It might be more accurately called a circus, but the most prestigious conservative political convention of the year took place last week, just a short drive from IAM Headquarters.
The Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, is the annual pilgrimage of conservative activists to meet, greet and size up Republican politicians. Potential GOP presidential candidates are especially eager to gain favor of the right-wing crowd – a great speech at CPAC can go a long way toward 2016.
But the real show comes when you walk around the atriums of the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD, site of CPAC 2014.
There’s star-struck young conservatives elbowing their way through crowds to get a picture taken with Ted Cruz, the Republican senator from Texas who has become the darling of the Tea Party after he led the charge to a government shutdown last October. Roaming the halls are billionaire Republican donors like Foster Friess, who spent oodles of money making sure anti-union Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker stayed in office when he faced a recall election in 2011. And everyone makes time to cast their ballot in the annual CPAC Straw Poll, which Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul took home this year.
Here’s a look at our trip inside CPAC 2014: