WASHINGTON — The Republican Party’s conservative wing, pumped up by House Speaker John Boehner’s stepping down, is warning the 2016 presidential candidates that defying its wishes will come at their peril.
Religious activists forcefully conveyed this message Saturday: Embrace our uncompromising stance against abortion rights and gay marriage, among other priorities, even if doing so risks a federal government shutdown.
“Conservatives are on fire at the moment,” said Gary Bauer, a former president of the Family Research Council.
He was among the featured speakers at the Values Voter annual conference that brought an estimated 2,000 evangelical activists to Washington this weekend.
Hard-line conservatives were deeply disappointed with the last two Republican presidential nominees: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Boehner was unpopular among conservative activists, and his resignation will give them new hope that the party may choose a candidate who energizes the most passionate voters, even if that nominee is seen as less attractive to a general election crowd.
