EVER SINCE, AND IT IS WITH THAT
IN MIND THAT I ASK YOU TO
COMMENT ON THIS GATHERING, AND
ARE YOU SOMEHOW COMFORTED BY
KNOWING DEMOGRAPHICS ARE NOT
THIS?
DEMOGRAPHICS ARE GOING IN THE
OTHER DIRECTION, AND SO THE
BASE, WHILE FROTHED UP AND
ENTHUSIASTIC, IS BY DEFINITION
SHRINKING.
>> I AM SORT OF COMFORTED, BUT I
ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT
WE’RE SEEING TO ME IS -- AND I
HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE.
I THINK WE ARE SEEING AN
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT STRAIN OF A
DISEASE THAT HAS COME FROM NOT
EFFECTIVELY ERADICATING THE
VIRUS, THE DISEASE OF WHITE
SUPREMACY AND TOXIC MASCULINITY.
I MEAN MATT GAETZ IS A YOUNG
GUY.
THERE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS
MOVEMENT WHO ARE EQUIPPED, THEY
ARE, YOU KNOW, TRAINED TO SPEAK
TOTAL NONSENSE AND TWIST THE
TRUTH INTO PROPAGANDA.
I SORT OF THINK THAT IT IS
REALLY TIME FOR THE SAKE OF
DEMOCRACY, FOR REPUBLICANS OR
EVEN JUST FORMER -- FORMER
REPUBLICANS WHO STILL CLAIM TO
BE CONSERVATIVES HOLDING ON TO
THE IDEA THAT THE PARTY IS
SALVAGEABLE NEED TO REORIENT
THEMSELVES TO THE NEW REALITY.
BECAUSE WE CAN’T AFFORD THE RISK
IF I AM -- YOU KNOW, IF I AM
RIGHT, THEN, YOU KNOW, TED
CRUZ’S SMUG, CALLOUS, SMARMY
SPEECH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AS
DEMONSTRATIVE IN MY MIND AS IT
WAS REPREHENSIBLE.
THIS IS THE DIRECTION OF THE
PARTY.
THERE’S NOT ENOUGH GRAVITAS OR
FORTITUDE BEHIND THE SCENES TO
RIGHT THE SHIP.
I THINK WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO ABOUT
THAT.
>> BILL, TO THE POINT THAT THE
PROFESSOR JUST MADE ABOUT PEOPLE
WHO CLAIM TO BE CONSERVATIVES,
WE GET THE FRESHEST NEWS AROUND
HERE SO I WANT TO PLAY FOR YOU
WHAT JUST TRANSPIRED ON FOX
NEWS.
>> THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT
IS GOING TO COME AND RECONNECT
WITH THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE HIM SO
MUCH ON THIS STAGE, I THINK IT
IS GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR ACTUALLY
HEALING AMONGST THE CONSERVATIVE
SIDE OF ALL OF THIS, BUT I THINK
FOR THE COUNTRY GENERALLY.
NO ONE’S VOICE SHOULD BE
SILENCED AND DEFINITELY NOT A
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> SO, BILL, THAT’S MATT
SCHLAPP.
THEY DO NOTHING QUIETLY.
I KEEP HEARING THIS EXTENSION OF
THE WORD CONSERVATIVE, KIND OF
AN ATTEMPT AT BRAND MANAGEMENT.
IT OCCURRED TO ME TONIGHT, YOU
ARE A CONSERVATIVE.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT OTHERS
USING THAT LABEL?
>> YOU KNOW, LOOK, I COULD SAY
AT GREAT LENGTH WHY IT IS NOT
TRUE CONSERVATISM AND THERE’S A
BETTER CONSERVATIVE AND I COULD
TALK ABOUT EVERYONE FROM EDWIN
BURKE TO BILL BUCKLEY.
BUT AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO
SAY CAROLINE IS RIGHT THAT
CONSERVATIVISM IS WHAT IT SAYS
IT IS AT THE TIME.
THAT’S THE CONSERVATIVE
POLITICAL ACTION CONFERENCE AND
THEY’RE GETTING THE FORMER
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
THEY’RE GETTING SITTING U.S.
CENSORS, SITTING MEMBERS OF THE
CONGRESS PROUD TO OBJECT ON
JANUARY 6th, UNWILLING TO
DENOUNCE THE INSURRECTION ON
JANUARY 6th.
DOES THAT MEAN -- YOU STILL WANT
TO TRY TO WEAKEN THEM WITHIN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, DEFEND THE
DECENT REPUBLICANS, BUT I DON’T
DISAGREE WITH CAROLINE THAT THE
FIGHT FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
IN THE SHORT TERM MAY BE OVER.
I WAS AT PEACE ABOUT THIS LAST
WEEK, THAT MAYBE PEOPLE LIKE ME
NOW ARE THE REPUBLICAN WING OF
THE BIDEN COALITION, TRY TO HELP
PRESIDENT BIDEN GOVERN