Posted on 05/24/2010 8:31:57 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
Almost instantly after becoming the Tea Party’s next great hope, the Kentucky Senate nominee imploded on the national stage. Meghan McCain on why Paul is a cautionary tale for Republicans.
I’ve been intrigued by Ron Paul and his so-called revolution ever since the Texas renegade began making waves on the presidential trail in 2008—and his supporters began crashing nearly every major Republican event since he dropped out of that race. I can’t help but interpret the congressman’s cult-like, libertarian-leaning following as yet another indicator of a growing resentment of all people incumbent and in power in Washington.
So, almost by default, my fascination spills over to his son Rand Paul and his recent Senate primary race in Kentucky. Last week, the younger Paul claimed the state’s Republican nomination—thanks, in large part, to vast Tea Party support. Yet less than 48 hours later, he (now infamously) declared on The Rachel Maddow Show that, while he’s against racism and prejudice, he essentially believes that any business owner has a right not to serve a person because of his or her race, and that he would have voted against the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.
To me, what’s most significant about this series of events is how quickly Paul—the Tea Party movement’s first truly notable candidate, both in name and national prominence—imploded on the national stage.
When someone runs for office, essentially, all he or she must do is answer questions about what he or she believes and why these beliefs will best serve the country. Yet anyone watching Paul’s interview with Maddow could see that he was unable to do that. Worse, he managed to confuse voters further about just where his libertarian ideals stand, raising new questions about his extreme libertarian view of how our country should be governed.
Paul’s nomination could have been a moment of triumph for the Tea Party movement, as well as for Republicans, but instead it was an embarrassment. And I felt the disappointment firsthand, given that I agree with and support numerous things the Tea Party represents. Like many Americans, I’m angered by the intense spending going on under the Obama administration. But when the movement was given the opportunity to present specific solutions and answer real questions, its leaders nominated someone who—yet again—revealed weird, racist undertones, no matter how he wants to spin it.
I respect Paul’s ideological commitment to libertarianism, of which it’s quite obvious he’s a die-hard supporter, even if there are reasons there’s no real libertarian senator. And I, too, believe that the government should stay out of people’s lives as much as possible. Yet Paul seems to be taking these beliefs to an extreme, one that’s making even fellow Republicans uneasy.
With the midterm elections fast approaching, and the 2012 elections around the corner, let’s hope Paul isn’t a canary in the coal mine, if you will, for Republicans, but a cautionary tale. The lesson is clear: If we don’t nominate formidable candidates with wider appeal and a broader message, our party is dead in the water.
Yes, Rand Paul could just be an anomaly; the next Tea Party candidate who rises to national prominence could be the answer to the movement’s prayers. Yet I believe that Paul offers a lens into the Tea Party’s broader problems. While anger over the way the country is run is valid, when it comes to specifics—and to direct, clear solutions—things fall apart.
Paul’s role within the Republican Party (if any) has yet to be determined. But one thing I am sure of is that, until we start nominating candidates who have more realistic views of the complex world we live in and stop seeing things strictly in black and white (no pun intended), we are going to continue losing elections and becoming punch lines for late-night talk-show hosts.
Meghan McCain is a columnist for The Daily Beast. Originally from Phoenix, she graduated from Columbia University in 2007. She is a New York Times bestselling children's author, previously wrote for Newsweek magazine, and created the website mccainblogette.com.
Check this out. Meg’n McLame calls Rand Paul “extreme” and a “racist.”
It appears the duct tape didn’t hold. This time put it on her mouth AND her hands. And don’t let her have any pencils or pens!
By all means, let’s listen to the fat valley girl.
she hasn’t developed critical thinking yet
He said something quite different in fact.
Now Meghan? She still has to learn to not wander around the campaign fund raisers eating up the leftover chunks of chocolate cake. It's bad for her arches!
RINO chick McLame, I despise thee. Go quietly into obscurity.
Meghan McCain isn’t even a RHINO. She’s just a fat 20-something ditz who just happens to have a senator for a daddy. Betcha if anyone told her the truth to her face, she’d probably start bawling until all her eye shadow collected in the corners of her mouth.
Well, I guess Rand is toast then. The daughter of the world’s most famous RINO has spoken. She has the best interests’ of the GOP in mind, you know.
Poor meggy, she is one who knows what it feels like to be a useful idiot. Unfortunately, even she overestimates her usefulness.
Which one of you lifted the rock and let this creature out among us?
Little girls should keep their opinions to themselves.
The Stormfront Money Bomb candidate racist and extreme ? How could that possibly be?
“Let me be clear: I support the Civil Rights Act because I overwhelmingly agree with the intent of the legislation, which was to stop discrimination in the public sphere and halt the abhorrent practice of segregation and Jim Crow laws,” he said. Later, in an interview on CNN, he said that if he had been in the Senate in 1964, he would have supported the act.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2520346/posts
Let me be clear: Meghan McCain is nothing but a useful idiot for the left.
A chip off the old maverick's block.
The stupid *unt had her 10 minutes of fame during the 08 season. Even Paris Hilton has quietly stepped to the sidelines but this tw*t wont.
I thought Meghan McCain was busy debating Bristol Palin.
I could care less about what the McCain bimbo has to say about anything, but Rand Paul does seem to be doing a pretty good job of shooting his own feet.
She’s baaaaack.....
At least Rand never flashed his tits to the world
Meghan McCain is just a strange bird that didn’t actually look at what Rand said anymore than she has probably read the Arizona Immigration law either. By the way is Meghan calling for an end to the Congressional Black Caucus or the Hispanic Caucus? Traditionally Black Colleges, the NAACP, LARAZA (The Race), the United Negro College Fund? These all seem like racial discriminatory units and all receive Government funds I am sure.
The reason why the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was necessary was because the 14th Amendment to the Constitution had been ignored in the South especially but other areas of the country as well.
Black people couldn’t use taxpayer funded fascilities such as schools, bathrooms, libraries, and some law enforcement members were also in the Klan or didn’t consider what the Klan carrying out murders, assaults, property destruction, bombings, robberies.
This made it easy for private businesses, once again some of them involved with the Klan either by choice or intimidation to avoid being retaliated against to not serve blacks because the Governments of these states and municipalities were doing it as well.
Rand Paul has been campainging for a year now and has never discussed the 1964 Civil Rights Act or repeal any provision of it. He was asked a question by a left wing hack on MSLSD and he stated their was only 1 section, the Government dictating to private business who they will allow on their property.
Their is little chance of even that small portion of the Civil Rights Act being repealed. If it was very few businesses would do it because the public pressure and national media attention would be immense on anyone who tried it. Maybe a few bars or some mom and pop places that probably rarely have minority customers anyway . I could see some minority owned businesses in large cities doing it as well.
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