Conservative Political Action Conference
Encyclopedia
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC; icon ) is an annual political conference attended by conservative
activists
and elected officials from across the United States
.
CPAC is hosted by the American Conservative Union Foundation
(ACUF), a 501(c)3 charity. More than 100 other organizations contribute in various ways. Human Events
, the Young America's Foundation
, and the National Rifle Association
have been three of the most prominent cosponsors in recent years. CPAC has a full time staff of two people, conference director Christopher Malagisi and Deputy CPAC Director Jillian Weleski.
as a small gathering of dedicated conservatives. Over the years it has grown to thousands of annual attendees. Roughly half of those in attendance in the past few years have been college-aged.
Speakers have included Ronald Reagan
, George W. Bush
, Dick Cheney
, Pat Buchanan
, Karl Rove
, Newt Gingrich
, Ron Paul
, Mitt Romney
, Tony Snow
, Glenn Beck
, Rush Limbaugh
, Ann Coulter
, Allen West, Michele Bachmann
, and hundreds of other notable conservatives. Before, during, and after his presidency, Ronald Reagan spoke at CPAC a total of 12 times. In his 1985 speech, he referred to CPAC as his "opportunity to dance with the one that brung ya", referring to the fact that CPAC was a contributing factor to his political success.
CPAC has featured "groups at odds with conservative orthodoxy in years past—including the American Civil Liberties Union
," and, more recently, the gay Republican group GOProud
, which has attracted major controversy.
won the straw poll. Allen went on to lose his Senate seat in the 2006 election. John McCain
, Rudy Giuliani
, and Condoleezza Rice
finished second, third, and fourth, respectively.
In 2007, the top three candidates in the straw poll were Mitt Romney
, Rudy Giuliani
, and Sam Brownback
.
In 2008, President George W. Bush
addressed CPAC. Mitt Romney won the straw poll but officially dropped out of the presidential race
and ended his campaign
during his speech.
In 2009, Romney won the straw poll for the third consecutive year while Bobby Jindal
finished second. Conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh
gave the keynote address in which he urged conservatives to "take back the nation" after the election of Barack Obama
. Limbaugh was "received like no other speaker" in what was then 36 years of CPAC.
In 2010, the conference was opened by Marco Rubio
, then a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Florida, and closed by conservative commentator Glenn Beck
. In his keynote address Beck denounced progressivism
as "a disease in America." The Ronald Reagan Award was given to the Tea Party Movement
, which marked the first time it was ever given to a group instead of an individual. The 2010 conference marked the first year in which one of the co-sponsoring groups was the John Birch Society
. The 2010 conference also featured co-sponsoring by an LGBT
Republican organization called GOProud
. That group opposes a Federal Marriage Amendment
and favors the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell
', among nine other key policies. Some groups such as Focus on the Family
made threats to leave the conference in response, but none actually did so. Rep.
Ron Paul
won the straw poll for the first time.
A "conservative civil war" marked the 2011 conference because of a controversy over the participation of GOProud. Numerous prominent organizations, including the Heritage Foundation
, Family Research Council
, the American Family Association
, and the Media Research Council, among others, joined a boycott organized by the American Principles Project, which said GOProud stands in "diametrical opposition" to the core principles of the conservative movement. Senator Jim DeMint
also announced he was boycotting the conference. Those boycotting the conference also pointed to the ACU's financial mismanagement and the invitation to Indiana
Gov.
Mitch Daniels
, who recently called for a "truce" on social issues, to be the keynote speaker. There has also been concern that, because of the inclusion of GOProud and Ron Paul's victory in the 2010 and 2011 straw polls, CPAC is turning more libertarian
in general, which is why Mike Huckabee
declined to attend the 2010 and 2011 conferences. Some conservative figures are moving to turn the more recently created Values Voter Summit
into a "full-fledged rival to CPAC" by expanding its social issues focus to include economic and security issues.
vote traditionally serves as a barometer for the feelings of the conservative movement.
During the conference, attendees are encouraged to fill out a paper survey that asks questions on a variety of issues. The questions regarding the most popular possible presidential candidates are the most widely reported in both traditional and new media. An important component of CPAC is evaluating conservative candidates for president and the straw poll is the best known measurement of conservative reactions.
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
activists
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
and elected officials from across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
CPAC is hosted by the American Conservative Union Foundation
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
(ACUF), a 501(c)3 charity. More than 100 other organizations contribute in various ways. Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
, the Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation is a conservative youth organization, founded in 1969, with a focus on sharing conservative ideas with students through conferences, campus lectures, seminars, posters, and activism initiatives.-History:...
, and the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
have been three of the most prominent cosponsors in recent years. CPAC has a full time staff of two people, conference director Christopher Malagisi and Deputy CPAC Director Jillian Weleski.
History
The conference was founded in 1973 by the American Conservative Union and Young Americans for FreedomYoung Americans for Freedom
Young Americans for Freedom is a 501 non-profit organization and is now a project of Young America's Foundation. YAF is an ideologically conservative youth activism organization that was founded in 1960, as a coalition between traditional conservatives and libertarians...
as a small gathering of dedicated conservatives. Over the years it has grown to thousands of annual attendees. Roughly half of those in attendance in the past few years have been college-aged.
Speakers have included Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
, Pat Buchanan
Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
, Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
, Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, Tony Snow
Tony Snow
Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and...
, Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
, Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter
Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
, Allen West, Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
, and hundreds of other notable conservatives. Before, during, and after his presidency, Ronald Reagan spoke at CPAC a total of 12 times. In his 1985 speech, he referred to CPAC as his "opportunity to dance with the one that brung ya", referring to the fact that CPAC was a contributing factor to his political success.
CPAC has featured "groups at odds with conservative orthodoxy in years past—including the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
," and, more recently, the gay Republican group GOProud
GOProud
GOProud is an American tax exempt 527 organization representing conservative gays, lesbians, transgendered people, and their allies. GOProud advocates for small government conservatism at the level of federal public policy. GOProud was founded by Christopher R...
, which has attracted major controversy.
Recent conferences
In 2006, then-Senator George AllenGeorge Allen (U.S. politician)
George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
won the straw poll. Allen went on to lose his Senate seat in the 2006 election. John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, and Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
finished second, third, and fourth, respectively.
In 2007, the top three candidates in the straw poll were Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, and Sam Brownback
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...
.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
addressed CPAC. Mitt Romney won the straw poll but officially dropped out of the presidential race
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
and ended his campaign
Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2008
Mitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission...
during his speech.
In 2009, Romney won the straw poll for the third consecutive year while Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
finished second. Conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
gave the keynote address in which he urged conservatives to "take back the nation" after the election of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Limbaugh was "received like no other speaker" in what was then 36 years of CPAC.
In 2010, the conference was opened by Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ....
, then a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Florida, and closed by conservative commentator Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
. In his keynote address Beck denounced progressivism
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
as "a disease in America." The Ronald Reagan Award was given to the Tea Party Movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
, which marked the first time it was ever given to a group instead of an individual. The 2010 conference marked the first year in which one of the co-sponsoring groups was the John Birch Society
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
. The 2010 conference also featured co-sponsoring by an LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
Republican organization called GOProud
GOProud
GOProud is an American tax exempt 527 organization representing conservative gays, lesbians, transgendered people, and their allies. GOProud advocates for small government conservatism at the level of federal public policy. GOProud was founded by Christopher R...
. That group opposes a Federal Marriage Amendment
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
and favors the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
', among nine other key policies. Some groups such as Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
made threats to leave the conference in response, but none actually did so. Rep.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
won the straw poll for the first time.
A "conservative civil war" marked the 2011 conference because of a controversy over the participation of GOProud. Numerous prominent organizations, including the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
, Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
, the American Family Association
American Family Association
The American Family Association is a 501 non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values, such as opposition to same-sex marriage, pornography, and abortion, as well as other public policy goals such as deregulation of the oil industry and lobbying against the Employee Free...
, and the Media Research Council, among others, joined a boycott organized by the American Principles Project, which said GOProud stands in "diametrical opposition" to the core principles of the conservative movement. Senator Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint
James Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
also announced he was boycotting the conference. Those boycotting the conference also pointed to the ACU's financial mismanagement and the invitation to Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
Gov.
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
Mitch Daniels
Mitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...
, who recently called for a "truce" on social issues, to be the keynote speaker. There has also been concern that, because of the inclusion of GOProud and Ron Paul's victory in the 2010 and 2011 straw polls, CPAC is turning more libertarian
Libertarianism in the United States
Libertarianism in the United States is a movement promoting limited government and individual liberties. Although libertarianism exists in two major forms worldwide, right-libertarianism and left-libertarianism, right-leaning libertarianism tends to be the dominant form in the United States...
in general, which is why Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
declined to attend the 2010 and 2011 conferences. Some conservative figures are moving to turn the more recently created Values Voter Summit
Values Voter Summit
The Values Voter Summit is an annual political conference for American social conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States....
into a "full-fledged rival to CPAC" by expanding its social issues focus to include economic and security issues.
Straw poll
The annual CPAC straw pollStraw poll
A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation...
vote traditionally serves as a barometer for the feelings of the conservative movement.
During the conference, attendees are encouraged to fill out a paper survey that asks questions on a variety of issues. The questions regarding the most popular possible presidential candidates are the most widely reported in both traditional and new media. An important component of CPAC is evaluating conservative candidates for president and the straw poll is the best known measurement of conservative reactions.
| Year | Straw Poll Winner |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... |
| 1980 | Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... |
| 1984 | Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... |
| 1986 | Jack Kemp Jack Kemp Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st... |
| 1987 | Jack Kemp Jack Kemp Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st... |
| 1993 | Jack Kemp Jack Kemp Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st... |
| 1995 | Phil Gramm Phil Gramm William Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas... |
| 1998 | Steve Forbes Steve Forbes Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is an American editor, publisher, and businessman. He is the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a Republican candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996... |
| 1999 | Gary Bauer Gary Bauer Gary Lee Bauer is an American politician notable for his ties to several evangelical Christian groups and campaigns.-Biography:... |
| 2000 | George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
| 2005 | Rudy Giuliani Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001.... |
| 2006 | George Allen George Allen (U.S. politician) George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000... |
| 2007 | Mitt Romney Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W... |
| 2008 | Mitt Romney Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W... |
| 2009 | Mitt Romney Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W... |
| 2010 | Ron Paul Ron Paul Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes... |
| 2011 | Ron Paul Ron Paul Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes... |
Awards
Every year there are several awards given to notable conservatives. Although the exact lineup of awards varies, five awards are usually presented:- The Ronald Reagan Award is the highest award given at CPAC. It is awarded to dedicated activists regardless of how high profile they are on a national scale. ACU director David Keene described the award in 2008: "The winners of this award, our highest honor, are not household names, but the men and women working in the trenches who sacrifice, and in so doing set an example for others." This award is different from the Ronald Reagan Freedom AwardRonald Reagan Freedom AwardThe Ronald Reagan Freedom Award is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the private Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. The award is given to "those who have made monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom worldwide."...
, which is not affiliated with CPAC. - The Jeane Kirkpatrick Academic Freedom Award is presented annually in honor of Jeane KirkpatrickJeane KirkpatrickJeane Jordan Kirkpatrick was an American ambassador and an ardent anticommunist. After serving as Ronald Reagan's foreign policy adviser in his 1980 campaign and later in his Cabinet, the longtime Democrat-turned-Republican was nominated as the U.S...
. Kirkpatrick was affiliated with the American Conservative Union for many years. It was first awarded in 2007 in remembrance of Kirkpatrick's death in 2006. - Defender of the Constitution Award
- The Blogger of the Year Award is given to a leading conservative member of the blogosphereBlogosphereThe blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions...
. - The Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire Award is named after the late actor and political activist Charlton HestonCharlton HestonCharlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
and is awarded to people who demonstrate grace under fire.