Did CPAC make an impact? This year was a reboot of sorts, Larry O’Connor reminds us, with its return to the DC area for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Despite some media reports, Larry tells us from his own participation that the energy level seemed up and attendance better than the last two CPACs in Orlando. However, it’s still missing something significant — “young energy from college kids.” We talk about that, Chris Rock’s slap back at Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, lefty celebrities maybe having second thoughts, and his new project with his wife!
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Welcome back to our new VIP video series “Off the Beaten Path,” featuring my friend Larry O’Connor! The Townhall columnist and Salem News Channel host starts off our week by discussing stories and ideas that may fly under our radar, in culture, politics, sports, and more. Plus, Larry previews tonight’s SNC show!
We also have some fun with Larry Hogan’s demurral. “Hogan was clearly the highest profile, most successful Never Trump Republican” in the prospective 2024 field, Larry notes. “He can only get to single digits, and he acknowledged it himself. I think we just have to leave the Never Trump thing behind us at this point.” That is why CPAC seems oriented to MAGA this year and in the past few years. I point out that CPAC’s debates have always oriented themselves to the previous successful president, so this is no surprise, and we have some thoughts on where it goes from here.
Did Chris Rock make a mistake in venting so angrily about The Slap, I ask Larry. “I think it’s brilliant,” Larry replies, and goes on to extol Rock’s approach to a wide range of issues. I mention that I respect him for that as well, noting also that “we probably don’t share the same politics and perspectives,” to which Larry retorts, “I bet you share more than you think.”
Be sure to watch it all, and join us in the comments! And don’t miss the new podcasts from Larry, “Bridging the Tiber,” with his wife Meredith Dake-O’Connor, either.
