Introduction

Thousands of Republicans descended on the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Centre in National Harbour, Maryland. The political soothsayers and bookmakers often look to CPAC for clues as to who Republicans might pick to represent them in a presidential election. But this year is different. Scandal surrounds the organisers and there are some noticeable absences. Potential candidates who don't think CPAC is the place to be. So who exactly is today's CPAC 4? And how much does it tell us about the state of Republican politics?