Mark Levin speaks during the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday on Feb. 28, 2015 in National Harbor, Maryland.
Opening on the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday, conservative talk radio host Mark Levin put ideology over party. Levin, who hosts the third-most listened to radio program in the country, went after the “Republican Establishment,” calling out 2016 presidential hopeful Jeb Bush by name.
“We are here not because we’re Republicans,” Levin told the CPAC 2015 crowd (Watch Video Below). “In fact many of us are here in spite of that fact.”
Citing Republican standard-bearer President Ronald Reagan, he called on conservatives to reject “crony capitalism” and entitled establishment candidates from political dynasties.
“It’s time for a new Republican Party. Reagan was an outsider. In fact, Reagan was opposed by a prominent family that seeks to occupy the White House for a third time. The only dynasty I like is the Duck Dynasty.”
Slamming the “uninterrupted waves” of illegal immigration, and the narrative Republican establishment leaders have succumbed to, Levin called out the former governor of Florida by name.
“This has never been the American experience. Immigration is to be managed, limited, gradual to allow for assimilation and Americanization,” Levin said. “You see, Mr. Bush, we love our country, too.”
When Levin — and later fellow-conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham — tore into the Bush family, the Bush’s name was booed by activists in the crowd. Bush’s appearance was met by a walkout after several rumors surfaced that he’d packed the conference and straw poll with supporters.
But CPAC 2015, which saw a record-breaking 11,344 in attendance, agreed overwhelmingly with Levin. The record-setting CPAC 2015 straw poll participation of 3007 respondents, a 20 percent increase from the year prior, was comprised of over 42 percent students all across the country. It not only marked the greatest number of youth voters to ever participate in the CPAC straw poll, but also a shift in the party’s demographic energy.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, won the CPAC 2015 Straw Poll for the third consecutive year finishing with 26 percent of the vote, while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker finished with a close 21 percent of the vote. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in third place, taking 12 percent of the vote. In total, the top 3 candidates ate up well over half (59 percent) of the participants’ support, and they are all fresh, younger faces of the Republican Party.
Mark Levin appears to be getting his wish, and unless the Republican Establishment has an ace in the hole to resist this change, it’s only a matter of time.
Watch Levin’s full speech below:
redware / March 1, 2015
God bless this patriot.Tragically the GOPe will make sure he doesn’t get invited back next year!
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