(Thumbnail image: The New York Times)

The Conservative Political Action Conference, better known as CPAC, is known for launching Republican candidates and drawing a who’s who of conservatives. But this year, some say the message is short on solutions and long on criticisms.

Let's start with a look at pot shots taken at the president by CPAC headliners Dick Cheney and Mitt Romney. 

CHENEY: “And I think Barack Obama is a one-term president.”

ROMNEY: “The gold medal won by American Lindsey Vonn has been stripped. Yeah- It was determined that President Obama has been going downhill faster than she has.” (CNN)

FOX News anchor Bill O’Reilly warns that too many anti-Obama rants may hurt Republican support.

“If CPAC makes a weekend out of bashing Obama, it will be making a big mistake. In order to regain power in America, conservatives must come up with solutions to complicated problems and that’s what they should be doing at the Washington convention. “

Politico's John Avalon attended the convention and tells MSNBC the more far-right speakers risk alienating moderate conservatives with too extreme ideology.

“The argument that Barack Obama is a socialist is considered conventional wisdom here... The problem with many independents and centrists is no party owns freedom, no party owns the Bible, and no party owns the American flag- But these folks, many of them, really feel like they do.”

Redstate.com’s Erick Erickson tells CNN that CPAC’s aim is to empower conservative… not beat down Democrats.

“These guys are viewing themselves more as 'happy warriors' not so much angry- Although they don’t like the direction the country is going.  But they realize Republicans are going to pick up seats just by virtue of history... Being the party of ‘No’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing for now.”

So does bashing President Obama help Republicans? And how much is too much?

Writer: Chelsea Donohoe

Producer: Newsy Staff