AJC on the trail
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has closely tracked the presidential campaign across the country, with a special emphasis on the South. To see past campaign stories, go to MyAJC.com.
Conservative activists on Friday wrestled with the growing division within the Republican Party exposed by the surging candidacy of Donald Trump and illustrated by the previous night’s combative presidential debate.
The philosophical gulf between the party’s more populist wing — many of whose members favor the New York billionaire or Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz — and its more traditional power core now intent on taking down Trump was prominently displayed here at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.
Conservative speakers tapped into the well of disenchantment that many of the thousands of attendees drawn to this particular gathering feel toward the status quo in Washington. Many encouraged the people assembled here at a sprawling conference center on the banks of the Potomac River to force party leaders to listen to their message of limited government and uncompromising conservative ideals.
“Us conservatives are sick and tired of business as usual in Washington, and we’re not going to take it anymore. I think that’s why we’re all here,” said former South Carolina U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, now president of the Heritage Foundation.
Members of the party more closely associated with the political establishment, meanwhile, sought to separate themselves from the characterization and assured the conservatives assembled here that they are on their side.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has struggled to maintain much political momentum in the race, underscored what he described as his anti-establishment record and drew parallels to President Ronald Reagan during his address Friday.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus underscored that the party infrastructure would do the seemingly obvious: fully support the nominee chosen by voters.
“Whoever the majority chooses is going to be the nominee of the party,” he said. “That’s our pledge to you.”
But many in attendance didn’t seem to be buying his message. Priebus was booed when he said the GOP Congress has not been able to shepherd Republican priorities into law because President Barack Obama is in the White House.
Cruz was undoubtedly the rock star of this gathering — his speech Friday afternoon packed the main ballroom, leaving some attendees trapped outside. Much of the crowd enthusiastically cheered his pledges to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and strengthen the U.S. relationship with Israel.
Trump trumps discussions
But overshadowing the entire event was Trump, who backed out of his Saturday speech at the last minute, drawing boos from the crowd when it was announced at the conference.
A small contingent of Trump supporters chanted the billionaire’s name during Cruz’s speech.
Some speakers at the event tried to dissuade attendees from voting for the New York real estate magnate.
Jenny Beth Martin, the Cherokee County-based president and co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, slammed Trump in her speech Friday morning, urging adherents of the movement her group helped spearhead not to be wooed by the billionaire’s “seductive pitch.”
“I know you’re angry and I know you’re upset, too,” she said, “and I know that Donald Trump’s tapping into that anger.”
Martin, who backs Cruz, said Trump was a false conservative, pointing to his record on eminent domain and press freedom, and she characterized him as politically inconsistent on issues such as health care, abortion and immigration.
“Donald Trump loves himself first, last and everywhere in between. He loves himself more than our country, he loves himself more than the Constitution. He doesn’t love you, me, and he doesn’t love the tea party,” she said. “Donald Trump has no business thinking he’s tea party, and every tea party person who truly loves the Constitution should take that into account when you’re casting your vote.”
A major topic of buzz was the proposal floated by former GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who in a biting takedown of Trump on Thursday called on the remaining candidates to focus on winning their home states in order to force a brokered convention in Cleveland later this summer. Under such a scenario, none of the candidates would have enough delegates pledged to them from the state primaries and caucuses to secure the nomination outright, and the delegates would become freed to haggle with one another to support any candidate of their choice.
Kasich and Cruz shot down Romney’s suggestion, even though the former acknowledged a contested convention is likely his best shot at the nomination.
Cruz called such an event the tool of the political establishment to hand one of their own the nomination. He instead called for opponents of Trump to line up behind his campaign.
“Super Tuesday made clear that only one campaign has repeatedly beaten Donald Trump and only one campaign can and will beat Donald Trump,” Cruz said. He added that a contested election that selected a nominee outside of the one who receives the most votes would trigger a “manifest revolt.”
Also at the event, Ben Carson formally announced the suspension of his presidential campaign. The retired neurosurgeon still planned to remain “heavily involved” in the race, especially in an effort to keep evangelicals involved in the elections.
As a parting note, Carson called for civility in the Republican presidential contest.
“The way to ferret this thing out is not by calling each other names but really by challenging each other’s positions and having them explain why they believe what they do,” Carson said. “That will sort out all the things that need to be sorted out without injuring the brand.”
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