The Czar has mixed feelings about CPAC, with the negative running toward whether it has gotten too big for its own organizational abilities, and the positive of course being that it is a major reminder to all people—right, center, libertarian—that you ain’t alone, out there, chief. In fact, you are still technically in the majority.

The media of course are again at a loss to understand it or even describe it.

Emerging media theme: This year’s CPAC is about gay marriage. Somehow.

— Byron York (@ByronYork) March 16, 2013

Precisely. Last year’s, as you know, was evidently a rallying cry for racists.

One vital facet of this year’s CPAC must not be overlooked by either the media or its attendees: a running and almost consistent theme is “The GOP Establishment is why we keep losing elections.” Not only have speakers like Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Scott Walker thumped this theme, with Sen. Paul most notably referencing the GOP as moss-covered, but even Newt Gingrich—himself a traditional representation of the Establishment—confessed it is true. Mitt Romney, who tried to convince the voters he was somehow both and neither an establishment revolutionary, admitted in his speech that they should have been listening to the revolutionaries:

As someone who just lost the last election, I’m probably not the best person to chart the course for the next election. That said, I do have advice. Perhaps because I am a former governor, I would urge you to learn the lessons that come from some of our greatest success stories: the 30 Republican governors.

The Czar has previously said this was critical: the GOP needs to lock down local elections before they can hope to win nationally again.

The point is clear: Republicans are finally learning…perhaps not how to win, just yet (although they have gotten plenty of consistent and good advice from all directions)…but they are starting to understand why they keep losing.

So keep it up, CPAC.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.