Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker gestures as he speaks at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., Saturday, March 16, 2013. It may seem early, but the diehard activists who attended the three-day conference are already picking favorites in what could be a crowded Republican presidential primary in 2016.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker gestures as he speaks at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., Saturday, March 16, 2013. It may seem early, but the diehard activists who attended the three-day conference are already picking favorites in what could be a crowded Republican presidential primary in 2016.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker gestures as he speaks at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., Saturday, March 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gestures as he speaks at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., Saturday, March 16, 2013. It may seem early, but the diehard activists who attended the three-day conference are already picking favorites in what could be a crowded Republican presidential primary in 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R- Minn., speaks at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., Saturday, March 16, 2013. It may seem early, but the diehard activists who attended the three-day conference are already picking favorites in what could be a crowded Republican presidential primary in 2016.(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
OXON HILL, Md. (AP) ? Only months after President Barack Obama's re-election, an annual gathering of conservatives served as an audition for Republicans looking to court conservative activists and raise their profile, all with an eye toward greater political ambitions.
It may seem early, but the activists who attended the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference are already picking favorites in what could be a crowded Republican presidential primary in 2016.
After telling The Associated Press that a presidential run is "an option," first-term Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker thrilled activists Saturday by declaring: "In America, we believe in the people and not in the government."
"It is precisely why, in America, we take a day off and celebrate the Fourth of July and not the 15th of April," he said.
The party's 2008 vice presidential nominee, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, mixed anti-Obama rhetoric with calls for a more inclusive GOP during her speech Saturday.
"We must leave no American behind," she said. "It's imperative to reach out and share that conservative message."
Earlier at the gathering, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio implored fellow Republicans to reconnect with middle-class voters.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul basked in the glow of his lengthy filibuster as he scanned a sea of "Stand With Rand" signs.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush held out the prospect of the nation's greatest century if the GOP were to evolve into the party of "inclusion and acceptance."
The conservative summit was to release its straw poll results late Saturday afternoon, offering a symbolic boost to one of the high-profile Republicans on the ballot even though none has made his or her 2016 intentions known.
That doesn't mean they're not thinking about it. They've all injected their prescriptions for the future of the wayward GOP.
Rubio drew thunderous applause by proclaiming that the Republican Party doesn't need any new ideas.
"There is an idea. The idea is called America, and it still works," he said in a speech aimed squarely at middle-class voters.
Paul, a favorite of younger libertarians who packed the hall, called for a new direction in Republican politics: "The GOP of old has grown stale and moss-covered."
Bush, perhaps the highest-profile establishment figure as the son and brother of presidents, pushed for a more tolerant party in a Friday night speech.
"The face of the Republican Party needs to be the face of every American," he said, and called on conservatives to move beyond "divisive and extraneous issues."
Earlier Friday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal urged Republicans to "recalibrate the compass of conservatism."
The stage was emblazoned with the words "America's Future: The Next Generation of Conservatives," making clear the party's interest in showcasing a new wave of talent. The gathering evoked the ending of one period and the beginning of another.
Mitt Romney, the party's 2012 presidential nominee, offered a valedictory of sorts, thanking activists for supporting his campaign. In a nod to the next generation, he urged conservatives to learn lessons from "some of our greatest success stories," the nation's 30 Republican governors.
Romney specifically pointed to governors who have sought a larger national profile, including Bob McDonnell of Virginia, Chris Christie of New Jersey and Walker.
Christie was not invited to the conference after rankling some conservatives by complimenting Obama's response to Superstorm Sandy. That move, some Republicans said, undermined Romney in the campaign's closing days.
The former Massachusetts governor also heaped praise on his running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, pointing to Ryan's "clear and convincing voice."
Ryan made no reference to the 2012 campaign in his speech Friday, instead focusing on congressional efforts to tame the deficit. His speech pointed to his professed interest in policy matters rather than future national campaigns.
Other 2012 presidential contenders, including former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, appeared at the conference to help maintain their place in the national conversation as the Republican Party looks for leadership.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who excited many conservatives before withdrawing from the 2012 presidential contest, questioned the conservative credentials of the GOP's last two presidential nominees.
Walker, who won conservative admiration for challenging his state's labor unions, said that Republicans "need to be relevant" by shifting their focus away from Washington debates and to the issues facing middle-class Americans in the states.
He told The Associated Press late last month that a 2016 presidential bid "would be an option," although it wasn't something he was "actively pursuing."
Walker's comments illustrate a dance the potential presidential candidates undertake as they contemplate their political futures.
Paul has said he's "seriously considering" running for the White House. But others have been more circumspect.
Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, has avoided such questions and instead continued his central role in one of Capitol Hill's most significant policy debates.
Jindal laughed off questions about his future. "Any Republican that's thinking about talking about running for president in 2016 needs to get his head examined," he said last month. "We've got a lot of work to do."
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Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas and Steve Peoples http://twitter.com/sppeoples
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