It’s been well documented that the so-called rock stars of the GOP are not attending CPAC this week.
But who needs who more? Popular Republican governors leading moderate-leaning states or carnival barkers that give good soundbites (Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, The Donald?).
Apparently CPAC thinks it can do better without them. The head of the American Conservative Union, which hosts CPAC, Al Cardenas, told reporters that Governor Chris Christie “didn’t deserve to be on the all-star selection, for decisions he made. And so hopefully next year he’s back on the right track and being a conservative.”
But votes count. If sticking with the same ‘ol same ‘ol just four months after its second-straight presidential defeat is the party’s plan, will Republicans find themselves in the circus tent indefinitely?
We’ll go live to CPAC at 12pm eastern.
And: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117…
Happy Pi day!
PANEL
David Corn, Washington Bureau Chief, Mother Jones/ msnbc Political Analyst (@davidcorndc)Megan McArdle, Special Correspondent, Newsweek/Daily Beast (@asymmetricinfo)Michael Eric Dyson, Professor, Georgetown University/msnbc Political Analyst (@michaeledyson)Jonathan Alter, Bloomberg View/msnbc Political Analyst (@jonathanalter)
GUESTS
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member, House Budget Committee (D-MD), (@chrisvanhollen)Raul Reyes, NBC Latino Contributor/USA Today Columnist, (@RaulAReyes)
REPORTERS
Kasie Hunt, NBC news political producer (@kasie)
Casey Schaeffer