603 Alliance at CPAC 2021

By Diane Bitter

Undoubtedly, most of you watched the amazing speakers on the stage at the 2021 convention of the Conservative Political Action Committee.  We hope that your experience at home was as exhilarating to you as it was to us in person!  Each dynamic speaker was welcomed with cheers and prolonged applause.

To name a few of our favorites speakers:  Sen. Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Jr., James O’Keefe, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Gov. Kristi Noam, Pete Hegseth, Gov. Scott Walker, Mike Pompeo, Charlie Kirk, Tom Fitton, Don Bongino, and many more . . .  (see our extended list at the bottom of this report).

By far, the MOST exciting speaker of the event was President Donald J. Trump!  The former President’s hour-plus speech was the crowning touch to this fantastic experience.  Especially because he told us all the things we hoped to hear, including hints about a re-run.

Of course, the tributes to Rush Limbaugh were emotional and heartfelt.  Rush’s numerous accomplishments were acknowledged by many, including President Trump.

We invite you to check out the CPAC archives for specifics about each of the speeches delivered during these 5 days in Orlando.  To shift gears now, here are a few insights into what happened “on the ground.”

The 2021 convention was very different from past years.  Due to the restrictions caused by the corona virus, the Gaylord Convention Center in MD, just outside of D.C., where CPAC’s annual convention is usually held, was closed.  An alternate location was secured in Orlando, FL, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  As a result, the size of the event was restricted to a smaller number and the main ballroom could not hold all of the attendees.  The guideline for social distancing further prohibited the seating, and a large number of attendees were assigned to “overflow” rooms, where they viewed the activity on the main stage via projection screens.

The first order of business was to get our official badges, and then line up for the daily “temperature screening” before being given permission to enter the convention areas.  Masks were also required at all times.  Thankfully, NO incidents of covid-19 occurred during the 5 days of the convention, which cheated the media of the opportunity to criticize CPAC for organizing this huge operation.  In addition to the spacing in the meeting rooms, many events were held outside – another plus of holding the event in Florida.

On our first day, attempting to locate anything to eat in this huge hotel proved extremely challenging.  Of course, we discovered that the cause of this problem was that the hotel had been on shut-down until only a few days prior to opening up for our event.

We quickly got over this problem and found other solutions.  On the whole, the entire experience was one of exhilaration and uplifting optimism.  Being surrounded 24/7 with like-minded, enthusiastic conservatives was a welcome experience.  The attendees ranged from all over the US and everyone was friendly and cooperative.

On the second night in Orlando we joined forces with RNC Committeeman, Chris Ager, and Sandy Geisler to host a reception for New Hampshire’s CPAC attendees.  We entertained 25+ people at that gathering.  Some of the attendees included some new friends, such as several RNC Committee members from other states.

The Ballrooms, Radio Row, and the Hub (vendors) were crowded and very busy, and we probably missed several of our “old” NH friends on our first day there; however, know that NH was well-represented at CPAC 2021.

We were, of course, eager to re-connect with many CPAC “regulars” — and were very pleased to engage Senator Ted Cruz (big hugs all around), James O’Keefe from Project Veritas, Nick Adams from Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness, Trevor Loudon, author of “The Enemies Within” and the film by the same title, Corey Lewandowski, Dave Bosse, and many others.  During our group dinner one night, Trevor told us about his new book coming out in April in which he discloses some insights about V.P. Kamala Harris.  Can’t wait to read that!

Between speakers, and while the stage was being “reset” with mics and stools and podiums, etc., we saw amazing ads produced by various conservative groups.  Noteworthy was one by a Japanese author and film-maker whose basic message was to promote Liberty!  Another was a clip from the event that CPAC held in Korea, where there is a very active CPAC organization.

Radio Row was in full swing all day, every day  – with interviews constantly in production.  All of the major networks were represented, taking up the entire space in the lobby the length of the main ballroom, with two rows of media booths.

The “Hub” – the huge space where the vendors set up their displays to promote their agenda and messages, was a long trek from the meeting rooms, so they didn’t have as many visitors as in past years.   However, Fran picked up a bunch of “goodies” there and also did a bit of shopping.

As always, a poll was taken during the convention, with the results announced at the end of the final day.  No doubt you heard what the media’s report on this poll; but, as usual, they “twisted” the results.  So don’t pay any attention to their report.  Take it from us – the CPAC attendees were in full support of Donald Trump for the GOP nominee for President in the 2024 General Election.

And speaking of the media, after the convention, obviously searching for something negative to say, they reported that the stage design on the main stage was a nazi symbol of some sort.  This was a surprise to all of us who were there!  No one noticed this or made a reference!  To do so was an extreme stretch of the imagination.  It was a stunning set design and not in any way a reference to naziism.

To continue the list of our favorite speakers, from above:  Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Josh Hawley, Sen. Mike Lee, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep. David Nunez, KT McFarland, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Pam Bondi, Dan Bongino, Dana Loesch, Jason Chaffetz, and many, many, more . . .

In conclusion, we came away sleep-deprived, but greatly enhanced with new friends, new ideas, and renewed enthusiasm and commitment.  We urge you to attend next year and find out for yourselves.

Respectfully,

Fran Wendleboe and Diane Bitter

Board of Directors, The 603 Alliance

Webinar Replay: Critical Race Theory in NH

On Thursday, March 25th, the 603 Alliance hosted a webinar on Critical Race Theory.

Dr. Karlyn Borysenko  gave us an overview of what CRT says and provided examples from around the United States, including some cases in New Hampshire. State Rep. Keith Ammon reviewed House Bill 544,  which aims to prevent CRT from being propagated in taxpayer-funded schools and government agencies.  Lily Tang Williams described her youth in China, growing up in the shadow of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, and described parallels with current trends in the United States.

To learn what you can do to TAKE ACTION and help us get HB544 passed in New Hampshire, check out the video of the webinar below.  We strongly encourage you to share it with friends.

Here is a link to Rep. Bob Lynn’s memo on the constitutionality of HB544.  Rep. Lynn is the former Chief Justice of the NH Supreme Court.

If you’d like to help get HB544 passed, please consider doing the following:

  1. Call or e-mail your STATE REPRESENTATIVES.  Politely ask them to support the state budget with HB544 as part of the budget. (Be sure to let them know that you live in their district!)  Also ask them to support revisions to “Emergency Powers” (HB433) and forgiveness of COVID fines (HB63) as part of the budget
  2. Call or e-mail GOVERNOR SUNUNU.  Ask him to support HB544 which will end taxpayer funding of divisive identity politics
  3. Call or e-mail your STATE SENATORS. Ask them to support HB544 as part of the budget & to oppose public funding of divisive identity politics. Also ask them to support revisions to “Emergency Powers” (HB433 and HB63) as part of the budget
  4. SPREAD THE WORD!!!  Share this information with your friends.

What is Critical Race Theory (& how can we stop it?)

NEW WEBINAR: March 25th, 7 PM
Critical Race Theory in NH:  What it is, why it matters, and how to stop it

Join us on Thursday, March 25th at 7 PM for a free webinar on Critical Race Theory. Learn what CRT is, why it matters to all of us, and what is being done to stop it from being propagated in our taxpayer-funded schools and government agencies. (Register here.)

Our main presenter will be Dr. Karlyn Borysenko, a NH resident whose work has been featured in national media outlets including Medium, Forbes, PragerU, the Glenn Beck Program, and more. After attending a Trump rally in early 2020, Dr. Borysenko decided to #walkaway from the Democrat party and has become a prominent speaker, author, and political commentator.

You will also hear about House Bill 544 (HB544), which is aimed at preventing the use of taxpayer dollars to teach the hateful ideas that seek to divide us into identity groups instead of uniting us as Americans. Learn what you can do to TAKE ACTION and help us get HB544 passed in New Hampshire.

To register for this webinar, CLICK HERE.

MARCH 18: New Hampshire Election Integrity Update Webinar

Join us on March 18th at 7 PM for another webinar on election integrity issues in New Hampshire. (Register at this link.)

First, we’ll hear a brief update on the situation in Windham, where a recount in the State Rep race revealed that the voting machines under-counted every Republican candidate by almost exactly 300 votes each.  How did this happen?  Learn the latest developments and find out how you can help to ensure that a thorough and transparent investigation is performed.

The main portion of our presentation will feature Ed Naile of the Coalition of NH Taxpayers. Ed has been tracking down election integrity issues in New Hampshire for years, identifying out-of-state campaign workers voting here and large groups of people voting from the same address (including a group that claimed to live at Bear Brook State Park, which was closed at the time of the election!)

This webinar is open to anyone who wishes to attend, but advance registration is required. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.