Really? Why?
Because there used to be a time when most conservatives saw the civil rights act of 1964 as a major usurpation of power by the federal government at the expense of states and personal liberties.
People who want to be offended by his remarks would never consider voting for him anyway. The Democrats have several racial/ethnic voting blocks in their pockets. Republicans would do well to write them off and not try to buy their votes at the expense of everyone else.
“People who want to be offended by his remarks would never consider voting for him anyway.”
I don’t buy this. Don’t get me wrong, Rand Paul is right in his position regarding the civil rights act, but you’re ignoring political reality if you don’t think that his initial remarks (with an assist from the media) damaged his support with SOME people who probably would consider voting for him.
I still think he’ll win easily, but he screwed up here. NOT because he’s wrong on the issue, but because he allowed it to become an issue in the first place.
Political battles are not won on the extremes; conservatives will support a political candidate, lefties not. It's the great middle that decides elections.
It's not enough to consider how it will play against either base; it also matters how it plays in the middle.