Rand Paul: Voters Ready for libertarian Republican

POLITICO ^ | MANU RAJU

[JohnPDuncan]

Sen. Rand Paul says he'll wait until 2014 to decide whether to run for president, but he believes voters are ready for a Libertarian-minded Republican candidate.

"I would absolutely not run unless it were to win," the Kentucky Republican said on "Fox News Sunday." "Points have been made, and we we will continue to make points. But I think the country is really ready for the narrative coming — the Libertarian Republican narrative."

Voters want a "different face," he said.

In order to expand the party's reach, Paul believes the GOP should embrace candidates who are willing to push a less aggressive foreign policy, comprehensive immigration reform and less punitive measures on first offenders of nonviolent drug possession.

"We're doing fine in congressional seats, but we're becoming less and less of a national party," Paul said.

Paul has been making it clear for months that he's leaning toward a presidential run, but he added he won't make a final decision before next year.

In the interim, he said, he'll continue to make his points in the Senate, including over immigration. On the same program, Paul said he'll offer an amendment to the forthcoming bipartisan immigration bill that would require the Government Accountability Office to report annually whether the border is secure and force Congress to vote on those reports. That would occur before the 11 million illegal immigrants can achieve permanent residency, under Paul's plan.

"I do support the concept of telling the 11 million people here that if you want to work and you don't want to be on welfare, we're wiling to find a place for you in America," he said.

[Beagle8U]

“Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul has taken what very well could be considered his most pro-Israel stance yet, saying in an interview that an attack on Israel should be treated as an attack on the United States”

But until they are attacked Paul is content to stand around with his thumb in his ass while Iran builds nukes. No sale!

[TexasFreeper2009]

I also believe the republicans need to make a slight adjustment to their stance on certain issues in a more libertarian direction. In particular, drugs. The Republican party needs to stand for freedom, and that includes the freedom to destroy your life slowly with drugs if you so wish.

[SkyPilot]

Our military is reeling right now under a trifecta of fiscal attacks. The US military was cut by $487 Billion (over ten years) that started 2 years ago. The Continuing Resolution has frozen military spending and is hurting it beyond what 99% of Americans even realize.

Now comes the final blow of $600 Billion sequestration cuts that it must absorb (50% of all cuts yet it is 18% of the budget). Because military pay cannot be touched this year, and procurement dollars are largely safe, the military is going to have to gut Operations and Maintenance to the bone. There is simply no other way. It is the truth. It is fact. Yet Paul is going around, erronously telling everyone that it is "just a cut in the increase" - which is blatantly false. These are real and deep cuts.

Then I hear how Rand Paul is so "Constitutional." Defense is Constitutional, Social Security and Medicare are not - yet I have seen Paul speak about "we must keep our promises" on those programs, but he is all for drastic cuts to the military?

Furthermore, he just went on a Sunday show and totally undercut Sen Graham, who was defending the military.

I have heard Rand Paul undercut aid to Israel, and also the Defense of Marriage Act.

No thanks. You guys can support him, but I am not letting this vacuum salesman in my house to pour dirt on my carpet and tell me how clean he can make it.

Best of luck to him and other Libertarians.

[little jeremiah]

How is Rand Paul on social issues?

The ones that the official LP party wants all legalized, like no holds barred porn, prostitution, the entire homo rights agenda, all drugs legalized, no laws against abortions at all, and btw open borders with anyone allowed in no limits.

How is Rand on those?

If he likes the LP platfrom, he’s toxic waste.

[JohnPDuncan]

if Rand Paul was Governor of Kentucky he would not be in favor of legalizing drugs, prostitution and whatever else.

If he was POTUS he would not tell states that they couldn’t do it if they want. Indeed Nevada already allows prostitution and CO and WA just voted to legalize cannabis

[JohnPDuncan]

Iran’s leader has a Fatwa against nuclear weapons. You’re falling the propaganda. The CIA says they’re not building a bomb, it’s for electricity .

[BarnacleCenturion]

“How is Rand Paul on social issues?”

See post #29. His 100% pro-life voting record is also a good hint.

[Beagle8U]

You forgot the sarcasm tag.

[ZULU]

We;;, Republican voters May be ready for a candidate who has SOME conservative convictions - and stand by them.

[NFHale]

OMG..that is TOO weird...

They DO look seriously alike...

[Georgia Girl 2]

Rand Paul is the only person I have any motivation to vote for in 2016.

[NFHale]

He’ll have my vote.

Gov Walker / Allen West,

Rand Paul / Allen West

Allen West / Rand Paul

Allen West / Gov Walker

Any combination thereof is fine with me.

[JohnPDuncan]

yes the libertarian wing wants to cut spending (foreign aid to all countries not just israel) because we have a 1 trillion deficit and a 16 trillion national debt, then you have big spending conservatives like Bush who ballooned the budget and spent money like a drunken sailor. I think America wants spending cut and the economy growing again

[rrrod]

He may be correct but I dont trust any Paul or his robots followers.....

[JohnPDuncan]

But you can trust Bush when he runs as a conservative but doubles the size of the government?

[GeronL]

libertarian utopians are just as wrong as leftists

[LouAvul]

I don't think a lot of people understand that Rand may be very conservative on the fiscal issues, but he is not with traditional conservatives on the social issues. This may be the direction the party is going, but social conservatives aren't going to throw in the towel so easily - and anyone running on the right needs the socon vote in order to win state and national elections.

I think that pretty much nails it. I was living in kalifornia when Arnie RINO became governor. He described himself as a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. That combination proved to make him more of a demonrat than anybody imagined.

Libertarian, huh? Vending machine narcotics. Open borders. No thanks. If he's the best the RNC can do I'll stay home.

[RedMDer]

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[GeronL]

I would never vote for Rand Paul

[SkyPilot]

yes the libertarian wing wants to cut spending (foreign aid to all countries not just israel) because we have a 1 trillion deficit and a 16 trillion national debt

Three things wrong with that argument:

1. Foreign aid is an obscenity, but even completely cutting it to zero will have almost no effect on our debt and deficit. Our debt and deficit is largely driven by entitlements, but even Rand Paul calls for "keeping those promises" rather than real reforms and reductions in Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare. Even if we zeroed out Defense spending completely, entitlements will bury us. If you listened to Paul this morning, he saved his sharpest knives for going after the defense budget.

2. Foreign aid is packaged in Congress into one...big...bill. To every country we give aid to. That happens each year, and every year. I don't agree with it, but that's they way they do it to ensure the Liberals have the Muslim wack jobs funded and the Conservative get Israel funded. If Paul wants to change that, let him go ahead and start that process. I would love to see it.

3. Aid to Israel is a very special thing for this nation that transcends politics. It is an issue with the Almighty. God will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse her. While I have seen Paul visit Israel and make some pro-Israel comments, he has also been just as nonsupport in his actions and comments alike.

#3 above, plus his failure to defend the military from the current fiscal attack it is suffering under (to the contrary, he is one of head cheerleaders) strike him from and list of leaders I would hope to see emerge.