Is CPAC Outdated?

Is the annual gathering of CPAC in Washington, D.C. in need of some tweaking? From the method used in the straw poll, resulting in Rep. Ron Paul as the winner as frontrunner in the 2012 presidential race to a nasty spewing of homophobia by a young man from California who was asked to speak as a representative of Young Americans for Freedom.

The straw poll is seen now as a joke. The majority of attendees this year were 18 to 25 years old. It is recorded that 52% were in that age range. We can applaud young people getting involved in conservative politics. We cannot, however, allow a convention of conservatives to be represented by Ron Paul.

We cannot allow hateful, low brow homophobic outbursts serve as honest 'convictions' or debate on a thoughtful panel. Ryan Sorba showed himself to be a very small person and out to make a buck of the lowest of human thought. A person who uses The Bible to give cover to hateful speech against fellow human beings is not representative of Christians. Sorba was upset that CPAC allowed GOProud to sponsor the gathering.

GOProud was created about eight months ago with the goal of expanding the Republican party in the vision of the open tent idea. Without welcoming those who share our fiscal conservative values, the GOP will continue to shrink and lose elections. A voter's sexuality has no revelevence to those of us convinced our country is moving in the wrong direction.

Who appointed Ryan Sorba the judge of his fellow GOPers?

Instead of speaking on the agreed upon topic of the panel, Sorba decided to create controversy and no doubt hoped to sell some books along the way. Sorba is the author of a book, "Born Gay Hoax", so it doesn't take much brain power to figure out where he is coming from. The bright moment was that Sorba was booed away from the podium.

There are those who would defend Sorba's rant about CPAC allowing GOProud as a sponsor. Whether it was simply in the name of freedom of speech or of his right to his 'convictions', there is no justification for a young man to strong arm his personal thoughts onto an audience expecting to hear an entirely different topic discussed.

Erick Erickson, of the conservative web site RedState, sent this message on Twitter:
"I thought it impolite for Ryan Sorba to get on stage at CPAC and denounce GOProud, but I commend the guy for standing for his convictions."

That is just wrong. Erickson is fond of saying that his two goals are to guest host for Rush Limbaugh and to be the keynote speaker at CPAC. Lofty goals demand more life experience than accepting the rants of the ignorant.

The John Birch Society was also a sponsor of CPAC. Did they have a place at the table? That organization seems outdated and no necessary as their objective was to route out Communists in our country. The Cold War is over. Ronald Reagan is heralded with that.

Would Ronald Reagan approve of the actions of Ryan Sorba or of the John Birch Society now? I don't think so. Reagan stood firmly for his convictions without shrinking the party or allowing the fringes to control it.

There is a place for all men and women of good will in the Republican party. And those so proud to say they are conservatives before they are Republican? Spare me the sanctimony. You fool no one with such rhetoric. Glenn Beck was a miserable keynote speaker. He seems to believe it boosts him up to bash Republicans as well as Democrats. He refused to acknowledge the progress the GOP has made this past year. Maybe he misread the election of Scott Brown, Chris Christie, Bob McDonnell, and the up and coming candidates being brought forward by the grass roots. Beck is a buffoon and deserves no applause for his theatrics.