Once suspect, Trump now a hero at conservative 'Woodstock'
Donald Trump has not always been a hero at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering that鈥檚 something of a Woodstock for the right-leaning faithful. In years past he鈥檚 faced polite applause, silence, and even scattered boos from a crowd that suspected he wasn鈥檛 truly one of them.
What a difference a victory makes. On Friday President Trump was welcomed to CPAC 2017 as a conqueror home from the political wars. More than a few pundits remarked that given Mr. Trump鈥檚 reception the group should be renamed 鈥淭PAC,鈥� with Trump鈥檚 name in the title.
鈥淏ig thing Trump proved with his unlikely wins is that ideology doesn鈥檛 matter anymore in politics. #CPAC2017 speech proving that,鈥� tweeted ABC Political Director Rick Klein as Trump addressed the crowd at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in Oxon Hill, Md.
How conservatives moved toward Trump 鈥� and vice versa
In truth, CPAC has never been as doctrinaire as its reputation. It has always had a range of speakers, in the sense of ranging from Ronald Reagan-like small government conservatives to more moderate Republican political figures. And in some ways conservatism and Trump have been moving in each other鈥檚 direction in recent years.
Take immigration. In 2013 the Republican National Committee produced its famous 鈥渁utopsy鈥� that recommended immigration reform and more outreach to women and minority voters. That year a number of CPAC speakers hinted at a bipartisan effort to craft immigration reform glittering in the near distance.
That was an attitude the conservative faithful did not go for. They bolted from the establishment view toward Trump鈥檚 tougher, more nationalistic immigration position.
In 2013, Trump decried a path to amnesty for undocumented immigrants because 鈥渆very one of those 11 million people will be voting Democratic.鈥� In 2017, as president, Trump thrilled the crowd with his promise to kick out undocumented 鈥渃riminals ... gang leaders, drug dealers鈥� and others who deserve it while, yes, building the wall.
鈥淲e鈥檝e defended other nations鈥� borders while leavings ours wide open,鈥� Trump said.
Trump鈥檚 also moved toward CPAC consensus on entitlements. Or at least, he has if his past CPAC speeches are compared to Friday鈥檚 version. In 2013, Trump surprised the audience by defending the nation鈥檚 big, expensive social programs from cuts.
鈥淎s Republicans, if you think you鈥檙e going to change very substantially for the worse Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in any substantial way and at the same time you think you鈥檙e going to win elections, it just really is not going to happen,鈥� Trump said four years ago.
That was then, this is now. One of Speaker Paul Ryan鈥檚 visions is turning these programs into block grants to make their budget effects more predictable 鈥� and cheaper. A Medicaid block grant might be a big part of the forthcoming repeal-and-replace effort on Obamacare. This year, Trump didn鈥檛 bring up entitlements at all. Instead he replaced it with a sure applause line about red ink.
鈥淲e inherited a national debt that鈥檚 doubled in eight years,鈥� Trump said.
Next year's speech
Trump promised to come back to CPAC in 2018 鈥� and the year after that, and so forth down the line.
It will be interesting to see how next year鈥檚 speech compares. By then, Trump and the congressional GOP may have had to make hard choices on repealing Obamacare, tax reform, and other tough issues. Not all of those choices may meet with conservatives鈥� approval.
But for now Trump was still able to make a speech that overall was simply an extension of his 2016 campaign 鈥� or a preview of his 2020 effort. He could promise a fabulous Obamacare replacement, an end to illegal immigration, rebuilt inner cities, and jobs 鈥減ouring back into our country.鈥�
