Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Welcome to the Rand Paul evolution [Now Advocates a "Path to Citizenship"]
Politico ^ | 11/13/12 | Manu Raju

Posted on 11/13/2012 1:46:40 PM PST by MissesBush

He’ll push to loosen marijuana penalties, legalize undocumented immigrants and pursue a less aggressive American foreign policy.

Call it the Rand Paul Evolution.

In the wake of Barack Obama’s reelection win and ahead of a possible 2016 White House bid of his own, the Kentucky Republican plans to mix his hard-line tea party conservatism with more moderate policies that could woo younger voters and minorities largely absent from the GOP coalition. It’s the latest tactic of the freshman senator to inject the Libertarian-minded views shared by his retiring father into mainstream Republican thinking as the party grapples with its future.

In an interview with POLITICO, Paul said he’ll return to Congress this week pushing measures long avoided by his party. He wants to work with liberal Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy and Republicans to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for pot possession. He wants to carve a compromise immigration plan with an “eventual path” to citizenship for illegal immigrants, a proposal he believes could be palatable to conservatives. And he believes his ideas — along with pushing for less U.S. military intervention in conflicts overseas — could help the GOP broaden its tent and appeal to crucial voting blocs that handed Democrats big wins in the West Coast, the Northeast and along the Great Lakes.

“We have three big regions where we’re not competitive,” Paul said. “And we have to be competitive in those regions.”

Paul, 49, was elected on the tea party wave that fueled GOP landslide victories in 2010, often declaring on the campaign trail that he had a “message” from the tea party: “We have come to take our government back.”

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2014elections; 2016elections; cannabis; drugs; drugwar; marijuana; randpaul; warondrugs; wod; wodlist; wosd
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
This sounds like a bunch of pandering to me, trying to get youth voters by pandering to their pot obsession and pandering to law breakers by forgiving their flouting of our immigration laws. Why is Rand drinking the group think Koolaid of the US news media that's telling Republicans to become like the Democratic party to win elections?? That's the translation for the tiresome "inclusiveness" demands by media pukes and spineless RepubliCants suffering Stockholm Syndrome from working for liberal media outlets for too long--and yes, that includes the Fox panel.

Guess what folks--they'll still vote Democrat. Hispanic voters aren't any different than the rest of the entitlement voters that supported Obama. In the next election after Reagan granted amnesty, the GOP's presidential vote share went from 37% in 1984 to 30% in 1988. They want the bennies. It's why they support the Party of Santa Claus.

When you become an imitation, people still vote for the real thing rather than the imitator. If tribal politics are the new norm in American politics where women don't give a rip about their jobs, their husbands jobs, or being able to find jobs, if they don't care about record debt and deficits their kids will have to suffer a huge hit in standard of living to pay off and the price of everything from food to gas to clothing under Obama up through the roof all because they need to protect their blood lust for murdering babies, then I don't want their votes. Nor am I willing to see the GOP become the second party of treason in selling out to illegal immigrants and rewarding law breaking. It's a sad state of affairs when Americans begin to vote as tribes rather than citizens. I honestly do not care if we lose every future election if it means not becoming Democrat-lite. When the country's economy then goes into permanent malaise and we in the future have to implement Greece-like austerity because no one will lend us money and because our economy is in the tank, and we then have rioting in our streets because tribal voters (not a racist term--meaning people who vote for their narrow interests) don't want to give up their welfare benefits, and when Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security consume 100% of the US budget because Obama and the Democratic party lacked the leadership and courage to reform them, then maybe Americans will give the Republican party and conservatism a second look. If that's 10, 20, 30 years down the road, I could not care less. Let America have its party. I will sit on the sidelines and enjoy watching the place burn to the ground. Americans deserve what they vote for. I say let us in the GOP take decades in the political wilderness if that's what it means to not give up what we know is true and what we know works: Conservatism.

By the way, I love how the piece gleefully reports that the Tea Party agenda has gotten nowhere, as if it could get anywhere having a complete liberal jack ass like Harry Reid in charge of the Senate or a statist left wing ideologue in the White House.

1 posted on 11/13/2012 1:46:50 PM PST by MissesBush
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

STUPID!!!

Any wavering on Conservative principles, to gain votes from certain demographics, is pandering and FAKE and won’t work. It’s not about trying to get MORE voters....it’s about keeping the ones who want a true Conservative party.

Stay in line with conservative values, principles and morals and keep your spine steady and stiff....STOP pandering to moderates, STOP pandering to ILLEGALS, and STOP trying to win people who ultimately won’t be won on stupid social issues. THAT is what is killing the Republican party. THAT is why people don’t vote. THAT is why registered Republicans leave and become Independents.

But...apparently, they’ll never learn....stupid elitocrats. I’m ashamed of Rand Paul. You’d think he would learn SOMETHING from his dad....stick to the Constitution and Conservatism....but NOOOOOO...he’s gonna follow the trap of so many MODERATES and RINOS before him. Dumbass.


2 posted on 11/13/2012 1:56:26 PM PST by Lucky9teen (Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading.~Thomas Jeffer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

Drop the “path to citiznship.”

If any path is to be considered it might be a “path to legality,” but never a “path to citizenship.”


3 posted on 11/13/2012 1:59:04 PM PST by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

Looks like the nut doesn’t fall too far from the tree here.
Hey Rand, conservatives will not win by becoming liberals.


4 posted on 11/13/2012 1:59:17 PM PST by History Repeats (sic transit gloria mundi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

What a Joke. As if granting amnesty solves any problem.


5 posted on 11/13/2012 2:01:40 PM PST by Theoria (Romney is a Pyrrhic victory.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

To be fair to Rand, these have been things Libertarians have talked about long before Nov. 6th. They’re just coming to the forefront again.


6 posted on 11/13/2012 2:02:33 PM PST by nagelbett
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

I’ll listen to his ideas before I condemn him. Rand Paul speaks of liberty more than any other man in public life, certainly more than our most recent feckless nominee.

Though if we abandon the principal of the rule of law for political expediency, it will not be worth it. For liberty is protected by only one thing, stated laws, known and obeyed by all, made by the people’s representatives, freely elected.


7 posted on 11/13/2012 2:02:52 PM PST by cotton1706
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lucky9teen; MissesBush
How about they use the Path to Citizenship my Parents used when they came to this country?

A CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION RAND YOU F*&%^(@g DOLT!

What about people like MY parents hmmm!?!? Who came to this country Legally?

I guess German Jews and English Baroness' aren't groups that can be pandered to!

Gag me with a spoon!

8 posted on 11/13/2012 2:03:39 PM PST by KC_Lion (Build the America you want to live in at your address, and keep looking up.-Sarah Palin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

Rand Paul is WRONG. We need productive immigrants and we don’t need law-breaking illegals.


9 posted on 11/13/2012 2:05:49 PM PST by impimp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

They didn’t understand when it was just a few million.

They didn’t understand when it was ten million.

They don’t understand now, when it’s between 20 and 35 million.

Every step of the way, there have been citizens yelling from the rooftops, this was very dangerous to our nation. They ignored them every stop of the way, as what they predicted became a reality.

Over 70% of Hispanics voted for a man dedicated to destroying our nation’s ability to impact the world for the good of mankind.

Now the powers that be will not listen to us, when we explain that legalizing 20 to 35 million people, will fatally harm this nation.

70% of them will vote for the worst of the worst. Some of them already do.

And what happens when 20 to 35 million people are made citizens? Why they bring in 5 to 10 or more people each, if not far more.

Folks, this isn’t just an academic exercise.

How do you get this through the heads of people who are blinded to it, and even now refuse to admit expanded treachery is just that, expanded treachery?

Our nation hangs in the balance, and these louts treat it as if they were going down to the local eatery for a soft-drink and fries.


10 posted on 11/13/2012 2:07:45 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Hurricane Sandy..., a week later and 48 million Americans still didn't have power.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

It would have saved a lot of words to just say: I am just like daddy.


11 posted on 11/13/2012 2:13:28 PM PST by svcw (Why is one cell on another planet considered life, and in the womb it is not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

Why can’t the Republicans trade for “Comprehensive Immigration Reform”? We should get Tax Reform with a dramatically broadened base as a trade off (e.g., flat or much flatter tax). It is only fair.


12 posted on 11/13/2012 2:26:25 PM PST by LALALAW (one of the asses whose sick of our "ruling" classes)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush
I have come to conclusion that these politicians do not do this type of flip flopping to woo votes away from the other side.

Instead, it is the principal of running from a bear. You don't need to be faster than the bear as long as you are faster than your hiking partner.

These politician are becoming more "moderate" to stay out of the spotlight and the judgmental eye of the media. As long as they are not the most "extreme" they should stay safe and will not be singled out for defeat like certain congressmen in Florida.

If enough of these politicians were to man-up and turn around and confronted the bear like a certain ex-Speaker of the house now does, the bear would either run away and leave them alone or be defeated in the battle of ideas.

13 posted on 11/13/2012 2:34:11 PM PST by nitzy (A just law will neither punish virtue nor reward vice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush
He’ll push to loosen marijuana penalties

Ending marijuana penalties is the conservative position - as was ending the alcohol penalties of Prohibition.

14 posted on 11/13/2012 2:48:26 PM PST by JustSayNoToNannies ("mouth piece from the pit of hell" (Bellflower, 11/10/2012))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

In the movie, Independence Day, the aliens came to Earth in order to consume its resources. The aliens devour everything and then move on to the next planet.

We have locusts in our nation that are only interested in consuming everything possible. They do not care about the country, the future or the consequences......they only care about the next “meal”.

Libreals see these “locusts” as useful idiots who can give them the absolute power they crave. Once installed, the liberals will eliminate the locusts that refuse to serve the state.


15 posted on 11/13/2012 3:15:15 PM PST by Erik Latranyi (When religions have to beg the gov't for a waiver, we are already under socialism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: History Repeats
Hey Rand, conservatives will not win by becoming liberals.

I can live with the crap as long as he's pushing for more Liberty and Freedom in general. The RINO's could care less. The only thing they care about is a slightly different flavor of big government and to hell with Liberty.

16 posted on 11/13/2012 3:19:16 PM PST by Sirius Lee (RE SP - Republicans, from Mitt Romney ..to Karl Rove... are said to be concerned she will win.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

Never thought he would cave. Maybe all is lost.


17 posted on 11/13/2012 3:19:47 PM PST by Eagles6 (DNC 2012 Convention: Celebrating infanticide and sodomy. Denying God.What could possibly go wrong?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush

The Libertarians have always been for open borders. Just watch Stossel’s show to hear them advocate for it. They hate government in all its forms, including a government that would control the borders. It’s a tough fight when you have socialists, “white guilt” sufferers, business interests, the libertarians and some religious groups all trying to open the borders for one reason or another. This is a classic example where Johnny and Janey Lunchpail need to have their own organization that actually stands for common sense and the average American.


18 posted on 11/13/2012 3:22:56 PM PST by JediJones (Newt Gingrich warned us that the "King of Bain" was unelectable. Did you listen?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MissesBush
Fer cryin' out loud!

There is a "path to citizenship!" It's called "immigration and naturalization."

Don't legitimate immigrants find these word games insulting and annoying? They were able to become American citizens through the proper channels. Why should throngs of Mexican workers be any different?

The path to citizenship is to obey the law and become a naturalized US citizen! Period!

19 posted on 11/13/2012 3:24:04 PM PST by TChris ("Hello", the politician lied.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: elpadre
If any path is to be considered it might be a “path to legality,” but never a “path to citizenship.”

If they were given a legal status but not voting rights, before you could blink the courts would decree that status violates equal protection and they would assign them their voting rights.

20 posted on 11/13/2012 3:24:45 PM PST by JediJones (Newt Gingrich warned us that the "King of Bain" was unelectable. Did you listen?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson