Like Dr. Evil, did the GOP just steal Obama鈥檚 mojo?
| Atlanta
They are brought together by a single tantalizing feeling: President Obama has in their eyes gone from hero to zero in a short 13 months, meaning Democrats are running scared ahead of the 2010 mid-term elections.
Meeting at a giddy (CPAC) in Washington, conservative activists and presidential hopefuls are painting a picture of a party in resurgence.
"[Obama] had more mojo than any president that I remember when he was inaugurated a year and a month ago.鈥� But now, the master-mesmerizer has lost his mojo," Rep. Steve King (R) of Iowa told about 1,000 attendees at the annual conference. "And if we stand our ground as constitutional conservatives, he's not going to get it back." [Editor's note: The original version of this paragraph listed the wrong US representative.]
But if Republicans are playing the role of Dr. Evil stealing Austin Power鈥檚 mojo, there鈥檚 always the concern that Obama can, in fact, steal that elusive something-something back in time for the closing credits, er, the 2010 mid-term elections.
Can independents be drawn in?
And the GOP鈥檚 bluster at CPAC belies a big question: Amid the red-meat speeches and Democrat-bashing, what does the GOP actually stand for beyond bromides about smaller government and muscular foreign policy? Will key independents ultimately buy into the party鈥檚 newfound fiscal discipline 鈥� or be turned off by what critics call the wingnut factor?
Listening to Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty urge Americans to emulate Tiger Woods鈥檚 wife Elin Nordegren and 鈥渢ake a 9-iron and smash the window out of big government,鈥� critics like at the New York Times and Mike Lux at the Huffington Post point out how too many CPAC Republicans revel in violent imagery to get their points across.
鈥淲hile there has always been a crazy streak in the conservative movement 鈥� the most wild extremists have never taken over the movement lock, stock and barrel before,鈥� . 鈥淭oday they are thoroughly in control.鈥�
And seemed to sense the divide between partisan cheerleading and dire realities in Washington this morning when he invited Republicans to a healthcare summit but added, 鈥淚 don't want to see this meeting turn into political theater.鈥�
More middle-of-the-road critics say Republicans are ultimately hawking the same tired small government message, seemingly oblivious to the fact that deficit reduction may require tax increases along with spending cuts.
鈥淚ntellectually honest conservatives are homeless,鈥� writes the Atlantic鈥檚 .
Ground shifting for CPAC
Nevertheless, the ground does seem to be shifting for conservatives at CPAC.
Founded in 1974, CPAC is today a sort of culture war relic, epitomized by Gov. Pawlenty on Thursday citing God as the first of four conservative principles. Nothing wrong with that, except many Americans might read that as commentary on divisive social issues such as abortion and homosexuality.
On the other hand, Rep. Mike Pence got far greater ovation by staying on the kind of fiscal message that the 鈥渢ea party鈥� movement took to the streets to exhort last year.
鈥淲e're in the fight for fiscal discipline and limited government, and we are on the side of the American people,鈥� Mr. Pence said. 鈥淭his is our moment.鈥�
Mr. Pence wasn鈥檛 the only one to witness the tent poles getting wider at this year鈥檚 CPAC.
鈥淸I]t was striking to see in speech after speech many of the wedge issues that so preoccupied the most recent GOP majority 鈥� Terry Schiavo, abortion, stem cells, gays, family values, religion in government 鈥� sublimated to the GOP's laser-like focus on the economy and to see the CPAC's attempts 鈥� to widen their tent,鈥� in Time.
Up Saturday at CPAC: Newt Gingrich and Glenn Beck.
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