CPAC Day 1: Abbott doles out red meat, but there’s one hot topic he skipped

This is a live update opinion blog for Day 1 of CPAC on Aug. 4, 2022. For Day 2 updates, click here.

CPAC’s hosts, husband and wife duo Matt and Mercedes Schlapp, introduced Gov. Greg Abbott to the cheers of a crowd full of Texans on Thursday afternoon, the conservative political conference’s first day in Dallas.

The Schlapps and Abbott discussed red meat topics that endear him to a conservative audience, from business success and border issues to education and the values of Hispanic community.

The one topic Abbott hardly touched? Donald Trump.

Texas is known for its thriving economy, so it was fitting for Abbott to play off it.

“You happen to be in the number one state for business in Texas,” Abbott said when asked about why Texas is home to so many prominent CEOs like Elon Musk. “Texas is number one in economic development since I’ve been governor.”

But small businesses, he said, are just as important as the Fortune 500 companies that call Texas home. “The most important thing we can do is provide jobs,” Abbott said. “More Texans have jobs than ever.”

The border controversy is another topic Democrats and Republicans alike love to argue about, but it’s a particularly hot topic for conservatives who tend to believe President Joe Biden’s policies are responsible for huge waves of illegal immigration.

Abbott took full credit for busing 6,500 immigrants here illegally to Washington, D.C. “There are more buses on the way” during CPAC, he said, encouraging the crowd to contribute to a border bus fund online.

Border security is an issue in Texas, which is an important distinction from immigration policy. While busing migrants to Washington wins political points for a red meat base such as those who attend CPAC, it’s not clear how many problems it solves for Texans.

The only time Abbott mentioned Trump, the clear favorite from the crowd for the 2024 presidential election, is when the border came up. He praised Trump for implementing border security policies such as the “remain in Mexico” policy, which did curb illegal immigration.

Education has become an increasingly important topic for parents post-COVID. Abbott signaled support for school choice, which is gaining traction, and reminded the audience that the Texas Legislature banned critical race theory in public school classrooms.

“You love your children more than any government employee can. …You should have the right to choose the school that is best for your child,” he said. Abbott also underscored the importance of transparency in public schools, adding: “Parents have every right to know exactly all the materials that are being taught.”

Let’s hope Abbott follows up with his verbal support by actually supporting legislation that allows for school choice in Texas.

Finally, Abbott and the Schlapps discussed the Hispanic vote, which in some areas of Texas is leaning more conservative. Republican Mayra Flores won a Rio Grande Valley special election to flip the seat for the first time in 150 years. Abbott said she embodied the values of the Hispanic community, which include faith and family.

He said Biden’s far-left policies, which have contributed to border issues, are things those who live near the border, 90% of whom are Hispanic, don’t like. “Combine those forces together and that’s why Mayra Flores won and why other Latinas are going to run,” Abbott said.

At the end, Abbott summed up some of his biggest winners to Texas constituents: “Texas believes in freedom and in the power of the individual. We want to have safe communities and a secure border and we want to cut your property taxes,” he said to a cheering crowd.

Many of Abbott’s policies have helped Texas thrive and these are the ones he discussed at CPAC, which is to be expected of a conservative, political rally. However, anyone who lives here would juxtapose the thriving Texas economy with a questionable power grid, the Uvalde shooting tragedy or other troubles just in the last year.

Still, to the GOP at large, Texas is a beacon of freedom and Abbott’s leadership remains admired.

Is the deep red conservative base out of touch?

Updated at 5:15 p.m.: On a CPAC panel called “Biden Has Cue Cards, We Have a Solution,” two Texans, media personality Sara Carter and Rep. Brian Babin, described some of the Biden administration’s biggest problems. But they missed the most obvious one.

“It’s hard to rank the failures of this president,” said Babin, R-Woodville. “Probably the worst … is our open, porous, borders. At every single level, every aspect of it is so dangerous to the United States of America.”

Carter agreed: “The [border issue] is having a global impact. … We have to sustain this chaotic, open border situation,” she said.

President Joe Biden’s border policies do pose a problem, especially for Texans, but it’s hardly his most problematic stance nationwide.

Babin also blamed Biden for gas prices, saying he has “declared a war on fossil fuels.” Gas prices are an issue for every American and many do believe Biden’s policies have exacerbated their rise. In Texas, the energy state, this is a compelling issue, as many conservatives believe a reduction in oil regulation would free the state to drill more and ultimately lower prices.

The last issue Babin and Carter mentioned as a problem for the Biden administration was information gleaned from a laptop belonging to Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. It details his graphic drug use and suggests Hunter Biden traded on the family name, with some alleging that Joe Biden was benefiting from business deals.

That’s red meat for conservatives, but regular Texans care more about the tanking economy and fears it could get worse. Inflation at 9% has caused the price of everyday items to skyrocket and the Biden administration has contributed to this.

Neither Carter nor Babin mentioned these issues, beyond gas, and the fact that they chose to focus on Hunter Biden’s laptop seems out of touch. Babin too, promoted former President Donald Trump with fervor, volunteering that he was one of the members of the House who objected to the electoral count after the 2020 election.

“I’ve never seen a president put America first like President Trump,” he said.

It’s fine to see a Republican applaud Trump’s policies, but to say he outpaced others at putting America first is silly. The fact that this panel brought robust conversation and cheers from the crowd shows what the deeply engaged conservative GOP base values, but that’s unlikely to be shared by voters nationwide.