CNN Reporters Call CPAC a ‘Conservative Petri Dish’

Shortly before noon Thursday, live from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), CNN political reporter Peter Hamby described the gathering as a “conservative petri dish” to measure “how Mitt Romney is received and how his challengers are received too.” Anchor Suzanne Malveaux chimed in: “I love that, conservative petri dish. That’s a great way to describe it.”

A petri dish is defined as “a shallow circular dish with a loose-fitting cover, used to culture bacteria or other microorganisms.” As if conservatives are some kind of organism in a contained space to be studied from above by the “scientists” at CNN for our harmful effects. We’re not the Ebola virus, but that seems as if it’s how CNN sees conservatives. Video below.

Audio: MP3 clip

Hat tip to Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard and his “Washington Secrets” column.

From CNN Newsroom at 11:52 EST AM this morning, Thursday, February 9:

CNN REPORTER PETER HAMBY, AT CPAC:  Tomorrow is a big, big day here. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum just a few days after Santorum had that February 7th sweep. Riding high on a lot of momentum. They're all speaking here. Now remember four years ago, Mitt Romney came here as sort of the conservative alternative to the establishment frontrunner John McCain and Romney got a very warm reception here, the crowd really loved him. He dropped out here at CPAC after giving a pretty good speech. Now, this time of course Mitt Romney is that establishment, sort of moderate centrist frontrunner with two conservative insurgents, three, rather, on the side. So it will be interesting to see in this kind of conservative petri dish how Mitt Romney is received and how his challengers are received too, Suzanne.

ANCHOR SUZANNE MALVEAUX: I love that, conservative petri dish. That’s a great way to describe it.