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.

[4Liberty]

I’d support Rand Paul. Combine him with Alan West, for example, and we have a WINNER Ticket.

Young people like the limited government message, and Rand can deliver that.

Rand Paul isn’t a nutty pot-smoking isolationist: he is simply a Constitutionalist and Federalist.

I’m not a Paulbot — unless you think those who love and support Glenn Beck’s message and philosophy are the same.

For those Freepers who oppose drug legalization, gay marriage, legalized prostitution, etc., you are free to move to a State that prohibits them, if you support Federalism.

If we reduce the Federal Government, there will be plenty of returned tax money to VOLUNTARILY donate to any of the following causes: Israeli military equipment, Amnesty International, or Doctors without Borders. You want to continue foreign aid, you will get half your taxes back and hopefully more, to do exactly that.

Rand Paul would surely support forming cooperative defensive operations (Taiwan-Japan-South Korea-U.S.) against specific aggressive threats by NK or China, as the need arises in order to protect our mutually beneficial international free-trade routes.

Good luck to FReepers attempting to malign those who support Tea Party Constitutionalist candidates like Rand Paul.

This guy is the real deal, unlike the eGOP you swerve towards...

Go Hug Karl Rove, as we accelerate off the Socialist cliff.

[4Liberty]

Alan West = Allen West. sorry for typo!

[Fightin Whitey]

An anti-military candidate who is womewhat squishy on social issues.

Agreed.

And he's a pencil-neck to boot. lol.

[libdestroyer]

“Homosexual marriage is against the natural law that our founders recognized. How does the state have a right to change the natural law? Can it declare murder legal (I know abortion is murder but two wrongs don’t make a right) and be within their right?

It’s time to stand on principle and justice and keep our house built on rock rather than the sand of liberalism/social-libertarinaism.”

I agree with you. I just think that if the official GOP policy is “leave it up to the states” then it’s a tactical victory. Reserving that right for the states ensures that the federal govt won’t be able to force EVERYBODY to provide gay marriage.

IMHO, it’s better for a few states to be pro-gay marriage than ALL of them.