However abrupt, it still sounded mild compared to what some prominent Republicans had to say.

Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee went as far as claiming that Obama’s actions are in fact establishing a “socialist republic” in the US

“Lenin and Stalin would love this stuff,” the politician was quoted by the Washington Post as saying.

He suggested that the economy should come to equilibrium itself through a free market permitted to engage in creative destruction, and this entertained the crowd no less. Huckabee’s remark “This year, we might be asking a question: dude, where’s my country?” was met with a burst of laughter. His speech, however, did not come without any self-criticism.

Huckabee remembered the huge spending by Republicans when they were in power and the response to Hurricane Katrina by Bush’s administration.

“You know what kind of conservatives we need to be first and foremost? Competent conservatives,” he said.

The overall tone of gathering makes it seem as though the Republicans there are distancing themselves from the previous presidential administration.

“Too many people identified the Bush administration with conservatism,” said John Bolton, “I think that is far from being accurate.”