never forget the moment I got the call from Rush’s Chief of Staff Kit Carson. My heart leapt when he said, “Rush is inclined to attend.” When I introduced Rush’s closing speech at the conference I told the story of how I would argue with teachers in high school. One day the cute boy who sat in front of me asked if I ever wanted to go out to his car and listen to Rush during our lunch break. I joked in front of millions of people that I became a conservative in the back seat of a Camaro. The line was funnier than the truth — we just listened to Rush and then the cute boy moved away the next year. That didn’t stop Andrew Breitbart and actor and singer Robert Davi from teasing me about it endlessly backstage.
More importantly, Rush’s 90-minute speech came at a pivotal time for the conservative movement. President Obama had just been sworn in and the media was eager to portray CPAC attendees as defeated. Instead, Rush energized them and the conservative movement. The speech was carried live on Fox News, C-SPAN and CNN, as well as broadcast several times to his millions of listeners.
2. Finding Mr. Righteous Sells Out at CPAC 2014
After leaving CPAC in 2011 I took three years off to pout (including a “Don’t Say C***! Party at PJ Clarke’s). The week before CPAC 2014 my first book, Finding Mr. Righteous, was released. I was grateful to be allowed to do a book signing at the conference. The book is a chick-lit memoir on dating in Washington D.C. Given that CPAC was such a large part of my life for five years, Finding Mr. Righteous also has a lot of behind the scenes stories on what goes into putting on the largest event in the conservative movement. I also wrote about losing it all.
I was nervous to return to CPAC. I was on the schedule, but still felt like I was “crashing” it. I was also worried no one would show up to my book signing. I went to the on-site bookstore and was delighted to see my book alongside several of Ann Coulter’s bestsellers. If that wasn’t enough, a woman I didn’t even know was standing in line with my book in her hand! A few hours later I left the CPAC exhibit hall with a glow because not only did people stand in line, but also my book had sold out. It felt great to go out on a high note.
3. Red Eye Crashes CPAC 2011
One of my favorite aspects of being the director of CPAC was making memorable moments for other people. Through Twitter I met Sarah who was interning in DC during CPAC 2011. Like me, she was a big fan of Red Eye on Fox News. The hosts — then Greg Gutfeld, Andy Levy and Bill Schulz — were taping an event in a side room at CPAC. Sarah wasn’t able to get tickets to the taping, so I conspired with her coworker to get her to the evening banquet. Unbeknownst to Sarah, I also gave the Red Eye guys dinner tickets so they would all sit at the same table. Despite the craziness of the banquet, I made a point to stop by their table to make sure everyone made it to their seats. To celebrate the moment, I gave a bottle of Taittinger Champagne to Gutfeld. I hope he shared!
4. Sharing the stage with Ann Coulter and Matt Drudge at CPAC 2005
When I finished my book, Ann Coulter was the first person I sent it to for an opinion. She has been a mentor and friend since we met at CPAC 2000. At that point I had been in DC for less than a year and it was my first CPAC. One of the reasons I enjoyed making those special moments happen for other CPAC attendees is because the same was done for me. Former CPAC Director Christian Josi invited me to introduce Coulter several times, but 2005 was the most memorable. That year Coulter brought along a special guest for the Q and A session after her speech — Matt Drudge. This was the first year bloggers were credentialed and the presence of “new media” was just beginning. Drudge was king (and still is) and the crowd went wild. It was thrilling to see them interact with one another and the crowd. Coulter has always consistently been the most popular speaker in post-conference surveys. She never disappoints.
5. Andrew Breitbart’s Big Ol’ Gay Party at CPAC 2011
CPAC 2011 was the year the inclusion of GOProud, a now defunct organization of gay conservatives and libertarians and their allies, reached a fever pitch. That year a small handful of ACU board members tried to recruit speakers and organizations to boycott the conference because of GOProud’s inclusion. These board members were unsuccessful because CPAC 2011 ultimately broke all records in attendance, revenue, and participating organizations and exhibitors. Nonetheless, it was my last CPAC (more on that in my book).
To show his support, Andrew Breitbart joined with GOProud to host what he dubbed a “big ol’ gay party.” Sophie B. Hawkins, known for her hit “Damn, I Wish I Was You Lover,” provided the entertainment. Attendees wore GOProud stickers with Ann Coulter’s quote, “Our gays are more macho than their straights.” The line to get in snaked around 18th Street in Dupont Circle. It was the hottest ticket at the conference. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend because I was actually running the conference. That year I felt like Batman — I was trying to save Wayne Enterprises while forces on the inside actively worked to destroy it.
Honorable Mentions
There are obviously many memorable moments from my days at CPAC. The funny thing is that I have very few photos of me at CPAC. I was more likely to be the one holding the camera to get someone else their photo. I often joke that I’m the Forrest Gump of the conservative movement — it’s my way of not sounding too pretentious with all the name dropping. Here are just a few more of my favorite CPAC memories:
- PM Benjamin Netanyahu at CPAC 2001. I’ve never seen so many hot security guys! If that wasn’t enough, Charlton Heston also spoke that year. Bibi AND Moses!
- For the first time the sitting President and Vice President spoke at CPAC 2008. Backstage I had the pleasure of introducing President George W. Bush to a man who had attended every CPAC since the first one with Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1973.
- Talking to Marco Rubio backstage before he opened CPAC 2010. At that point he was a long shot and many organizations and conservative leaders had endorsed Charlie Crist.
- Meeting Joanne Herring, who was portrayed by Julia Roberts in Charlie Wilson’s War, at CPAC 2010.
- Sitting next to actress Jane Russell at a lunch for conservative women at CPAC 2003.
- “Babysitting” Glenn Beck’s chalkboard until it was picked up from CPAC 2010.
- CPAC 2008 closing speaker Tony Snow taking photos with volunteers for nearly an hour after the conference ended.
- Getting Rush Limbaugh to do a surprise video presentation of the Blogger of the Year Award to Ed Morrissey at CPAC 2010.
- Getting a kiss from Donald Trump when I introduced him at CPAC 2011. It was his first speech at a conservative event. (You can thank me or hate me.) The then-unknown-who-might-run-for-Senate Ted Cruz introduced me.
- Former Vice President Dick Cheney saying “Sit down and shut up” to Ron Paul supporters who were heckling him and Donald Rumsfeld at CPAC 2011.
- Surprise introduction of Mitt Romney by newly-elected Senator Scott Brown at CPAC 2010. Here is the perfect Scott Brown pose.
- Not taking the opportunity to flirt with Marcus Luttrell, author of Lone Survivor, at CPAC 2008 when he said I had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. (This is more like my biggest regret than a fun memory).
