BREITBART: 'And now for something completely different, please'

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By Andrew Breitbart

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

As CPAC begins in the nation's capital later this week, the conservative movement has much to contemplate as it attempts to reestablish itself as a dominant force in American political life.

Actually, "relevance" may be a more reasonable short-term goal.

The timing of the yearly Conservative Political Action Conference could not be better suited for evaluating the strategies of the standard bearers of free markets and limited government as free-spending and nanny statist Obamaism runs amok with nary a media check or a legislative balance.

Attendees of the wonky three-day forum should pay close attention to what their ideological counterparts had to say earlier in the week at their annual get-together in liberalism´s capital, Hollywood.

On Sunday night at the Kodak Theater, where Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama debated each other in front of the same prideful crowd a year earlier, the political left convened to celebrate its progressive political agenda. The Oscars communicate post-modern, post-American liberal values more effectively than elected Democratic officials themselves. The liberal establishment understands this and uses the glamorous Hollywood elite and its incessant stream of left-leaning product and promotional vehicles as its proxy messenger.

This year´s cause celebre was not the ailing American work force or the heroic and underappreciated U.S. military, but an attack on California´s just passed traditional marriage amendment - as represented by the white ribbon worn by pliant celebrity throngs. Dissenters in the midst dare not wear their contrarian ribbons for fear of more punitive Proposition 8 backlash.

This year Gus Van Sant and his gay marriage public service announcement "Milk," garnered eight nominations while Clint Eastwood and his objectively conservative box office titan "Gran Torino" got completely shut out. Except for the expected (and deserved) posthumous Heath Ledger best supporting actor nomination, the good-vs.-evil international sensation "The Dark Knight," also was passed over by the Academy.

Last year, 31 million American voters watched. Perhaps a few million less will tune in this off-year in cinema.

But in Washington, thousands of activists, elected officials, pundits and members of the general public will attend CPAC from Thursday to Saturday. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Texas Republican, will be speaking. Some of the event´s highlights will be aired on C-SPAN.