WASHINGTON (CNN) - Conservatives will descend upon the nation's capital Friday for the 2009 "Values Voter Summit," the fourth annual gathering of like-minded political activists who will plot 2010 strategy and hear several potential presidential prospects discuss the GOP's future.
In-between speeches, attendees will also participate in forums with titles ranging from “Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” to “Global Warming Hysteria.”
Perhaps the most anticipated event of the weekend will be "2012 Presidential Straw Poll," the results of which are scheduled to be announced Saturday.
The potential Republican candidates on the ballot are: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
Romney won a similar straw poll in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference, which was held at the same hotel and featured many of the same speakers. Romney also won the last Values Voter straw poll - in October 2007 - when he narrowly defeated Huckabee in a vote that was open to both attendees and people who signed up to vote on the internet. This year’s survey will only be open to conference-goers.
Just four of the Republicans on the ballot will actually attend the event. Pence, Huckabee and Pawlenty will address the conference on Friday morning, while Romney will deliver remarks on Saturday.
Palin was invited to the event, but according to organizers, the former GOP vice presidential nominee never confirmed she would attend.
Among the other conservative luminaries slated to speak: Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Georgia Rep. Tom Price, New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Miss California Carrie Prejean.
From CNN Politics
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Will someone, anyone, show me the facts? I want proof of when any conservative idea, put into real use, in the current century, ever was successful!
And I mean successful for the nation as a whole ... not just successful for the rich and famous! When did a conservative policy ever do something positive for America? Put your money where your principals are and show me!
You know that Sarah Palin will be running in 2012 – if she can't bully her way on the GOP ticket, she'll run for some weird right wing party. She doesn't care about the GOP or the USA; she cares about Sarah Palin.
Is this what the Right Wing has to offer the American people? Obama has no competition from this group. The list of names are all rejects, fear mongers and wackos. With the signing of the health care bill and the resurging of the economy, the Republican party is in for a major defeat in 2010 and beyond.
This is the problem with the repubs they never stop to help the American People they only look to win the next election and the next election and the next.........ENOUGH of this STUPIDTY
I guess with pushing up the primaries so early last cycle, I guess it is no surprise that this is happening. I would hope that these people get their act together and have something to propose. I hate it when they say the current policies are wrong, but they have no alternatives other than what is already here.
ya gotta be kiddin', right?
Conservatives literally make me sick! I realized that I have a conscience, have compassion and care for my fellow man. I do not hate nor do I want to live in a negative place that is why I no longer consider myself a republican and never will. They are the party of hate.
Dream on!!!...Republicans wont smell the WH for the next 12 years, hopefully never again
Sounds like a gathering of "The World is Flat" society.....
Romney or Ron Paul would be my choice They both make sense.
what a bunch. I don't think any of these candidates have the temperment or intelligence to run the US. All names listed here prescribe to hate, bigotry, untruths, and division. Not one of them has any substantive policy stances that the majority of Americans will vote for. I can't wait to see them go at each other in primaries.
Gov P, I'm voting for Pres Obama in 2012! Remeber, he is doing a GREAT job!
This is the gang of Idiots. Lying pile of hypocritical dirtbags and spoiled rich kids.
DON'T count your chickens before they hatch!!!
Is it just me, or is the GOP looking more and more like a bunch of nut jobs?
"Values", yeah right. Pawlenty may help himself with what the GOP has become, but the rest of us will remember. Why not bring up "States' Rights" and other great slogans from the past. Millions of us shudder to think what comes next? "McCarthyism II"?
"Values Voter Summit,"
After the scandals of Sen. Ensign, Gov. Sanford and the unveiling of C-Street, I don't think republicans and family values belong in the same sentence.
Doesn't matter who they select, Obama will beat them because the programs he has implemented will have us back on track, after the distruction of the country by the Bush administration. By that time, we will be on the same path that we were on after the first Clinton administration, which led to a budget surplus.That was a funny thing, when the surplus surfaced, Republicans wanted to give more tax cuts, instead of paying down the debt, which we should have focused on. Now those same Republicans are screaming about the debt.
Didn't Romney, Huckabee, and Paul lose significantly to McCain last elections? They all lost in a wide disperaty to McCain so what makes them a better candidate now. Palin must be taking a crash course on polotics and foreign affairs so that she can do better than her performance running for VP. Jindal has been no-were-to-be-seen since the embarrassing speech he gave. And, who has heard of the remaining hopefuls? Republicans need some young, fresh, honest leaders to come forward. But, that is hard for them because the elder GOP are to greedy to share. So sad that this is all that Republicans have to offer the public.
I got some forum suggestions:
"GROW UP: How to act like an adult at a Town Hall meeting (or in the halls of Congress)"
"DEBUNKING THE FAIRY TALES: The Easter Bunny, the Boogie Man and Death Panels"
This is priceless, Pawlenty couldn't even make a decision in the Coleman – Franken issue. He's a WIMP and a spineless leader. Ooops, just what the Republicans need, another spineless clown in the GOP Circus of Clowns.
If you listen and watch closely, most Republicans are nothing but "STEPFORD WIVES" they robotically mimmic each other and repeat the same tired and old "do as I say, not as I DO" baloney.
I hope they have a runout session on "Civility in American Politics," but then, probably none of them would understand the concept. Since bullying is working so well , and attacks on the President appear to get them points, why should they tone down the hate or tamp down the protestors they have made so angry. When someone dies, maybe they will stop and think, but I doubt it. That, too, will be the fault of the Democrats.
when I read that list of possible GOP candidates, i just wanted to puke. Especially loser Santorum. Not only is he ridiculously stupid, and out of touch with normal people, he is an elitist who thinks only the rich people count. He would be worse than another 8 years of Bush. Why doesn't he get a real job for once – and I don't mean on FOX news – that's not a real job.
"In-between speeches, attendees will also participate in forums with titles ranging from “Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” to “Global Warming Hysteria.”"
Please tell me this is a joke, inserted in an otherwise sad story.
Our glorious leader offers us a guilt-free excuse to steal the money promised for our grandmothers' health care. Grandma is old, wrinkly and smells funny. Obamacare: pulling the plug – one grandmother at a time.
Those pesky Republicans are ruining everything.
I'm going to love 2010, the democrats are going down thanks in huge part to their own leaders like Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Dodd and Rangel.
"Global Warming Hysteria"
Here is perhaps the most outrageous of Conservative lies. Every reputable climate scientist accepts global warming as a given. Like evolution, the fact that the earth is round, or the fact that men once visited the moon, only lunatics deny it.
Our Conservative leadership, however, is convincing millions of voters that it is nonsense. By keeping the debate going, by keeping the nation from trying to come to grips with the problem, they are condemning future generations to unhappy lives. Why are they doing it? Because oil companies will make more money if nothing is done to deal with this problem.
Remember the Iraqi Minister of Information; the guy who walked around Baghdad saying that there was no American invasion? His excuse is that he was not too bright. Conservative leaders know what they are doing. They are leading us off the cliff but they just can't resist the money.
The title "Values Voter Summit" is misleading because only ideological conservative purists are welcomed. The lack of diversity (minorities, moderates, gays, poor) will be evident, an obvious weakness. The GOP white southern strategy will backfire in 2012.
"THUGOCRACY". Perfect!
I find the best way to read anything about conservatives is to treat it all as projection.
Take anything they say and turn it back onto them:
– hysteria over not understanding global warming? Yep, thats them.
– total thugs? Yep, thats them.
– worried about family values because they have none? Yep, thats them.
- radical? Yep, thats them.
– waste jillions of dollars and not take care of people? Yep, thats them.
PICK ANYTHING THE REPUBLICANS ARE WHINING ABOUT, USE THEIR ANSWER OR SLOGAN AND TURN IT BACK ONTO THEM.
ITS TOTALLY ACCURATE. AND THEY CAN'T EVEN HEAR THEMSELVES DOING IT.
A posse of losers with no new ideas. Their base in shrinking, and their silence on the bigotry and hatred of their constituency not only equals consent, but it turns off the many of us independents who might have voted for them.
If Rick Santorum can't win in Pennsylvania, how's he going to win nationwide?
Gingrich can't win nationwide, and Palin is punchline.
Huckabee's over in Israel sucking up to far right Israelis and hacking off arabs.
As a louisiana resident, I can tell you Jindal is too smug and stubborn to be president.
Time for the GOP to look to Pawlenty or Crist.
Any one of these Republicans would make a fantastic replacement for the current occupant of the White House in 2012. Right now, we need to concentrate on 2010 and do some replacing of the tax and spend crowd(democrats).
"Values Voters" seem to be people who think themselves so morally above reproach that to them is entrusted the privilege of dictating to others the courses of their lives.
Get lost, busybodies! It was you who drove me out of the Republican Party!
The conference should just be:
Who's going to be Vice President to Sarah "Deather" Palin
My goodness the list of Republican canidates, I guess, its the best???? I don't think so...far from it.....
Is Thugocracy a word... Who is a Thug, Michael Steel. The republicans just don't get it.
They should just say the following:
You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
This guy is just as brainless as PITT Bull Palin! All the gop's should go
back to their mountains and pray to their god RUSH, BECK!
This is the GOP potential leadership for 2012? What a hoot!
Not one of these candidates is presidential material, each carrying enough individual baggage to guarantee President Obama a easy victory in 2012 no matter which one of these losers is eventually chosen as front runner..
Values voter? Sounds utterly juvenile and appropriate considering this group of whining, cry baby wannabes who consider themselves worthy of my vote.
Oh goodie the GOP is going to meet and think of new ways to lie to the voters. Or maybe they will go back to the old lies of, we will cut spending and reduce the size of Government like Ron Reagan promised and then do the complete opposite.
Values? HAH! Like lying, cheating, being a hypocrit, being obstructionist, putting party before country, greed, sanctimonious, self-righteous, believing the end justifies the means, wanting our country to fail, being disrespectful, being a bully ...
The list goes on and on and on. The GOP and their egocentric, hypocritical jerks are pathetic!
If this had been a conference of Democrats, would the headline have been "2012 on the ballot at liberal conference"?
Of course not. You're not even trying to cover it up anymore, CNN.
The GOP are fools if they don't pick someone more libertarian this time around. The GOP isn't about church and money, it is (or was) about small government and individual freedom.
There are many of us GOPs that won't vote for anyone other than Ron Paul or someone like minded.
So unless the Republicans wake up, they'll keep losing as Ron Pauls supporters gain more and more.
Conservatives are scientifically defined by fear, a drive towards inequality, authoritarianism, and difficulty accepting change and managing ambiguity. Conservatives almost destroyed America economically. No rational pUS citizen would vote for a conservative to redestroy the country now that Obama has America on the right track. Conservatives gave us a 6000 DJI averaghe and Obama has given us a 9800 DJI average. That's capitalism!
The vast left wing conspiracy? Seriously? Global warming hysteria?
People we badly need a third party to step forward. The two that we have are absolutely worthless. No incumbents! We need some representatives with some sense of reality and the interests of all the people in mind.
Wow, with speech titles like that, it's no wonder the GOP is becoming irrelevant.
No speeches regarding the move to the extreme right?
No speeches about Health Care Reform?
With topics ranging from “Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” to “Global Warming Hysteria" is it no wonder that people think republicans are a bunch of bullies? Like them or not those in the "vast left wing" are high in number and have some serious concerns and those within the "global warming hysteria" are those that vote. Perhaps instead of consistently downgrading those concerns there could be some serious conversation about how to get something done, rather than continuing this campaign of why all those in the "vast left wing consipiracy" are wrong and "our" ideas- which few seem to be listening to-are right.
I am a moderate republician. I hope that the social conservatives will learn from their mistakes and not insist on having extreme right wing social conservatives on the ticket. I was a strong backer of McCain but had to hold my nose on elect day seeing Palin's name on the ticket. I feel that the biggest reason McCain lost was because of the far rights influence in the party. You cannot win an election with out moderate voters.
I don't think these people mentioned have any Values.
The GOP putting all it's eggs in one big loony bin.
I wonder what color the sky is in their strange world.
Global warming is already here
Talk about indoctrination...
Irony 1,000,005: GOP 0
Anyone but Obama. Look at what he does. Put's awful policies out there, then has his minions call anyone who disagrees racists. What a joke.
He is a change, he's worse!
HMMMMMMM, Newt would probably be the most experienced that could pull together an awesome cabinet but Tim Pawlenty is a pretty smart guy also. Bottom line, anyone but a leftist liberal or we are done as a Super Power and at being the Greatest Nation on earth!
What a sad collection of those from the "Do Nothing" Party. If I was a conservative (and there is an honorable tradition there) I'd avoid that collection like the plague. This is the saddest bunch of vitriolic, uniformed, self-absorbed, fringe politicians that's gathered in a long time. Their motto is (as they scream it in your face) "Do nothing!"
Ahh yes, a gathering of the American Taliban!
"Global Warming Hysteria"????? These clowns are in deep denial.
Reminds me of poor Galileo, who was imprisoned for years for saying that the Earth revolved around the sun!
Ignorance is the disease of the GOP.
What a bunch of hypocrites. The real Thugocracy are the Republicans, just look at the tea baggers and congressman from SC. Are we still debating "Global Warming". The polar ice caps and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and these idiots thinks it is hysteria.
I do hope that we see some people demonstrating againsts these idiots in Washington. We need to speak up and take our country back from the Right Wing Nuts. Let's stand up for America and not let these folks sway public opinion.
Group for 8 years of Obama and 8 years of Hillary Clinton...
Pawlenty should be cast as the kid with the banjo in Deliverance!!!!!
Where's Mike Steele, the RNC chairperson?!
what a cast of characters! Republicans have been reduced to a comic book series. They forgot to ask Joe Wilson! This will be a really fun event
Republicans now go for the look (and a few more brain cells)!
Palin was just too dumb and they don't even admit it - oh no she is not dumb; she might not be as worldly as she could but definitely not dumb! Sure, McCain's bad judgment showed!
Now Pawlenty! He's good looking, smarter than Palin, not a Mormon (not that religion matters but by some divine intervention, Romney got 90% of the votes in Utah! Hypocrites, help us figure!
.
So, let's see what the U.S. will go for (looks or brains) in 2012!
Without a doubt, I'll campaign and vote for Obama.
– from someone who voted for Reagan & I'm not black.
Thugocracy: Right idea, wrong party. The Thugocracy belonged to Bush/Cheney. That's what you call 8 years of lying, war, torture, wiretapping, and throwing innocent people in jail. The "vast left wing conspiracy" consists of the majority of Americans who elected Barack Obama, a man who is unacceptable to the wing nuts (aka, The Repugnant Party) because of his skin color.
As for "Global Warming Hysteria", that's a hoot. These are the same folks who think evolution is just a theory and the earth is only 4-5 thousand years old. What would they possibly know about climate science? Ah, but they do know about hysteria, since it is a central part of their arsenal of weapons of mass disruption.
So sick of the Republicans and the so call "Values Voters"/.... Please
"Global Warming Hysteria"??? Nice. God forbid we should listen to scientists, you know, the people who study this stuff? Oh, that's right, I forgot, educated people are "elitists." Keep living in denial, republicans. Keep telling yourselves that there was no room for the dinosaurs on Noah's ark. I'm not worried about terrorist attacks or non-existent Iranian ICBMs. This country is doing a fine job of destroying itself from within. We are fast becoming a nation of poorly educated consumerbots. Your capitalist masters are proud of y'all. I take comfort in the fact that this country is getting younger and browner. That's what you're really scared of, isn't it? Becoming a marginalized minority. Maybe there's hope for us yet. Have a nice day!
Yes let us hear about your great VALUES.......republicians have proven in the last few years with all your scandels that you are the last people with VALUES
The Repubs are the party of Big Corporations. They are against health care reform because it would diminish the profits of the insurance industry , which has given millions to their campaigns.
And, In spite of scientists across the globe warning of the dangers of global warming, the Repubs call it a "hoax" to protect Brig Oil, which again, contributes millions their campaigns.
The Repubs have NEVER cared about the people. They are all for big govt. when it serves their corporate allies (de-regulation, corporate welfare, etc.), but completely against it when it serves the people (healthcare reform, regulating polluters, regulating Wall Street, etc.)..
Middle-Class Americans who support the Republican Party need to wake up! They are only being used as pawns for the Repubs to regain power so they can once again have their cozy, profitable relationship with Corporate America.
“Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” to “Global Warming Hysteria.”
That tells you all you need to know about the conservatives. They are completely bereft of ideas and unfit to meet the challenges that the the US and the world face.
“Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy”
And THIS from a party that whips up hate against the POTUS with racial connotations?
“Global Warming Hysteria.”
Hmmmm....hundreds of scientists are wrong?
Gee, everything the left wants to do the right opposes, because they LOST and can't get over it...
who cares?
What is Pawlenty's speech? "How I Continuously Delayed Sen. Franken From Taking Office"?
They should just call it a voter summit. The transgressions of the conservatives over the last few election cycles and past few months shows the have no moral values. Its time for them to put that claim of moral authority to rest!!!
Wow. An entire convention dedicated to the goal of advancing the concepts of "ignorance" and "hate". But, then again, looking at the behavior of the extremist right wing over the past year, with their neo-fascist social agenda, I'm really not surprised.
Hopefully, as with many such conventions....what happens in (this time D.C.) STAYS in D.C.
Never has there been as ripe a moment for a third party candidate as there is now. No, wait, I take that back. Lincoln was the last third party candidate that had an opening this big.
Ron Paul needs to bolt the Republican party, and we need to elect a whole new slate of Libertarians, Constitution Party Candidates, and Independents (and not phony ones like Leiberman) who will not kiss the butt of some political party instead of making the hard decisions.
And just when one thought the Republicans couldnot sink any lower, they show all the world they can go even lower then before.
Yeah, like trying to stop global warming is 'thuggery'. Give me a break. The GOP loves their talking points about future generations having to pay for the policies of the Obama administration, but they don't ever consider that it won't matter if the planet is toast.
Nothing matters at all if you can't breathe.
I didn't realize that ignorance was a "value."
They certainly put up enough straw men to have a straw pull.
Ya this conference of "the world is flat" believers should be a hoot. What a pack of morons!
As a registered Republican, my vote will go to Ron Paul or no Republican at all. I'll never cast another vote for any of those other Neo-Con thugs. Don't get too excited Neo-Socialist-Libs...you all fit in the same box as the Cons.
Good Luck.
“Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” to “Global Warming Hysteria.”
These are GOP wingnut terms for "A correction of the strangle hold the rich and corporate America have on the US" to "This may cut into our capitalistic hyper profit motive in the name of saving our planet and resources".
"In-between speeches, attendees will also participate in forums with titles ranging from “Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” to “Global Warming Hysteria.”
You have got to be kidding. Thugocracy? You want to see that watch the TEA parties. There you can see the real thugs. I really can't understand how there can be so many stupid people running the GOP. Their moto should be " It's our way or no way. We do not compromise".
This braying donkey has no class at all. The man is an educated ignoramus.
Are they going to whine about the Metro some more?
Here we go again the party of values. Whose values? A bunch of self-righteous white men and woman and one India whom all feel so obligated to tell us how to live our lives and govern this nation. What next?
What an assembly this will be. I am sure they will continue in the fine tradition of John Birch and Joe McCarthy. The are proud deniers of global warming, that republican deregulation and lack of government oversight caused this depression, that their war of choice has spilled ouir precious blood, that we should have followed Hoover's choice of "not intervening in the markets" and let the enite banking system collapse and that market solutions will ever provide the working poor health care. This fringe and regional party has shrunk to a festering and rotten core that dishonors the once noble party of Lincoln.
already? why not start for 2016 as well?
thy do not have any virtue nor values for these Republican idiots...they do not care the nation any way....they speak...
Ha – yeah, they really know how to get support of the moderates with sessions titled “Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” . ha ha ha – what a bunch of children.
I guess they don't want moderates – just right wing wackos.
I like the use of the word "descend". It brings to mind something between an attack by the Visigoths and an infestation of rodents.
From the description of the programs on the agenda, it looks like truth and critical thinking will be in abundance. I hope that this is going to be filmed because it has the potential to be highly amusing (if you can get past the part that it would not be a mockumentary).
At least after looking like a sap for not understanding issues, Pawlenty learned you don't jump on something with out having facts, like scrapping the missile shield. Yesterday, the Mitt-wit spoke out and over reacted without knowing what he was talking about. Based on governing by the seat of his pants, the Mitt- wit will get the nod, if for nothing else, his $800 haircuts.
Romney, Palin, and Gingrich are three I could support for President from this list.
I wish there could be an economically conservative movement without so much influence from some of the conservatives' personal religious beliefs. However, the "values" focus of this forum is preferable to the Marxist leanings of much of the current Democratic White House and congress.
Tim is trying so desperately to be a conservative.
I would vote for the first republican who stood up to big daddy rush
and to the birther's.
How does Sanford – Wilson in 2012 sound?
Perhaps a new strategy is in order too? Maybe steer away from the word "values?" At this point it's quite clear that each Republican's downfall has been adverse to whatever values they were championing, i.e. Sanford, Larry Craig, ect.
The irony and hypocracy is doing serious damage to conservatives and has subsequently made the word "value" valueless.
Perhaps if your party took a more humanistic approach, to where no moral superiority is ever boasted, maybe then you might be taken seriously?
Just a thought.
The bid on dinner with the Palins is around $40,000. Anyone wonder what she would do for a million dollars?
Michelle Bachman seems to be the smartest of all these potentials. I wonder if God will let her run?
you forgot fat boy limbaugh, after all he is the leader of the party and hannity is his sidekick.
Apparently the Republicans don't get it. With speech titles such as “Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” and “Global Warming Hysteria” is it surprising the GOP are loosing membership by the truckload. They are obsessed with pushing polarizing and fringe ideas into mainstream politics at the expense of real issues. I would be more impressed had those speeches been titled "The Necessity of Tort Reform" or "The Solution to No Child Left Behind" at lest those would be real issues. The GOP is sounding more and more like the John Birch Society rather than any main stream political party.
Ha ha ah Look at the Loonies on the Ballot the Moderate Republicans are going to run not walk away from this one Good luck GOP HAHAHAH
If this is all the GOP has to offer then President Obama is a shoe-in in 2012.
If I didn't know better, sadly, the forums sound like segments more properly found on SNL. Is there no one left in the Party of Lincoln with a sane and reasonable voice? Thugocracy? Isn't that what Dick Cheney ran for nearly 8 years, with his own privately bought army of assasins? Good Grief! Global Warming is what, a hoax? That's what my right wing sister tells me. It's a hoax! Drill baby drill! Have we lost our most basic ability to reason, which separates us from the other animals out there? Or have we simply lost our minds?
WOW who is impressed? A complete circle jerk.