Conservative columnist Mona Charen blasted Donald Trump and conservatives during a panel discussion Saturday on conservative women’s feminist crisis.
The National Review writer also called the invitation to French politician Marion Le Pen “a disgrace.”
Charen responded to a question about the left’s treatment of women and what has her most concerned in the Trump era. Instead of talking about the excesses of #MeToo, she launched into an attack on Trump and conservatives.
The Weekly Standard quoted Charen: “I’m disappointed in the people on our side for being hypocrites about sexual harassers and abusers of women who are in our party who are sitting in the White House who brag about their extramarital affairs, who brag about mistreating women,” Charen challenged. “And because he happens to have an ‘R’ after his name, we look the other way, we don’t complain.”
She brought up the Roy Moore candidacy as an example of GOP hypocrisy:
“This is the party that endorsed the Roy Moore for the Senate in the state of Alabama, even though he was a credibly-accused child molester,” she said. “You cannot claim that you stand for women and be all right with that.”
At this statement, two young men thunderously applauded, while many more booed and shouted, “Not true! Not true!” (From my vantage, I did not see any of the young women in the audience reacting audibly.)
One of the first things you learn if you’re going to make public appearances and speak is “know your audience.” Did Charen think she was being some kind of hero by going off against Trump at a decidedly pro-Trump event? What was the point? What chance did she have of changing anyone’s mind at that event?
She should have saved her criticisms for her columns.
CPAC is an event for rabid partisans who don’t want to hear any dissent from the party line. It is similar in that respect to the liberal Netroots Nation yearly conclave. Attendees want cheerleaders, not dissenting curmudgeons. They want to be congratulated for being right all the time and for faithfully — and fanatically — toeing the party line on everything.
And if you go against the grain and offer criticism, expect to be escorted out by security so that no one throws a punch at you.
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