DON’T CRY FOR ME, COALITION!
I had an incredible time in Orlando at Presidency 5 as a delegate for the GREAT county of Escambia, FL, and at CPAC as a general participant. Since I have to work, I thought I’d stick you with a two parter of pictures and a quick take away of what I think was a pretty momentous weekend.
First guy I met Wednesday night and darned if he wasn’t decent enough Thursday morning to make sure we were color coordinated. He was also happy the Bachman girls he was trying to talk sense into finally left in disgust. No, really. What a terrific guy Carl Cameron is. He will sit and talk and analyse with all comers. Fox is lucky to have him, because he’s a great ambassador for the brand. Made my two first days.
I got told check-in for CPAC was at 8 a.m. Thursday morning, so I hot-foot it over to the Covention Center only to find out I’ve been lied to, it’s 1 p.m., argh! BEAUCOUPS time to kill. Along around 9 a.m., a dapper gent strolls through the front door with just a couple younger guys, heads straight to the big hall, stops to chat (big smiles the whole time) with everyone who stopped HIM and I’m wondering, “Is that Herman Cain?” He came out about 20 minutes later. I think, “what the Hell” and ATTACK. What a pleasant, genuine, accessible person and I sincerely wished him good luck.
But I can’t wait to see Rick Perry in action. Neither could most of my friends in the Escambia delegation, who are, for the most part, firmly in the Perry camp.
The debate was a disaster. Unmitigated (and I was willing to give the immigration thing a pass because we kept W’s aspirations in check in that venue, but if I HEARD ONE MORE THING ABOUT ANYBODY’S FRICKIN’ BOOK…) disaster. But every time Cain opened his mouth was magic with substance. We were all agreed that Huntsman is Charlie Crist with children and a real wife. (I address the President’s LIES about the ENTIRE AUDIENCE booing here.)
Back at the room, there were text messages from a certain suave Latino I’ve known and talked dirty to adored for years, but only finally got to hug IN PERSON Friday morning: Val Prieto of Babalú, along with our dear friends and Babalú co-bloggers George Moneo (left) and Alberto de la Cruz (right, who also was part of a dynamic CPAC panel discussion on the repression of freedom of expression by the Cuban regime)
Since my favorite Senator was tied up in D.C. Friday and couldn’t make it down, I skipped the one P5 event and went to CPAC events. They are worth every penny. Take away line from Ann Coulter’s appearance? Her description of Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She said the DNC chair was a “hideous beast who has a voice like a hyena undergoing an abortion” and hoped that her feud with the gentlemanly Col. Allen West would just go on and on and on. I’ll drink to that.
Plus, the candidates were going to speak at as well. So how’d it go. Cain? He built on that impressive debate with his rock-the-house CPAC appearance after Perry’s was appallingly lacklustre lead-off. Like, “yikes”? Didn’t somebody tell him he needed to step it up? SOOOOOO not good and THAT was the buzz. Well, when people weren’t talking about Herman Cain.
Saturday, almost all were going to give Perry one last shot, that third chance at redemption (“Jesus, buddy…show us SOMETHING?!?!“) during the candidates’ speeches FOR the P5 delegates. By that time, I was pretty firmly in Cain’s camp, but still had an open mind/wanted to be fair. Which is exactly what I told Byron York when I saw him on my way over to the Convention center, after skipping the big breakfast Perry had put on for the delegates. As we were talking about my impressions and Byron had just finished saying, “I’m hearing that from a lot of people”, we were joined by a Florida legislator named Scott Plakon and his lovely wife. You can read about the rest of it here. Scott and I traded cameras for pictures with the really super nice guy, big time journalist. (Know how to get a D.C. reporter to smile? One way is when you have a blog name like ours when he asks…)
Have to get ready for the salt mines, so Part Deux ~ the candidates’ speeches for the P5 delegates and the straw poll talley ~ this evening.
Fun, Media, People, Politics | tree hugging sister | 
September 27, 2011 9:12 am
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Insanely jealous, Sis.
And she is all mine…
What an experience you must be having. I would love five minutes with Mr. Cain. He has impressed me more than any of the others, thus far. Its not often one would use the word, “genuine” to describe a politician.
And for the horny among us, where’s Coulter’s pic?
THS comment on Coulter was “girl needs to eat a cheeseburger” or something to that affect. THS has become a political junky.
How’d those teleprompters treat you?
On another note: Just saw on CNN the Whitehouse response to the Perry Campaign’s complaint of a cheap shot by Obama using the Texas wild fires in a campaign spot. The response was “It is the concession of scientists that climate change causes changes in the weather.” Brilliant…
That’s not what they were saying a couple of years ago when there were blizzards all over the place. At that time climate change and weather were distinct items.
Take it from a trained meteorologist. Global Warming is fucking bullshit.
Oh, and one who’s public funding isn’t dependent on his thoughts on the matter. 😛
Whose, even.
Pretty neat, Sis! Even if you are officially a political junky.
Hey! At least I was a WORKING junkie, there, not just a gadfly!
That’s one handsome devil on the left of the Babalu picture!
It was a pleasure meeting you, THS. I hope to one day share a glass or two with you and your brother, the estimable Mr. Bingley!
THS: Its a good thing you didn’t report on all of our “shenanigans”…
and btw, gents, in response to your calls for Anne Coulter, Ill raise you one SE Cupp.