NEWS AND OPINION:
One veteran Republican observer has a short but noteworthy observation about the state of the Republican Party.
“Great candidates are stepping forward. Week after week, more and more impressive, capable, and winnable candidates have entered the presidential sweepstakes. As you listen to these candidates, study their proposals, and hear the excitement they bring to the system. Everyone should be encouraged for the future of our America,” writes Saul Anunzis, former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and current president of 60 Plus Association, a nonpartisan seniors advocacy group.
“Bring on President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, and so many others to come — I’m cautiously optimistic that the future is bright,” Mr. Anunzis said in an editorial for SaulsNews.com, a political news site.
WAYNE LAPIERRE’S MESSAGE
Former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence both spoke at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Indianapolis — a bodacious, three-day event that ended Sunday and drew thousands — and thousands — of attendees.
Presidential candidate and self-described political “outsider” Vivek Ramaswamy also appeared, and set forth his own proposal to “expand Second Amendment rights for Americans,” and make “Constitutional Carry the law of the land,” according to a summary of his speech shared with Inside the Beltway.
Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the host association, also had a message for the huge audience.
“You and I know freedom, in ways most Americans don’t. We — all of you here — possess an intimacy and proximity with it — because the Second Amendment is the one freedom that protects all the other freedoms. I’ve told you what I’ve learned about freedom, fighting alongside her for the past 45 years,” Mr. LaPierre said in his speech, which had some poetic moments.
“I’ve told you that freedom is kind, fearless, precious and proud. Those words I just said describe you — all of you who are here this morning. Look, President Biden can talk about freedom. Freedom is easy to put in a speech somewhere. You can even chisel the word in stone. But that doesn’t mean a thing,” Mr. LaPierre continued, gazing out at the large gathering.
“Freedom is nonexistent until it moves people like you to do things like this — to be here today, this morning. Patriots always answer freedom’s call, and that’s why all of you are here in this room. You – every single one of you – are why the Second Amendment has survived 45 years of nonstop attacks,” he said.
ELON HAS A SAY
Looking for noteworthy conversations?
Fox News primetime host Tucker Carlson offers a pair of exclusive interviews with technology entrepreneur Elon Musk — CEO of Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX — which will airs at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday and Tuesday.
“During the two-day interview event, Musk will discuss the controversy surrounding artificial intelligence and how it could change the planet forever. He will also share the inside story on Twitter and the drastic changes he is making to the social media platform, as well as the future of Tesla and the latest SpaceX launch,” Fox said in an advance notice.
Mr. Musk picked the right cable news network to have a say. ”Tucker Carlson Tonight” remains the highest-rated program in cable news, averaging 3.3 million primetime viewers each night according to Nielsen Media Research.
THE GRASS GROWS GREENER
Time marches on.
The following news would amaze the old hippies of yore who pined for legalized marijuana back in the 1960s.
The newly released MJBiz Factbook — a business publication which tracks “marijuana and hemp industries” — now forecasts that marijuana retail sales across all states where marijuana is legal will surpass $33.5 billion in 2023.
It also predicts that the industry is projected to contribute much to the U.S. economy in the next few years.
“Looking ahead, upwards of $170 billion in additional spending will be added to the U.S. economy by 2028, thanks to the opening and/or expansion of new recreational and medical markets,” said Andrew Long, MJBiz Factbook’s editor and editorial director, in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“The total amount of U.S. adult-use and medical cannabis sales, for example, are expected to reach $34 billion in 2023, up from $30 billion in 2022,” Mr. Long said.
A DATE TO CONSIDER
Registration is now open for the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual “Road to Majority Policy Conference,” set for June 22-24 at a very noteworthy hotel in the nation’s capital.
The event is described as “pro-faith, pro-family” and has attracted a host of significant speakers in years past, including former President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro.
“For the past 12 years, the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Policy Conference has empowered conservative activists to fight for their values at the polls and in the public arena. Designed to forge a path toward a pro-family majority, the conference equips attendees with the knowledge and connections they need to drive engagement and voter turnout. This year’s timely gathering will accelerate conservatives further down the road to majority ahead of the 2024 presidential election,” the host organization said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
Find updates and details at FFcoalition.com
POLL DU JOUR
• 35% of U.S. adults “feel things in America today are going very badly”; 57% of Republicans, 39% of independents and 11% of Democrats agree.
• 35% feel things are going “somewhat badly”; 27% of Republicans, 42% of independents and 35% of Democrats agree.
• 23% overall feel things are going “somewhat well”; 11% of Republicans, 15% of independents and 41% of Democrats agree.
• 7% overall feel things are going “very well”: 4% of Republicans, 4% of independents and 13% of Democrats agree.
SOURCE: A CBS News poll of 2,065 U.S. adults conducted April 12-14.
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.