Republican potential presidential candidates seemed torn Thursday: Would they get more accolades from conservatives by bashing President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush?
It was hard to say whom the thousands of activists attending the first full day of the Conservative Political Action Conference disliked most.
They cheered when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, offered a terse description of Obama: “Lawless imperator,” or emperor.
They loved former business executive Carly Fiorina’s demand: “Mrs. Clinton, name an accomplishment.”
And they applauded energetically when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Bush would be the favorite of “elites in Washington who make backroom deals.”
The conference, which will continue Friday with appearances by Bush and other possible 2016 candidates, is the biggest test so far of how they fare with this crucial Republican constituency. Bush faces the most scrutiny, and some activists Thursday were considering walking out during his appearance.
Six potential candidates appeared Thursday, and their views were largely similar. They wanted the Affordable Care Act repealed, a get-tougher policy with illegal immigration and stronger American leadership in the world, especially against terrorism.
“We need a president who will stand up and say we will take the fight to them and not wait till they take the fight to American soil,” said Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who got the day’s biggest crowds and biggest cheers.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal went further, calling Obama “disqualified” and “incapable” of being commander-in-chief.
The differences between the potential candidates involved tone and style. Christie, never a big favorite of this bloc, engaged in a 20-minute question and answer session with radio talk-show host Laura Ingraham. He started slowly, drawing only occasional, polite applause as he bashed Washington elites and The New York Times.
Christie has been sinking in recent Republican presidential polls. He dismissed them, asking sarcastically, “Is the election next week?”
One constant criticism, Ingraham said, is that he’s hotheaded.
“The word they miss is passion,” Christie fired back. “Sometimes people need to be told to sit down and shut up.”
That seemed to rouse the crowd. He jabbed gently at Bush, a supporter of the Common Core educational standards. Christie, once a backer himself, said he now had “implementation regrets” because parents and teachers seemed to have less say on education policy.
Fiorina aimed her firepower at Clinton. “Like Mrs. Clinton, I too have traveled the globe,” said the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive officer. “Unlike Mrs. Clinton, I know that flying is an activity, not an accomplishment.”
She challenged Clinton to “please explain why we should accept that the millions and millions of dollars that have flowed into the Clinton Foundation from foreign governments don’t represent a conflict of interest.”
The Clintons’ foundation has come under fire for accepting contributions from foreign governments.
“She tweets about women’s rights in this country and takes money from governments that deny women the most basic human rights,” Fiorina said.
The audience loved it, and Fiorina proved an energetic warmup for Cruz, a favorite of this crowd. He walked around the stage as he spoke, almost shouting at times.
“We could have had Hillary here,” he said, “but we couldn’t find a foreign nation to foot the bill.”
Cruz urged rebuilding the Reagan coalition of the 1980s, when the former California governor challenged Washington and its ways.
The Texas senator went down a list of issues – immigration, the debt ceiling, efforts against the Islamic State and so on – and, without naming names, urged everyone to make sure their candidates are true to conservative principles.
Remember, Cruz said, “There is a mendacity about Washington. They want to take a show vote but they don’t actually want to follow through on what they say,” he said.
The Senate, in a deal crafted by Republican leader Mitch McConnell, is expected to vote later this week to continue funding the Department of Homeland Security. It will vote separately on overturning Obama’s executive action allowing millions of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally to stay here.
The immigration vote was considered meaningless, since the president won’t agree.
Walker was the day’s biggest attraction. He drew a standing-room-only audience, and at one point some audience members began chanting, “Run, Scott, run.” His message was that “Washington is washed up,” and that he could streamline the federal government in the same way he manages Wisconsin.
Jindal also ripped into Washington, blasting congressional leaders, including Republicans, for not doing enough to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“We need to be principled conservative Republicans,” he said. “This election wasn’t about getting a nicer office for (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell.” McConnell has not moved to a new office since becoming majority leader last month.
Offering a gentler tone was retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who appears to have the largest army of supporters at the conference. He talked about implementing new policies such as home schooling or health care accounts.
He didn’t want to rehash conservative disdain for Obama. That would be “too depressing,” Carson said.
Lesley Clark contributed to this story.