If you’ve been to the Conservative Political Action Conference before, you know that the speakers’ hall fills up and empties out based on who’s speaking.
You generally feel sorry for whoever has to speak right after one of the big shots, in front of an audience that’s mostly exiting the ballroom. But personally, I think one of those walk-out-the-door speeches may be one of the more important ones this year. Dan Schneider, the American Conservative Union’s executive director, came in just after Scott Walker to deliver a timely jeremiad against the alt-right.
Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 not just on the back of his hardcore supporters, but with support from a lot of skeptical conservatives as well. The greatest danger of his victory is that it might become a victory for the white nationalist ideologues who saw in him their opportunity to enter the political mainstream. Conservatives, who still dominate the ranks of elected Republican officeholders, are the only ones in a position to prevent that.
CPAC hardly covered itself in glory with its invitation (and subsequent dis-invitation) of alt-right favorite Milo Yiannopoulos. But Schneider’s speech at least hints that someone involved in this whole thing has their head on straight. In fact, given what had transpired already, I was pretty taken aback by how forcefully he spoke against this newly high-profile movement.
Note also that around the same time Schneider delivered this speech, white nationalist ideologue Richard Spencer, whose conference Schneider referred to specifically below, was being escorted off the premises, having crashed the event.
Anyway, here’s what Schneider had to say:
There is a sinister organization that is trying to worm its way into our ranks. And we must not be duped. We must not be deceived. This is serious business.
We have heard what conservatism is. We may have to make sure we know what conservatism is not.
Just a few years ago, this hate-filled left-wing fascist group hijacked the very term “alt-right.” That term, “alt-right,” it had been used for a long time in a very good and normal way. But this group has hijacked it, hijacked the term. And they did it intentionally because they want to deceive the media and they want to deceive you all about what they stand for, so they can try to become normalized.
And we must not allow them to become normalized. They are not part of us. They stole that term specifically to confuse us. We know who these people are. They met just a couple months ago in Washington D.C. to spew their hatred and make their “Heil Hitler” salutes. They are antisemites. They are racists. They are sexists. They hate the Constitution. They hate free markets. They hate pluralism. They hate everything and despise everything we believe in.
They are not an extension of conservatism. They are not what [the preceding speakers] Gov. Walker, Dr. [Larry] Arnn and Sabrina Schaeffer have talked about. They are nothing but garden variety left-wing fascists.
Now some in the media are probably wondering, what do I mean by left-wing fascists? Just a quick little tutorial in political philosophy. On the Right, you have more individual freedom and liberty and less intrusive government. On the Left, you have bigger, more intrusive government, less freedom, less liberty.
As conservatives, we know what we believe. At the American Conservative Union, you can’t work for me if you can’t define conservatism with these nine words…”Conservatism is the political philosophy that sovereignty resides in the person.” That’s where we begin. It’s with this philosophy that you are born will all the rights you will ever have. Government can protect those rights, and take those rights away. Government doesn’t give you any rights.
These other guys do not believe that. They do not believe in individual liberty or freedom. Fascists tend to want big government control to impose their will on you. Fascism is actually much more akin to socialism …. Hateful left-wing fascists are not like anybody here. So I just want to say, as I leave you: This group, this specific group that has hijacked a once-decent term, they’re not us. The alt-right ain’t right at all.
Thank you.
