Problems at CPAC

Republicans are the pro-business party. Why then are we so lousy at public relations?A case in point from Patrick Poole at Pajamas Media:

...those of us inhabiting the official bloggers row, sponsored this year by Pajamas Media, are clearly considered the red-headed stepchildren by CPAC’s organizers. The best evidence for this was that bloggers row was situated at the back corner of the exhibit hall (which doubles as the first floor of the hotel’s parking garage). The organizers could not have positioned us any farther from the events here at CPAC without setting us up outside the building. In contrast to political left, where bloggers and new media have propelled Democrats to stunning victory and are courted by their politicians at the annual Daily Kos convention, the conservative establishment still has no idea what to do with new media.

OK, here's a pop quiz for all you Republican "leaders". If you take your date out to dinner, and the waiter gives you a table that is closest to the kitchen, with banging pots and pans competing with angry shouts from the cooks, do you tip him 0%, 5%, or 10%? If, on the other hand, the waiter seats you and your date next to the window, where she can overlook the gardens as the evening sky turns from pale blue pink to Rosy red, do you tip him 25%, 50%, or leave an endowment to his kids?

Needless to say, Mr. Poole was not overly gracious in his comments on the rest of the conference. He went on to point out that most of the speakers were the same retreads that caused our collapse. Looking at the straw poll, I can't say I have a lot of hope for 2012 yet.

Mitt Romney...20% (Are Mormons ready for a Mormon President?)

Bobby Jindle..14% (Makes Bob Dole speeches seem thrilling by comparison.)

Ron Paul......13% (Will he ever get 15% anywhere?)

Sarah Palin...13% (The thrill is gone, maybe.)

Newt Gingrich.10% (Who?...What?...Really?)

Mike Huckabee.07% (Not many Baptists at CPAC this year.)

Mark Sanford..04% (Did we ever decide the Confederate flag issue?)

Rudy Giuliani.03% (Aw Rudy, we'll always have New York.)

Charlie Crist.01% (Apparently candidates were allowed to vote for themselves.)

The good news is we have 4 years to work on it.