Posted on 01/22/2013 4:16:44 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), son of the recently-retired libertarian Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas), was recently announced as a featured speaker for this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
CPAC is essentially a litmus test for the Republican Party; it provides a general sense of the party’s direction. Backed by tremendous Tea Party support, Rand Paul is eyeing a 2016 bid to take the reigns of the country, and he doesn’t care if you know it: "I am different than some in that I'm not going to deny that I'm interested," said Paul.
The GOP finds itself in an identity crisis. Among others attending CPAC are Sen. Marc Rubio (R-Fla.), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), and Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). Throw in Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, and you have all the heavy hitters chomping at the bit for the 2016 GOP bid.
With disciplined libertarian Ron Paul retiring, there is some expectation that Rand Paul will succeed his father in spearheading libertarian causes. After Romney’s mystery campaign many await what a reinvigorated GOP will entail. Does Rand Paul’s rise represent anything transformative in the GOP?
Rand Paul is a rare breed: He is a self-described libertarian, but envisions a world where the government controls matters regarding basic women’s rights, even in cases of rape and incest. The libertarian affection for choice, freedom, and minimalist government gains an interesting meaning for Paul: “I think the answer really is that we need to somehow find our way back to God.” Despite the continued moral decay noticed by some after the Newtown tragedy, government imposition of religious morality hardly defines any libertarian worth his salt.
Rand Paul might be characterized by tea party sentiment, “Get the government out of my life!”
(Excerpt) Read more at policymic.com ...
You’re grooving on Rand Paul today.
Consider his father. You know he grew up listening to that nutcase.
Everyone says what they think folks want to hear when seeking a job.
He may spout good points, but he was taught the trade by a froot-loop.
Just sayin’...
In the last Month the left has really started to attack Rand Paul, they are going to increase their attacks in the next 6-9 months, Rand Paul scares the HELL out of the left.
I’m going to have to study up on young Mr. Rand Paul.
How much of his father does he have in him? I just initially recoil at the thought of the the elder having some, any or too much sway with the younger.
Christina is DONE, TOAST...etc.
Paul Ryan / Rand Paul?
To cute with the names being so similar?
Go Ravens!!
G
whether I like the guy or not, anyone candidate that starts talking about god, rape or abortion is DOA. The SOP for the GOP should be...this election is not about that and I’m not going to be making it about that.
Actually wants to substantially shrink federal government and federal power. That’s all I need to know.
Disagreeing with someone does not equate to fear.
I dislike Lima beans. Do you imagine I'm afraid of them?
Personally, I think he the offspring of a truther kook who is spouting crap you want to hear in order to further his career.
I may be wrong, but I'll not be falling for showmanship and kookism.
Grooving? On a Tuesday afternoon? Actually, the press release on his “Default Prevention Act” suddenly popped up in my email box this afternoon. While searching for more info on it (which I didn’t find) I found this report and thought it was interesting. CPAC is a springboard for campaign kick offs.
The ones who don’t talk about God, Life, family as well as small (constitutionally limited) government, fiscal sanity, strong defense, etc, are DOA in my book.
Social liberals are liberals. Hello Arnie!!
It could happen, don't be so racist.
CPAC is a springboard for campaign kick offs.
Didn't they invite a bunch of homos to attend the last couple times?
Young kooklet Rand spouts a good line that many can agree with.
Fact is he's a noob who has the highly questionable history
of being brought up by a nut job. Anybody can SAY things you agree with.
Question is what'll he DO? And can we afford to take a chance on that?
He's working on making a name for himself and mayhap using marketing to do it.
I remain skeptical. His dad is a kookwad and Rand grew up with that.
He has to do some ‘splaining to prove he has fallen far from the tree of nuts known as his father..
Rand and Scott Walker seem to be the only two in the GOP who are willing to fight. I would vote for a Paul/Walker or Walker/Paul ticket in a heartbeat - and Walker brings executive experience.
How is Rand Paul not seen as being too libertarian by many conservatives? And, everybody who doesn’t accept Ron Paul, for a finite number of reasons, will, probably, not accept Rand Paul, either.
Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Scott Walker...
Those are probably my three favorite conservatives at the moment.
I’m not adverse to Rubio or Paul Ryan, but I don’t want either at the head of the ticket. Ryan has voted for too much government expansion, while Rubio is pushing the amnesty legislation.
If Christie touches the ticket, either as the president or the VP, I’m not voting.
Damned right the government should stay out of our lives. And that means not dictating to the states and the people that abortion or homosexual marriage should be legal. The people in the states clearly had these things illegal for over 200 years until the feds got involved. And taboo for eons before that. The feds should stay the hell out of areas that are not delegated to them by the constitution.
Racist? The Young Rascals are racist?
I think CPAC got their eyebrows singed on the homo issue and backed off (so to speak). Or, at least, I hope they’ve backed off.
candidates that lose elections can’t do much to help their cause
If you’re going to push the liberal/RINO agenda you can be replaced.
This is FR! Unabashedly pro-god, pro-life, pro-family, pro-constitution, pro-America. Love it, live it, or leave it!!
Something is going on, because I actually agree with every word of your post.
I think I need sleep. I’ll be better in the morning.
I guess we shall see. I remain skeptical of Paul.
I don’t think the Young Rascals are overtly racist, but I’ve not studied their origins and influences.
Yet.
Sometimes I let slide my opinionated dumbass persona.
Not often, and not soon again. Take comfort in that.
It is small comfort, but I will take it. :)
Agreed. I really cant see how somebody can be a conservative and a libertarian. I know as a Conservative there are many things the Libertarian can accept or sweep under the rug that I can never accept because as a Conservative and my core principles are not negotiable.
I never thought I’d say I want to hear more what a politician has to say but in Rand’s case I do. Is he a Conservative or a Libertarian?
I like what I see of Rand.
It is good to remain skeptical. Ever vigilant.
We have much to learn about young Paul.
Consider Rand for what he is and what he says. Not by his father. I doubt he'll be perfect, but he's the only Republican who talks about the constitution.
Not a bad start.
He's kind of a noobie geek that was raised by a nutcase.
I doubt he'll be perfect, but he's the only Republican who talks about the constitution.
Yeah. Note that talk is not equal to act.
I'm not condemning him, I'm just saying let's wait and see.
Justin Bieber is popular too but he's still a fag.
Seems to me that right now, Rand Paul and Mark Levin are the ONLY two national voices out there who are standing up against both Obama and the GOP-E, with Palin gone dormant for the time being.
So who else do you want? Jeb Bush or Chris "Big Tony" Christie?
It is way too early but:
Alan West or Ted Cruz in 2016
West/Cruz or Cruz/West
Nope. How about you?
Rand Paul and Mark Levin are the ONLY two national voices out there who are standing up against both Obama and the GOP-E
Really? How about you? Are those folks some kind of better than you? Aren't your posts read nationally?
Palin gone dormant for the time being.
Not touching that one today.
Well, you started tearing down Palin in 2009, and here you are now, in 2013, tearing down Rand Paul. Gives one the distinct impression that you’ll never be happy with any potential presidential candidate who actually wants to beat both Obama and the GOP-E.
Well, brer Ridgerunner, I imagine that is reasonably true.
When folks became worshipful and nasty about defending her
I naturally got contrariwise to this embarrassing fawnage.
Gives one the distinct impression that you’ll never be happy with any potential presidential candidate
Kind of like those purist retards that held out for the tease-in-chief?
presidential candidate who actually wants to beat both Obama and the GOP-E.
Name that sucker.
Good to see you posting about Rand Paul Jim.
Rand has that natural charisma and is a STAUNCH conservative.
He will never back down and is serious about limited government and cutting spending.
We must unite and choose one candidate to support, dont like the RINO’s split us and win with their establishment candidate like they have done with McCain and Romney.
That would be disaster.
I advocate for Rand Paul and would like Walker as his running mate as it may put WI in play.
Rand has the appeal to put states in play that others will not.
He has perfect delivery and the message is loud and clear: We’ve come to take our government back!
His libertarian message will resonate across America as he attempts to rebuild the Reagan coalition which included evangelicals, libertarians and common sense conservatives.
He’s the only one who can do it and who can defeat the left.
So you're admitting that you're not a Conservative "purist?" That instead, you're a party first hack who voted for ABO Romney? That makes YOU the sucker.
Name that sucker.
Well, right now, it's looking a whole lot like Rand Paul, and here you are already attacking him.
Reagan quote on libertarians:
“I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism”
Reagan won by a landslide.
Rand is trying to build that Reagan coalition.
You cannot win without the libertarians, they will just sit at home again like they did with Romney after he screwed Ron Paul at the convention in Tampa.
Purity is an impossible goal and expectation.
To surrender in it's absence is foolish and fraught with failure.
Well, right now, it's looking a whole lot like Rand Paul, and here you are already attacking him.
Am I? Is he to be the new chosen one, immune from any question or criticism?
Good luck with Bush or Christie then.
Good luck with kookery and trutherism then.
Rand is a strong social conservative and a church going christian.
Please check his wikipedia page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul
He is against abortion with no exceptions and supports a Life at Conception Act.
What more do you want?
He is also for a strong national defense, he just doesn’t think every dollar at the Pentagon is spent wisely and that it shouldn’t be immune from the looming budget fights.
He’s also against the overseas spending.
He’s said he might be interested in building missile defense system to protect US cities rather than bridges and infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Walker '16, if there is anything left by then.
Yep, but there are a lot of thick-headed party-first people around here who don't understand that Conservatives need to find allies and to build coalitions based on common principles with which to beat the Rats at their own game. Until that happens, we're going to get whipped over and over again like mangy mutts.
That’s exactly what Reagan did and it WORKS.
Look at the success he had. Total blowout in 84.
The establishment hated Reagan too and since then have given us Bush, Dole, Bush, McCain and Romney.
I prefer to get back to the principles that gave us Ronnie Reagan.
I like Walker but don’t think he can rise to prominence enough to be the nominee, nor can I see him able to build a winning coalition.
He has his own state and election to worry about.
I think if he’s on the ticket with Rand though that would be perfect as it might open up WI for a path to victory.
I want to know what his stand is concerning the US Military.
1. Will he support our troops and veterans and at what spending levels?
2. Will he use the military for social experimentation as in allowing gays to serve openly?
3. How many troops is he willing to commit throughout the world to support the WOT?
4. Would he be prepared to increase the number of active duty service members to allow for only 2 year long combat deployments in a five year period.
If I had solid answers to those questions it would be a good start.
Rand Paul has some marinating to do. He is not yet ready for prime time, but will be if he can pull off some leadership skills.
I like libertarianism the more I research it.
I do think that there are plenty of Conservative libertarians who are personally conservative and small government. Who believe that things should be handled locally, who want to downsize the feds.
People call Ron Paul a nutcase. They do not have a coherent understanding of libertarianism, and scream about the points that they do not like. A clear understanding of libertarian thought allows one to be conservative within its framework.
Ron Paul is a Maybury libertarian. Rand Paul seems to be libertarian too, and I have to say it, We need someone who can speak to freedom. We lost last time because no one except Paul Ryan spoke aobut freedom, and he wasnt left off the hook much.
Libertarianism is all about freedom and responsibility. I recommend learning more about it to everyone. If little old me is thinking of it, there is something to it, then any one would be interested.
He wants to bring troops home, he’s not interested in a never ending war on terror that is bankrupting America.
He is for a strong national defense but that doesn’t mean he wants troops sent all over the world, they should be in America defending America that’s his basic belief and the money spent on iraqi schools, roads and bridges should be spent on American roads and bridges.
Terrorism can never be defeated, it’s a tactic. US army has been in Afghanistan for 12 years the longest conflict in US HISTORY. Just forget it and think of it as a giant waste of money that needs to be cut out like a lot of things in the Federal budget.
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