Over the weekend I was in Washington, DC, to attend Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit. Now in its third year, the conference drew over 2,000 pro-family “values” voters from all across America to the Washington Hilton for three days of conservative speakers, networking and informative break-out sessions.
Keynote speakers for the event included Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Sean Hannity, among other conservative commentators, political leaders and policy experts. As a group of credentialed bloggers (new media) typed away in the back of the convention hall, Hannity boldly declared that 2008 is the year journalism officially died in America. “Journalist” Charlie Gibson’s embarrassing gotcha interview of Governor Palin two nights before was certainly the death knell.
As you can imagine, California was the topic of many speeches and private conversations. After all, the most critical battle for traditional marriage is taking place in our state with Proposition 8. In a break-out session about the marriage issue, Alliance Defense Fund attorney (and my Constitutional Law professor in law school) Jordan Lorence, FRC policy expert Peter Sprigg and marriage policy expert Maggie Gallagher discussed the ramifications of losing California. November 4th will be a landmark day in American history however Californians decide Proposition 8.
Injecting some levity into the serious subject of judicial tyranny, the summit featured an Oscars-like award ceremony recognizing the worst cases of 2008 thus far. The “Out of Order Award” was given to our very own 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for their laughable decision in Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council. As you may recall, this dangerous ruling prohibits the Navy from using sonar for fear it may harm marine life. And the “Lifetime Achievement Award” was received by the California Supreme Court for its record of stripping away our freedoms. From striking down parental notification laws and the death penalty, to creating the “right” to homosexual marriage, the court has a long history of overturning the democratic rights of Californians and consequently the rest of the nation.
Audience members were encouraged to "remember November"—the month when Californians have historically overturned the judicial activism of their Supreme Court. From the 1986 defeat of Rose Bird, Cruz Reynoso and Joseph Grodin, to the Proposition 13 taxpayer revolt, Californians have repeatedly taken back their power at the November ballot box. Let’s hope we do so again this November.
Californians in attendance included San Diegan Rodger Hedgcock, who broadcast his radio talk show from the summit; pro-life activist Lila Rose, famous for her undercover exposés on Planned Parenthood’s systemic racism and law breaking; and the Heritage Kids, a group of San Diego homeschoolers who entertained attendees with their patriotic singing.
The summit wasn’t without some controversy. In the exhibit hall one booth was peddling “Obama Waffles” mix, an edible joke. Apparently an uptight Associated Press reporter couldn’t find enough controversial material to cover in the sessions so they decided to accuse the Obama Waffles entrepreneurs of racism. Wanting to avoid negative publicity, FRC asked the vendor to leave the exhibit hall. Having met the Obama Waffles makers, who are two humorous men just looking for a way to expose an important political point in a witty (and yummy) manner, the accusations of racism are ridiculous and further support Sean Hannity’s point about true journalism’s death. Take a look and decide for yourself about the Obama Waffles.
After the conference ended I had the chance to make a quick stop at some monuments and DC landmarks during a nighttime tour of the capital. DC is a majestic city in the daylight, but at night it is simply gorgeous. It’s a very different experience visiting the Vietnam and Korean War monuments at night. On a hot, humid evening, with locusts drumming their call, it felt almost as though one had been transported to the very jungles where so many men had given their lives in those two great wars.
Tracing a finger along one of the thousands of names on the Vietnam War Memorial brought a new sense of rage about the Obama campaign’s shameless, absurd attack on John McCain’s inability to use a computer. How disrespectful and ungrateful to ridicule a man who is unable to use a keyboard due to the torture he experienced as a war prisoner. McCain is one of the fortunate ones whose name is not etched in that massive granite wall.
The feeling I left the Values Voter Summit with is that the conservative base is excited about Sarah Palin and they are ready to win this election. A few weeks ago it would have seemed unimaginable for the attendees of this conference to be so fired-up. But with the right conservative on the ticket, Republicans’ chances at winning the White House this fall are looking pretty good.