With video games, a performance by the trendy Gregory Brothers and even an iPhone app, this isn’t your grandpa’s CPAC.
This year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, which kicks off Thursday at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, is paying a little more attention to the under-30 set, and doing it by holding a partner event called XPAC. (That’s short for Xtreme Politically Active Conservatives, if you’re wondering.)
“It was just a big demographic that was being overlooked,” said Kevin McCullough, who came up with the idea at last year’s CPAC with his business partner, actor Stephen Baldwin (yes, that Stephen Baldwin.) The two realized a lot of college students and younger folks couldn’t shell out the extra big bucks for the Thursday and Friday night dinners at the conference and thus were left with little options for evening activities.
“We would like to give them something to do rather than just hanging out in Adams Morgan,” CPAC Director Lisa De Pasquale told Yeas & Nays.
So for just $20 more, XPAC was born.
Inaugural program highlights include bold-faced visits from Mike Huckabee, whose daughter Sarah will be speaking, Ann Coulter, and the Gregory Brothers (known for their viral music video series “AutoTune the News”). Also, James O’Keefe, Hannah Giles, Brit Hume, and Pam and Tim Tebow will be honored.
The only bad news: no booze. Those who are old enough to legally drink have been advised to hit up the hotel bar.
