Stephen Baldwin may have been the Conservative Political Action Conference’s little taste of Hollywood, but it was the pundits, and a few politicians too, that were the gathering’s hottest celebrities.
Easily the biggest was Glenn Beck. For his closing remarks, the giant conference hall was filled to capacity.
“We love you, Glenn!” one audience member shouted to the stage.
And Beck, well, ate it up.
Like a televangelist at the podium, his tone fluctuated rapidly and he cried out to audience for answers to his questions. He built his arguments on references to his alcoholism, Tiger Woods and of course, a history lesson on “the blackboard.”
“Hello, my name is the Republican party and I got a problem. I’m addicted to spending and big government,” Beck said. He even quoted Woods’ apology, saying the GOP should fess up like the golfer did to the American people.
Ann Coulter’s face also was everywhere. Giant posters of the best-selling author were being handed out to young conservatives, and when Yeas & Nays caught sight of her, she was being swept into the building Friday. She immediately was swarmed by fans (and one angry blogger, dressed like a fairy, shouting questions her way).
And then, there was Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who was a celebrity to some and an annoyance to others. On Friday night, Paul gave a spirited speech to a welcoming crowd.
“Sounds to me like the revolution is alive and well,” Paul said to his fans, but then Saturday, just before Beck’s speech, his named was booed when it was announced that the Libertarian former presidential candidate had won the CPAC straw poll.
Some new faces also got attendees excited, including Florida U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown. Rubio got even more love than potential 2012 nominee Mitt Romney.
But there were some big names that weren’t greeted with much enthusiasm, such as Michael Steele. Steele sneaked into the conference Friday night and spent a handful of minutes at XPAC talking to younger conservatives who paid more attention to the food spread than to the Republican Party chairman’s message. He garnered some polite claps before posing for pictures and making a hasty exit.
