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CPAC to Hear from GOPers Eyeing 2012

February 25, 2009 11:54 AM

ABC News' Teddy Davis reports:

DavisCPAC -- the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference -- gets underway later this week.

The speakers include six Republicans who might seek their party's presidential nomination in 2012: former Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Two other frequently mentioned 2012 hopefuls -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal -- are skipping CPAC.

As in past years, CPAC is thinking of conducting an unscientific straw poll of conference attendees. The straw poll's language has not yet been released but it is expected to include a question that will take conference attendees' initial temperature on whom they expect to be the GOP's 2012 nominee.

Straw Poll results will be released on Saturday at 4:30 pm ET.

On Tuesday, CPAC's chief organizer, David Keene, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, discussed the "state of conservatism" at the National Press Club. Keene slammed former President George W. Bush's record on government spending and urged his fellow conservatives to return to small-government principles.

"What the public rejected in 2008 was incompetence," said Keene. "[The Obama campaign] ran against Republican performance, not conservative ideas."

CPAC takes place from Thursday through Saturday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Read more of what Keene had to say on abcnews.com click here.

Read the full CPAC schedule here.

February 25, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (5)

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Unless the GOP provides solutions rather than criticisms, it will have a hard time winning. The "diversity" they are promoting with Mr. Steele and Gov. Jindal is diversity in appearance, not in opinion. The party seems to get less inclusive each day and, apparently, you're not allowed to have or express a differing opinion - especially if you're in Congress (but also if you're a governor).

Posted by: MIguy | Feb 25, 2009 12:13:18 PM

The lack of diversity of thought was highlighted yesterday when Michael Steele said that he would welcome primary challenges to Senators Snowe, Collins and Specter--the only Republicans to cross the aisle and vote for the stimulus package.

The Republican party is becoming a regional, old person's party.

Posted by: Colorado Guy | Feb 25, 2009 12:44:26 PM

It will be great fun watching the religious, extremist, lunatic neo-con, fringe Republican Pary slap it out for control....Palin slapping Huckabee slapping Jindal......Talk about win/win/win for Democrats. Looks like the morally and intellectually bankrupt Republican Party will be out of business for the forseeable future. A fate they have brought on themselves. Talk about poetic justice.

Posted by: Sammy | Feb 25, 2009 1:44:48 PM

Unless they Change Their way Of thinking and Retool Theirselves they can forget about 2012

Posted by: Angie in PA | Feb 25, 2009 2:34:28 PM

With new faces like Michael Stelle, Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal, along with such past stars as Rush Limbaugh, Anne Coulter Josh Bolton and Newt Gingrich, it is clear that the GOP has failed and will continue to fail to communicate any new ideas and will appeal to a smaller and smaller base.
It is a shame that these people are unable to mount a meaningful and thoughtful bases for a true oppostion party. But they are so out of touch with the rest of the country that few people take them seriously.

Posted by: Park | Feb 26, 2009 9:47:13 PM

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