Posted on 02/03/2016 8:55:56 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
I've knocked around Rand Paul quite a lot over the last year-plus, and I think most or all if it was well-deserved (I've also, it should be noted, praised him a few times as well, when he deserved it). But Paul's decision to drop out of the race today (before New Hampshire) in order to help unify the party to defeat Trump, shows that he, like Scott Walker, is a true Republican who believes in conservative principles, and for that he should be commended.
See, there are two types of people who call themselves Republicans. The first are those who call themselves Republicans because they believe in things like limited government, lower taxes, less government regulations, and the sanctity of human life at all stages of development. The second are those who call themselves Republicans because they perceive that doing so will help elevate them personally or their national profile.
An example of the latter would be Mike Huckabee, who has spent the last two weeks of his campaign living up the rectal canal of Donald Trump, a man whose personal life and politics stand opposed to everything Huckabee has preached for the last three decades. An example of the former would be Scott Walker, who decided not to fight a losing campaign because he understood the need for the party to unify sooner, rather than later, against the existential threat of Trump.
Paul has squarely placed himself in the Scott Walker camp of true Republicans, and rejected the Huckabee camp of career opportunism. Paul knew he was not going to win the nomination, but he had reason to believe that he might have a respectable showing in New Hampshire. Staying in the race for another week would not have measurably hurt his Senate campaign, and he could have gotten himself some free television exposure during this week's debate. Instead, he did the right thing and folded up now, realizing that the best way to stop Trump is for the field for narrow sooner, rather than later.
In this, Rand has shown more maturity and respect for the party than his father, who carried on two pointless campaigns all the way to the convention just to prove a point of some sort. Rand's campaign hasn't been as successful as either of those were, but he's shown himself to be a bigger man, regardless, and for that he can hold his head high.
Rand Paul is fine. The Republican Party has a Libertarian wing, and they are welcome. Like others, they have to accept that there is a large intersection of interests, and some areas of disagreement. But overall, both Libertarian Republicans and the rest of the Party are better off with them here.
Congratulations to Senator Paul on his run. One must do these things. Thank you, sir!
What a bunch of bovine feces. Defeat Trump and an establishment hack with even less conservative principles than Trump will win the nomination.
Yet he has no problem with Rubio or Bush in. With Rubio and Bush you get amnesty which in this guy’s mind must be Republican. Crow all you want about eminent domain, but Trump said he would build a wall. And we won’t have a country to worry about without it.
He is a libertarian not a Republican.
Another foolish conflation of “Republican” and “Conservative”
What if you have to use eminent domain to build the wall? Trump would build the wall while the rest would make speeches.
“But Paul’s decision to drop out of the race today (before New Hampshire) in order to help unify the party to defeat Trump, shows that he, like Scott Walker, is a true Republican who believes in conservative principles, and for that he should be commended. “
You see it’s what’s best for the party that counts, not what’s best for the country and the people of the US.
Paul,in addition to being his daddy’s little boy,is a first class whiney POS.
Bush and Rubio used to be close, both favor amnesty - the quickest way to destroy this country.
You nailed it. Red state is a joke.
Trump is a joke.
“with even less conservative principles than Trump will win the nomination.”
That would be hard to find.
NO, not a Libertarian wing. They're small -l libertaran. Reasonable libertarians. Not capital_L Libertarians like the Rothbardians.
True that. I just have to comment, Leon seems stuck in the gutter, as a ‘professional’ writer he resorts to words a 6th grader uses?
These are the brilliant minds out to destroy our country.
I like Rand. I could have lived with him as the nominee pretty easily, though I disagree with him on some things. There is no 100 percent perfect candidate, and I found Rand’s perspective valuable and interesting. Whether or not you agree with him on specific issues, his dedication to the Constitution is admirable.
It wasn’t his time. (Whether it will ever be his time is an open question, but it clearly wasn’t now.) So he did the honorable thing — got out and let his people coalesce around someone who defends our conservative principles and can actually get nominated. God bless him for that.
And when we put a conservative president in the White House, we’ll need Rand Paul in the Senate to help get our legislation passed. he could still be very important over hte next few years.
Our movement has always had this. In my days in Young Americans for Freedom, we had some tension between traditionalists and libertarians, but as much or more between the activists and the careerists.
Rand Paul is an activist who wants to get things done and move the ball in our general direction. He falls within our broad coalition, and I salute him for putting principles and party before opportunism.
I know he has problems with Bush, and I suspect some problems with Rubio.
Building the wall (which Cruz will do as well) is a legitimate government function. It's part and parcel of protecting and defending our border. That puts it in the same bracket as a road, a school, or a hospital.
What went on in Kelo and in Atlantic City was simply the transfer of wealth in the form of property from poor and middle-class people for the benefit of private interests -- generally wealthy ones, at that.
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