Posted on 05/12/2014 7:33:29 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., condemned his party's push for voter identification laws as "completely crazy" Friday, saying it's "wrong for Republicans to go too crazy on this issue because it's offending people."
The comments, delivered during an interview with The New York Times, make Paul the most prominent member of the GOP to speak out against a crusade that has energized the Republican base but alienated some of the young and minority voters the party hopes to court.
Notably, Paul disputed the political wisdom behind voter ID laws, but he did not question their substance or merit. He's previously said it is reasonable for states to require voters to present identification before casting a ballot.
The courts have put voter ID laws on hold in three states so far, with a federal court saying the rules in Texas imposed "unforgiving burdens" on... Thirty states have instituted voter ID requirements in recent years, though several laws have recently been struck down by federal and state courts.
Republicans, who have been the driving force behind the new laws, say they're protecting the integrity of elections by preventing voter fraud. Democrats, though, say there's no evidence of widespread voter impersonation or other forms of fraud. Many spy a more sinister motive, accusing Republicans of trying to depress turnout among students, African-Americans and other groups that lean Democratic and are more likely to lack a photo ID.
Paul, who has acknowledged that he is weighing a presidential bid in 2016, has urged his party to expand its appeal, and he has reached out in recent months to groups that don't traditionally align with the GOP.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
The people who are offended will vote Democrat anyway; voter ID will just help keep them from voting multiple times. Rand is brain-dead on this one.
“Not all illegals are Mexicans.
There is an est of one million islamics in the country, that is a real concern.”
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Have you been to a Costco lately? There are a lot more than one million illegal alien Muslims in the country now.
Yes I understand that and agree with the Islamic threat. The numbers aren’t even close though, we are mostly overrun by Mexican illegals.
This triangulation to the liberal side of the spectrum is not going to end well for Rand.
Adios to both Santorum (on the minimum wage issue) and Rand on voter ID in less than a week for the 2016 GOP nomination.
Shut up, Paul. You sound as though you are auditioning to be Hillary’s Veep.
Well I guess that crosses Rand off my presidential wish list. Strike 1 was his embrace of McConnell, Strike 2 his apparent embrace of amnesty (though that is really enough), now Strike 3.
Daddy’s little boy is all grown up.....
Rand Paul is taking this “See I’m different and open” theme a bit too far.
Great point. Classic libertarians—you’ve almost got me going your way such as on foreign policy then.....this (plus his embrace of amnesty).
And just who is offended, Senator?
What if I, a U.S. citizen, am offended with the lack of voter ID?
Hey Rand, why have voter registration at all? Just vote!
Meanwhile, we are about to lose a Congressional leader (sniff) because of these silly voter registration laws:
“John Conyers came up more than 400 signatures shy of qualifying for the ballot because his signature-gatherers were not registered voters...”
I wish they were more rational. I consider myself a conservative with storng libertarian tendencies, but you have to balance small government with sanity.
Rand Paul has demonstrated once more that he is off the reservation as a serious candidate for President, despite what CPAC says.
Rand, Christie, Marco....just can’t help themselves...”Must make myself relevant to the middle or die.”
Rand Paul must have spoken to Sen. Juan McCain and or Willard Romney because he seems to have shifted to political self destruct mode.
Goodness. Paul is such a libertarian nut.
Paul seems to think he can get the votes of the Hispanics and still be a conservative. Conservatives must shut down Federal welfare programs - Hispanics came here for those programs.
Same for blacks - as both blacks and the Latrino block is overwhelmingly going to vote for the Party of Free-Stuff.
Dey be de “Gibsme-Dat” voting bloc.
Paul is either suffering delusions of grandeur or has been blackmailed, as no rational politician would plan a campaign on being able to convince the “GibsMe-Dat” bloc to vote for the end of their free lunch.
Another issue that Rand takes both sides of, ‘compassionate libertarians’ ??
Seems Rand Paul does not want to be POTUS, this position takes him out of any serious thought of contention.
Ted Cruz 2016
I recently moved to Indiana from Illinois. When I went to get my new driver’s license and change the plates, registration, and title for my car, I had to provide my Illinois DL and two other forms of identification. I brought my passport and birth certificate. I also brought a recent utility bill for proof of address. When that was all finished, the BMV guy asked me if I wanted to register to vote. I did, and it occurred to me that, if they were that scrupulous on all voter registrations, they should have pretty clean voter rolls — at least for those who are newly-registered.
The last time I registered in Illinois was so long ago that I don’t remember what I had to provide to register. I assume I had to provide some kind of positive ID. If a positive ID is a requirement for registration, then what is the problem with making it a requirement for voting? Yes, I know that the Democratic argument against it is rooted in their desire to make fraud more easy to commit. What is the root of Rand Paul’s argument?
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