McCain arrival at CPAC met very little enthusiasm

I managed to wander up Connecticut Avenue this afternoon to check out the Conservative Political Action Conference a.k.a. CPAC. It's at the Omni Shoreham in the Woodley Park neighborhood of DC. That whole area is just crawling with creepy conservatives.

Just when I got to the hotel, who arrived but the presumptive GOP nominee, John McCain. There was a crowd of maybe 75 - 100 McCain supporters in the lobby. Now, McCain is probably going to be the candidate of the Republican party this year. And, CPAC is one of the largest gatherings of right wingers. So you might think his arrival would be a big deal. You'd be wrong. Let's just say, I didn't feel any excitement in the air when McCain walked in -- none. I can't imagine either of our two top candidates showing up at a convention of progressives without an outpouring of enthusiasm and support. I've been in rooms when Clinton and Obama have arrived. You feel it.

McCain was whisked right through the small crowd that was trying to generate some enthusiasm by chanting "John McCain." But it was a dud. And, I apologize for the blurry photos, but I figured he would walk through his supporters and shake some hands, not skirt them and pass right next to me. If this was the response he got from his supporters at CPAC, it will be interesting to see how his speech is received by the full gathering of the right wingers later this afternoon.