Students For Liberty attended CPAC this year with the goal of spreading the message of liberty and finding young pro-liberty students to bring into our network. We were successful with the latter, meeting many young advocates of liberty who were simply unaware that there is an option beyond the typical left/right political spectrum.
However, our greatest accomplishment came in spreading the message of liberty. SFL’s Executive Director Alexander McCobin delivered a speech praising CPAC for welcoming GOProud as a co-sponsor (a gay conservative group), a symbolic gesture of openness and tolerance. The response was unexpected:
Alexander McCobin’s speech and Ryan Sorba’s hostile response sparked a media firestorm around the event. Commentators from all sides of the political spectrum were surprised that McCobin was cheered and Sorba booed off the stage at CPAC. Diverse media outlets such as The Daily Kos, ThinkProgress, Reason.com, The Daily Caller, The American Conservative, The Atlantic, and Hot Air came to generally the same conclusion: That this year’s CPAC was marked by a never before seen level of libertarianism.
Below is a list compiling the different media sources that have covered the controversy. As you see they come from varied political and cultural points of view. Without Alexander McCobin’s speech and the support of the many pro-liberty attendees (thanks to Campaign For Liberty & Young Americans for Liberty for organizing so many liberty supporters), this message would not have reached such a wide audience: “Students today recognize that freedom does not come in pieces. Freedom is a single concept that applies to the social as well as the economic realms and should be defended at all times”
Special thanks to the Gay Patriot for covering this story and being one of the big organizations that have focused on the full story behind this issue. The Gay Patriot will be interviewing McCobin tonight (Feb 24) at 10pm EST to discuss the CPAC controversy, Students For Liberty, and the future of liberty. You can listen to the discussion here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gaypatriotamerica/2010/02/25/gaypatriot-interviews-alexander-mccobin.
Ace of Spades: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/298553.php
The Activist Report: http://kevincrouch.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/who-let-neo-nazi-ryan-sorba-have-the-cpac-podium/
The Atlantic: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/02/the-daily-wrap-14.html
The Atlantic: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/02/a-conversation-with-ryan-sorba.html
The Atlantic: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/02/the-weekend-wrap-3.html
The Atlantic: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/02/ryan-sorbas-bizarre-fascination-with-homosexuality.html
The American Conservative: http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2010/02/22/fear-and-loathing-at-cpac/
American Power: http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/gay-conservatives-after-cpac.html
Amol Kapila: http://www.amolkapila.com/blog/2010/02/conservatives-vs-liberty/
Big Journalism: http://bigjournalism.com/bcarroll/2010/02/23/the-homocon-tipping-point-why-cpac-was-a-milestone-weekend-for-gays/
Big Journalism: http://bigjournalism.com/tag/alexander-mccobin/
Bureaucrash: http://bureaucrash.com/2010/02/19/students-for-liberty-causes-cpac-controversy/
CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/02/22/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6232080.shtml
Conservative America: http://conservativeamericannews.com/free-republic/my-fight-with-ryan-sorba-the-kid-who-denounced-goproud
Conservative Copendium http://conservative-compendium.com/wordpress/tag/alexander-mccobin/
Countdown with Keith Olbermann: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGk9pMaEAmQ
C-Span: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/292173-101&showFullAbstract=1
Cyber Pulpit: http://reverandsteve.blogspot.com/2010/02/cpac-poll-stopping-gay-marriage-not.html
Daily Caller: http://dailycaller.com/2010/02/20/cpac-speaker-booed-for-applauding-gay-group-invite-video/
Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/2/19/182318/406
Daily Paul: http://dailypaul.com/node/126445
The Daily Show: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-february-22-2010/cpac-2010—rage-within-the-machine
Dallas Voice: http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2010/02/22/did-the-end-of-the-world-happen-and-no-one-told-me/
Fox News: http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/author/kelleybeaucarvlahos/
From the Rust Belt: http://fromtherustbelt.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/were-here-were-queer-were-conservative/
FrumForum: http://www.frumforum.com/sorbas-sodomy-obsession
Gay Patriot: http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/02/20/gaypatriot-on-the-ed-morrissey-show/
Gayapolis: http://www.gayapolis.com/news/artdisplay.php?artid=3401
GMU Econ Society: http://gmueconsociety.blogspot.com/2010/02/students-for-liberty-defeats-bigotry-at.html
Good As You: http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2010/02/video-the-cpacer-whose-boos-are-badges-of-honor.html
Hip Hop Republican: http://hiphoprepublican.com/general/2010/02/19/watch-speaker-ryan-sorba-condemns-cpac-for-inviting-gays/
Hot Air: http://hotair.com/archives/2010/02/21/cpac-2010-final-thoughts/
How the World Works: http://64.15.120.233/watch?v=lZF1WWZqRB8
Human Events: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=35757
Interstate Q: http://www.interstateq.com/archives/4111/
Iowa Independent: http://iowaindependent.com/28463/ron-paul-victory-shows-ideological-hardening-ahead-of-2010
Lez Get Real: http://lezgetreal.com/?p=26832
Libertarian Curmudgeon: http://www.theliberalcurmudgeon.com/2010/02/gay-conservatives-meet-with-intolerance.html
Libertymaven: http://libertymaven.com/2010/02/20/cpac-day-2-the-constitution-liberty-for-all-ron-paul-and-gary-johnson/8998/
Little General Thrift Store: http://littlegeneralthriftstore.com/NewHotTrends/cpac-conference-dissolves-into-right-wing-civil-war-over-gay-rights/
Lone Star Times: http://lonestartimes.com/?p=1598
The Mario Solis Marich Show: http://gotomario.com/?p=9815
Mike Corthell: http://jedistudis.blogspot.com/2010/02/gay-infiltration-of-conservative.html
Motorcity Liberal: http://motorcityliberal.blogspot.com/2010/02/cpac-conference-dissolves-into-right.html
Musing in Obama’s America: http://musingsinobamasamerica.blogspot.com/2010/02/ryan-sorba-rising-anti-gay-antihero.html
The Nation: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/533056/glenn_beck_dodges_incoming_plane_at_cpac
News Blaze: http://newsblaze.com/story/20100222112135j112.nb/topstory.html
News Busters: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2010/02/22/abcs-john-hendren-derides-cpac-attendees-right-and-far-right
Newsreal Blog: http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/02/20/cpac-speaker-condemns-cpac/
Now Public: http://www.nowpublic.com/world/ryan-sorba-rising-anti-gay-antihero
Ohio.com: http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/da_kings_men/2010/02/22/ron-paul-and-gays-at-c-pac/
Oh Yay! A Blog!: http://ohyayablog.blogspot.com/2010/02/on-ryan-sorba.html
Opposing Views: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/ryan-sorba-booed-for-condemning-cpac-s-gay-group-invite
Orange County Register: http://topics.ocregister.com/article/03zQfW8ccU4pi
Ordinary Gentlemen: http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2010/02/the-other-side-of-the-sorba-incident/
Prometheus Unbound: http://santitafarella.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/hostile-and-gay-baiting-ryan-sorba-the-future-of-the-republican-party/
Politics 24/7: http://fromtherustbelt.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/were-here-were-queer-were-conservative/
Politico: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33250_Page2.html
Politifi: http://politifi.com/news/SFL-Controversy-Video-209479.html
Race 4 2012: http://race42008.com/2010/02/20/my-fight-with-ryan-sorba-the-kid-who-denounced-goproud/
Race 4 2012: http://race42008.com/2010/02/22/what-do-ryan-sorba-and-nelson-rockefeller-have-in-common/
Reason: http://reason.com/blog/2010/02/21/you-know-the-lowlights-here-ar
ReBoot the Republic: http://www.reboottherepublic.com/blog/liberty/wow-libertarians-at-cpac/
Red State: http://www.redstate.com/athensrunaway/2010/02/23/a_flippant_refutation_of/
Renew Ameica: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/fischer/100220
Right Pundits: http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=5618
Right Side News: http://www.rightsidenews.com/201002228786/editorial/the-gay-infiltration-of-the-conservative-movement.html
Right Wing Watch: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/fischer-labarbera-hail-sorba-anti-gay-rant-cpac
Salon: http://vodpod.com/watch/3081483-war-room-salon-com
Salon: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2010/02/19/cpac_gays/
Salon: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/02/21/libertarianism
Science Blogs: http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2010/02/a_conversation_with_ryan_sorba.php
Science Blogs: http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2010/02/asshole_of_the_day.php
Signal from the Brink: http://signalsfromthebrink.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-right.html
Student Liberty Front: http://studentlibertyfront.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/international-students-for-liberty-conference-and-cpac/
Think Progress: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/23/cpac-paul-rift/
Think Progress: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/19/cpac-conference-dissolves-into-right-wing-civil-war-over-gay-rights/
Thump and Whip: http://thumpandwhip.com/2010/02/22/cpacs-most-vicious-homophobe-ryan-sorba/
TPM Muckraker: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/ryan_sorba_anti-gay_cpac_activist_court_records.php?ref=mp
TomGPalmer.com: http://tomgpalmer.com/2010/02/22/alexander-mccorbin-on-students-for-liberty/
Townhall.com: http://townhall.com/columnists/AshleyHerzog/2010/02/22/cpac_is_for_lovers
We The People: http://www.wtpshow.com/2010/02/22/cpac-exclusive-podcast-david-keene-hannah-giles-and-ryan-sorba/
Washington Independent: http://washingtonindependent.com/77260/ron-paul-win-shows-ideological-hardening-ahead-of-2010
Washington Times: http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2010/feb/21/cpac-2010-wrap-planned-and-unplanned-cpac-happenin/
Young Americans for Liberty: http://www.yaliberty.org/node/14835
365 Gay: http://www.365gay.com/blog/022110-monday-watercooler/
