Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard Tancredo (; born December 20, 1945) is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009 as a Republican. He ran for Pres ...
, a
Congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
from
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
began on April 2, 2007 with a formal announcement. The campaign garnered grassroots support and endorsements from
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
and border security. However, Tancredo remained low in the polls and was criticized for his nativist campaign, which had been described as "single-issued." Tancredo stated that he probably would not win the nomination but hoped his campaign would bring forth more debate on his issue of concern, immigration. On December 20, 2007 Tancredo withdrew from the presidential race, and endorsed
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...
.
Campaign development
Prior to his announcement early in 2007, draft movements sprung to try to convince Congressman Tancredo to run for President of the United States. Tancredo responded to the draft efforts by stating that he would only start a campaign if a candidate already in the race did not extensively address the issue of Immigration and stay committed to conservative principles. After Tancredo's announcement on April 2, 2007, he immediately began campaigning in the strategically important state of
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, making his first appearance at a meeting and a speech in Hudson and Nashua on April 4. Following this, Tancredo campaigned in the first
caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures.
The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to a meeting ...
state of
Iowa
Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
on April 14 at a fundraiser in
Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines ...
. Tancredo made over 90 campaign appearances in the state of Iowa (more than any other) and appeared in Des Moines five times. He appeared in New Hampshire approximately 35 times and appeared sporadically in other states in the same time span.
Until June, the campaign never took off in the polls nor in funds and received little media attention, with the exception of the May 15 GOP debate in
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. However, Tancredo was given an opportunity to discuss immigration and attack the Bush administration and fellow Republican members of Congress at a GOP debate in New Hampshire on June 5, 2007. His criticism was directed mostly at top tiered candidate
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...
for his support of the failed " Amnesty bill." But throughout the night, he continually criticized the policies of the Bush administration, which he labeled as " liberal." When asked what President Bush's role would be in a Tancredo administration, he reflected on a time in 2003 when he was told by
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) is an American Republican political consultant, policy advisor, and lobbyist. He was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the George W. Bush administration until his resignation on Augu ...
to " otdarken the doorstep of the White House" because of his criticism of the president. Tancredo concluded that President Bush would be given the same command if he ever became president. During the debate in regards to immigration and Republican members of Congress, Tancredo said the following:
As July approached and came to its close, Tancredo's standing improved somewhat with the looming Ames Straw Poll. His strategy to focus on Iowa continued, and the number of grassroots supporters in the state increased. On July 31, the campaign developed an interesting new strategy, offering a trip to Washington, D.C. and a tour of the capitol to anyone who brought 25 Tancredo supporters to the straw poll. On the day before, supporters in Iowa distributed T-shirts which read "I'm a Member of Tom's Army Against Amnesty." Interviewed supporters were asked why they supported the candidate, they replied, "He really has the concerns of America at heart, he's concerned about the culture of America itself. What's happening to the bedrock of American culture." Tancredo finished in fourth place at the Ames Straw poll with over 14% of the vote. It was won by former
Massachusetts Governor
The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces.
Massachusetts ...
Mitt Romney.
On August 31, Tancredo shifted momentarily to a new issue. On the two-year anniversary of the landfall of
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, he called for funds to be withdrawn and federal aid be cut off for the recovery effort. He remarked that it was time, "the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station." The move was perhaps a step for the candidate to woo
fiscal conservatives
Fiscal conservatism is a political and economic philosophy regarding fiscal policy and fiscal responsibility with an ideological basis in capitalism, individualism, limited government, and ''laissez-faire'' economics.M. O. Dickerson et al., ''A ...
and advocates for
states' rights
In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the ...
, commenting that "at some point, state and local officials and individuals have got to step up to the plate and take some initiative, the mentality that people can wait around indefinitely for the federal taxpayer to solve all their worldly problems has got to come to an end."
In September Tancredo participated in two debates which received much media attention for the decisions of top tiered candidates to not participate in them. He attended the Values Voters Debate in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 Unit ...
on September 17, 2007. In the straw poll that followed, Tancredo came in seventh place with 2% of the vote.
Mike Huckabee
Michael Dale Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician, Baptist minister, and political commentator who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nominati ...
won the straw poll with 63%. Tancredo also appeared at the Black Caucus Debate on September 27 at
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore wa ...
which aired on PBS. During this debate he commented that the economic differences between
African-Americans
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...
and
Anglo-Americans
Anglo-Americans are people who are English-speaking inhabitants of Anglo-America. It typically refers to the nations and ethnic groups in the Americas that speak English as a native language, making up the majority of people in the world who spe ...
have "nothing to do with race." He also discussed illegal immigration.
On September 25, Tancredo became the first presidential candidate to be interviewed on
Wikinews
Wikinews is a free-content news wiki and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation that works through collaborative journalism. Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales has distinguished Wikinews from Wikipedia by saying, "On Wikinews, each story is to be ...
federalism
Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments ( provincial, state, cantonal, territorial, or other sub-unit governments) in a single ...
among others. When asked who he would back if he had to support a Democratic Party candidate for president, Tancredo chose
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
of
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
remarking:
In October with the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
approaching and Tancredo's team the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...
representing the National League, he decided to offer a bet with fellow candidate Mitt Romney whose team the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
were representing the American League. Tancredo proposed that he would drop out of the race if Boston won but only if Romney agreed to drop out if Colorado won. Luckily for Tancredo, the Romney campaign turned down the bet and Boston won the world series.
On November 13, the campaign released controversial advertisement called "Tough on Terror" in which a hypothetical terrorist attack occurs in a shopping mall. The ad blames inept border security for the attack and flashes images of an injured child and a wrecked train. After Tancredo gives his approval for the message with the comment "I approve this message because someone needs to say it," a voiceover states, "There are consequences to open borders beyond the 20 million aliens who have come to take our jobs... the price we pay for spineless politicians who refuse to defend our borders against those who come to kill." Since its release, the ad received criticism from some who called it "cheap" and "blatant fearmongering."
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for president ...
would lead to a
nuclear war
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear wa ...
. The other Republican candidates in the race did not comment on the ad.
On November 15, in a move poking fun at Democratic presidential candidate
John Edwards
Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...
and building on the media coverage aimed at his campaign for the previously mentioned advertisement, Tancredo received a haircut for $400, which was used to donate money to the
Autism Society of America
The Autism Society of America (ASA) was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland and Ivar Lovaas together with Ruth C. Sullivan and a small group of other parents of children with autism. Its original name was the National Society for Autistic Children; ...
. The haircut was given by David Holden of New Hampshire whose son is afflicted with
autism
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
.
In early December, Tancredo declined an invitation to a Spanish-language debate featured on ''
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
'' as a protest to immigrants who do not learn English. He did, however, participate in the November 28, 2007 debate where he accused his opponents, most notable
Mike Huckabee
Michael Dale Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician, Baptist minister, and political commentator who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nominati ...
of trying to "out-Tancredo, Tancredo" on the issue of illegal immigration.
On December 20, 2007 Tancredo dropped out of the presidential race and thus ended his campaign. He cited that it had become apparent to him that he could not win the race but was glad at what he perceived as the new positions of his opponents on illegal immigration, believing that "we've (The Tom Tancredo campaign) forced them into that hetoric.." Tancredo also cited Huckabee's surge as a reason for his withdraw, stating his disagreements with the Governor made it important to help Romney secure the nomination. While announcing his withdrawal, Tancredo also announced that he was endorsing Mitt Romney for President in 2008, citing Romney as "the best hope for our cause f immigration reform"
Polling
About one year before entering the race, Tancredo won the
Macomb County
Macomb County ( ) is a county located in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Michigan, bordering Lake St. Clair, and is part of northern Metro Detroit. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 881,217, making it the third-most populous co ...
Straw Poll
A straw poll, straw vote, or straw ballot is an ad hoc or unofficial vote. It is used to show the popular opinion on a certain matter, and can be used to help politicians know the majority opinion and help them decide what to say in order to gain ...
in
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
on July 5, 2006. He received 60 of the 327 votes cast or 18% of the vote. Tancredo beat out the second-place finisher
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
by 15 votes. On February 13, 2007, the
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded on ...
issued ratings for potential presidential candidates for the 2008 election. Tancredo took first with a lifetime ranking of 99 out of 100. The website ConservativesBetrayed.com polled 525 people who attended CPAC 2007, and 88.1% believed that Tancredo would govern as a conservative.
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...
polled next at 87.9%.
In general polling, Tancredo fared far worse than in straw polls. Early polls placed the candidate both above and below the 1% mark. However, in November 2007 he slightly moved up in polling, reaching the 2% mark and coming out ahead of his closest rival, Congressman Duncan Hunter of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. In a November 16
Gallup poll
Gallup, Inc. is an American analytics and advisory company based in Washington, D.C. Founded by George Gallup in 1935, the company became known for its public opinion polls conducted worldwide. Starting in the 1980s, Gallup transitioned its bu ...
, Tancredo stood in seventh place at 2%, trailing Congressman
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
by 3%. In a head-to-head matchup done by
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American polling company founded in 2003. The company engages in political commentary and the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information. Rasmussen Reports conducts nightly tracking, ...
on August 29, 2007, Tancredo trailed
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
Senator
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
by 13% finishing with 37% to Clinton's 50%. In a head-to-head matchup with Barack Obama administered on the same day, Tancredo finished with 31% to 48% for Obama.
Financials
Individual contributions made up the most of the campaign cash that Tancredo received, making up about 97% of his total pocketbook. PAC contributions were comparably low, producing only around $75,500, of the $1,311,869. He granted himself $200 for the campaign and received no federal funding. $88,457 of his money came from interest from the campaign's bank accounts and loans from outside sources. The majority of Tancredo's funds were not disclosed during the campaign As of September 30, 2007 the campaign raised $3,538,244 and spent $3,458,130, leaving only $110,079 cash on hand.
Ronald Robinson of the
Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation (YAF) is a conservative youth organization founded in 1969. In 2018, the ''Los Angeles Times'' called YAF "one of the most preeminent, influential and controversial forces in the nation's conservative youth movement. ...
donated $1,000 to the campaign. Michael Bushell, owner of BibleWorks and Pueblo Chieftain newspaper publisher Robert Rawlings both gave $500 to Tancredo's campaign.
Tancredo qualified for and accepted public funds from the
Presidential election campaign fund checkoff
The presidential election campaign fund checkoff appears on US income tax return forms as the question ''Do you want $3 of your federal tax to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund?''
Originally $1 and implemented in 1966 as a start to the ...
. However, he returned the matching funds since withdrawing from the race.
Advisors and endorsements
Tancredo's endorsers include:
*
State Representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
Treasurer of the United States
The treasurer of the United States is an officer in the United States Department of the Treasury who serves as custodian and trustee of the federal government's collateral assets and the supervisor of the department's currency and coinage produc ...
Bay Buchanan
Angela Marie "Bay" Buchanan (born December 23, 1948) is a conservative political commentator who served as Treasurer of the United States under President Ronald Reagan. *Phil Alexander, adviso *Shelly Uscinski, New Hampshire adviso *Bill Salier, Iowa adviso *Tim Haley, campaign officia *Robert Rawlings, publisher of the
Pueblo Chieftain
The ''Pueblo Chieftain'' is an American daily newspaper published in Pueblo, Colorado.
The ''Chieftain'' was established in 1868 by Dr. Michael Beshoar, the first doctor in Trinidad, Colorado. Wilbur Fisk Stone and George A. Hinsdale were the fi ...
br> *Michael Bushell, owner of BibleWork *Jacob Lentz, writer for ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
' *Ronald Robinson, head of the
Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation (YAF) is a conservative youth organization founded in 1969. In 2018, the ''Los Angeles Times'' called YAF "one of the most preeminent, influential and controversial forces in the nation's conservative youth movement. ...
br>
The biggest endorsement that Tancredo received was that of
Bay Buchanan
Angela Marie "Bay" Buchanan (born December 23, 1948) is a conservative political commentator who served as Treasurer of the United States under President Ronald Reagan.Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph Buchanan (; born November 2, 1938) is an American paleoconservative political commentator, columnist, politician, and broadcaster. Buchanan was an assistant and special consultant to U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, an ...
and former
Treasurer of the United States
The treasurer of the United States is an officer in the United States Department of the Treasury who serves as custodian and trustee of the federal government's collateral assets and the supervisor of the department's currency and coinage produc ...
under President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
. Immediately following her endorsement she was named the Senior Advisor of the campaign. Other advisors included Phil Alexander, formerly of the Buchanan campaigns in
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
, and
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
. New Hampshire advisor, Shelly Uscinski formerly the New Hampshire chairman of the Christian Coalition. Iowa advisor and former U.S. Senate candidate in 2002 Bill Salier. And campaign official Tim Haley, the former campaign manager of Pat Buchanan's Reform Party run in 2000.
Criticism
The campaign was criticized for as wide-ranging issues as Tancredo's speaking abilities and performances in debates to the categorization of his campaign as "unwinnable" and "one-issued."
After the October 9, 2007 Dearborn GOP Debate, Tancredo was criticized by the conservative
blog
A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...
, "Republican Ranting" for stuttering and stumbling, citing this as causing him major problems in the debate. Also cited was the following exchange with
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is an American attorney, politician, diplomat, and member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party who served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Fr ...
:
A writer at the blog Farmeruminations, spoke about his experience at the August 12, 2007 Iowa Straw poll stating that "Tancredo...stuttered and stumbled, spoke during the applause, lost his place several times, so had to look at the written copy, not a good performance by any standard."
The campaign was criticized for focusing too heavily on the issue of immigration, which gave the candidate the appearance of running a one-issue campaign. During an exchange on the August 22, 2007 edition of ''
Hannity and Colmes
''Hannity & Colmes'' was a live television show on Fox News in the United States, hosted by Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, who respectively presented a conservative and liberal perspective. The series premiered on October 7, 1996, and the final epi ...
'',
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera (born Gerald Riviera; July 4, 1943) is an American journalist, attorney, author, political commentator, and former television host. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Geraldo'' from 1987 to 1998. He gained publicity with the liv ...
and Tancredo got into a lively argument over
sanctuary cities
Sanctuary city (; ) refers to municipal jurisdictions, typically in North America, that limit their cooperation with the national government's effort to enforce immigration law. Leaders of sanctuary cities say they want to reduce fear of deport ...
and a murder committed by an illegal immigrant in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Conservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC; ) is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States and beyond. CPAC is hosted by the American Conservative Union (ACU). ...
(CPAC), "If you want to call me a single-issue candidate, that's fine, just so long as you know that my single issue is the survival and the success of the conservative movement in America."
He remarked that his campaign was not about winning the nomination but instead winning over people to his point of view in the race: