Melissa Quinn  / March 03, 2016 / The Daily Signal

Mia Love at CPAC
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In a year that has been dominated by mudslinging and name-calling, Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, bucked the status quo and delivered a speech to conservative activists today that highlighted the need for courage and confidence in the conservative movement.

Quoting former diplomat and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Love implored attendees of the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference to look “fear in the face” and find the courage needed to change the direction of the country.

“Strength, courage and confidence are attributes long associated with the American dream, and they’re absolutely essential to our movement,” Love said. “These are not characteristics obtained easily or afforded to those who simply show up. The only way to gain these traits is on the difficult path found on the road less traveled. But we as conservatives, we relish the opportunity to take the tough road and prove that our principles and policies work.”

Love wasn’t shy to admit that courage, specifically, is an attribute conservatives, including elected officials in Washington, D.C., need to find.

“We need an infusion of courage in the conservative cause,” the Utah Republican said. “We must have elected officials who will demonstrate a readiness to fight. We need a president who will not bend or buckle. We need a Congress that will reclaim our constitutional rights and the power of the purse. We need citizens who will also stand up, speak out and even stand alone if necessary in order to defend freedom. There has never been a greater need for courage and couragousness.”

Love’s speech differed from those of her fellow CPAC speakers today, who addressed a crowd of hundreds on the first day of the conference.

While many who spoke at the gathering cited the oft-repeated points that left audience members applauding—including vows to repeal Obamacare, defeat ISIS and preserve religious liberty—Love issued a call to action and focused on the need for people nationwide to find courage and confidence to promote the conservative cause.

“There has never been a point in history where conservative courage is needed more than it is today. You see, our nation is looking fear in the face,” she said. “We have come to a tipping point that will have ramifications for generations to come.”

Love continued:

We must as conservatives muster the courage to stand. We owe it to our cause and to our country, a country that has looked fear in the face again and again over the last 240 years and has always responded with courage.