Mike Lee is one of the few consistent conservatives in Congress, but he made a somewhat interesting choice for his subject at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). He scolded the audience against “unserious” Republican candidates.
To tepid applause, Lee warned his audience against the platitudes and talking points of candidates who are just throwing out red meat and urged them to reconsider the candidates in the light of serious policy ideas.
Why is this odd? Well, for one thing that is what many of the participants come for. They want the red meat, the platitudes and catchphrases. One thing that CPACers want is to see how dynamic the speakers can be. In many ways CPAC is a beauty pageant, one where attendees are looking for the candidate that can excite them.
But few participants of CPC are so empty of mind that they aren’t aware of the policy points that candidates are pushing. Sure the audience wants the red meat. But they aren’t just interested solely in the gloss of the stage.
On the other hand, just who were Lee’s barbs aimed at? Someone as “unserious” as a Donald Trump? Who else might fit that “unserious” label? Only Mike Lee can tell us that.
