What the heck happened to CPAC?

I found my way in the conservative movement at CPAC 2010. A lot has changed.

I remember sitting on the dais as a representative from Leadership Institute as Glenn Beck took the stage to “Uprising” by Muse at CPAC 2010. As a libertarian in the Age of the Tea Party, this song was an anthem.

You can see me standing to applaud Beck on his left. On Beck’s right are Cleta Mitchell, a well-respected conservative attorney, and Millie Hallow, wife of the late Ralph Z. Hallow of The Washington Times. David Keene, then ACU Chairman, is seen turned away from the podium to greet Beck.

You can watch Beck’s entire keynote presentation from CPAC 2010 here.

The top-three vote getters of the storied CPAC Straw Poll in 2010 for president were:

Ron Paul - 31%
Mitt Romney - 22%
Sarah Palin - 7%

I attended more than half of the CPAC events from that year to 2024, usually as a representative from a movement organization with a tabling/sponsorship presence in the exhibit hall.

At the height of CPAC’s success during my time in the conservative movement, the conference attracted more than 10,000 attendees, mostly college-aged activists and Young Republicans who traveled from across the country to experience their first movement event.

In the years leading up to and including presidential elections (2011 & 2012 and 2014 through 2016), campaigns and other organizations would scoop up hundreds of tickets for young CPAC attendees.

Bloggers who cut their teeth in the Age of the Tea Party (names you would recognize from RedState and other outlets) showed up to cover the conference and network with one another. I straddled the too-young-to-monetize-writing and too-old-to-be-a-college-student line, existing smack-dab in the middle of the two groups with whom I interacted most in my early days.

But fast forward more than a decade, and CPAC is a shell of its former self.

As a movement conservative who believes in the importance of bringing conservatives together, I am incredibly disappointed. I noted earlier today on Twitter/X:

Already there is coverage from both the left and the right about the diminished turnout this year.

Others can write about the reasons *why* CPAC is fizzling out under the current leadership — there are at least two glaring reasons covered extensively elsewhere.

My purpose for this post is a warning to the CPAC Board of Directors and the political infrastructure that uses CPAC to advance electoral outcomes: Political success will diminish with the further destruction of CPAC from within.

CPAC and other political conferences bring out die-hard activists, movement connectors, and young people looking to launch their careers. These three groups must interact for there to be longterm success in the public policy process.

Die-hard activists derive some of their energy from attending these conferences. Activists, energized by the connection, camaraderie, and speeches, go back home to their communities and become more involved in the political process.

Movement connectors — that is to say, speakers who represent organizations and staff who work the booths on behalf of their organizations — not only interface with the die-hard activists and young people (more on that later), but they also interact with one another, creating opportunities for greater collaboration.

This is the space in which I operate these days. My full-time obligations require that I work with die-hard activists, young people, and other movement connectors to achieve my organization’s mission. Anecdotally, while I’ve had a few productive conversations at CPAC this year, it is nowhere near the level it has been in the past.

Young people attend conferences like CPAC to get their foot in the door. Conferences like CPAC (and increasingly, Turning Point USA’s AmFest) allow young people to find out about conservative movement organizations, to seek out internships and employment opportunities, and to take resources back to their student groups on campus.

This cycle of connection and collaboration yields success in the near-term as well as in the long-term. Relationships forged in years past strengthen as activists, connectors, and young people advance in their careers.

As it stands, CPAC’s attendance will continue to dwindle. There’s only so many times you can host a low-energy event before the universe of attendees diminishes completely.

CPAC turnout was diminished last year over the years leading up to the pandemic. It's worse this year. People who attended last year who thought CPAC 2023 was lame didn't return this year. The same will happen next year.

As a conservative movement insider, I want CPAC to succeed because I want the conservative movement to succeed. I wrote this as a warning to CPAC to change course — to revert back to the open, welcoming conference it once was.

Many of the organizations and activists who have parted from CPAC over the last few years will be engaged and involved long after the 2024 elections. CPAC’s Board of Directors must be willing to ask tough questions when they gather to assess the successes and failures of CPAC 2024.