Posted on 09/08/2014 8:26:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
For several years Rand Paul, the junior senator from Kentucky and the son of presidential candidate Ron Paul, has been one of the most interesting politicians in his party and in congress as a whole. At a time when new ideas have become increasingly scarce, and the policy bandwidth increasingly narrow in Washington, Mr. Paul, whether speaking about US intervention and foreign policy or more recently about militarization and the police, has been one of the few politicians with views outside of his party’s mainstream. With the 2016 presidential election approaching, this has made Mr. Paul one of the most intriguing presidential candidates. But what’s made him special may also may be changing.
As the 2016 election draws nearer, Mr. Paul, according to Politico has bolstered his circle of advisors with a mix of conservative insiders like anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist, former Bush administration official and previous president of the International Republican Institute (IRI) Lorne Craner and James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation, as well as with a number of organizations that are not usually found advising Republican presidential hopefuls, including the ACLU and Families Against Mandatory Minimums, an organization working to reform prison sentencing.
Last week Mr. Paul, who since being elected to the senate in 2010 has been one of the most influential voices against a broadly interventionist foreign policy, called for a very strong military response to ISIS. This view places Paul firmly in the mainstream of his party and of most of the American foreign policy establishment. ISIS is also a sufficiently significant threat that Mr. Paul’s statement is not inconsistent with his general view that intervention should only occur when U.S. national security is threatened.
Based on his advisors and his recent public statements on issues as diverse as ISIS and Ferguson it is apparent that Mr. Paul is being pulled between his purer Libertarian principles and the demands of Republican primary voters and conservative donors. During the next few months Mr. Paul will need to resolve this tension. He can either remaining a Libertarian and continue to take positions on issues from prison sentencing to the NSA that differ from his party’s establishment. Or he can sidle closer to that establishment in a way his father never did, by becoming another voice for an interventionist foreign policy and conservative social policies. In a political environment with no shortage of conventional and timid politicians, it would certainly make for a more compelling campaign if he chose the former.
Rand Paul will run every election cycle, like his father. He will never be president, like his father.
The blimp dealers rejoice!
To the head line: yes
Who is the last person Norquist advised who won?
In a way.
Paul has revealed more of his libertarianism as he came out weak on abortion, the gay agenda, immigration, that can make him look more rino to some who don’t know that he is libertarian or how alike they are on those issues.
He always was just another RINO. Never mind that “becoming” spiel.
Grover Norquist,
The kiss of death.
Rand Paul is a nut case.
Nobody seems to understand where Rand Paul stands or where he comes from.
Rand Paul another Republican!?
Another screwball like his ol’ man perhaps.
He’s got ‘me right where he wants ‘em.
//sarcasm
Norquist has been up to his ears with the muzzies for years and does not even try to conceal that fact. He is an agenda setter, ‘policy’ adviser, lobbyist and overall heavy hitter for the American soil based, Nazi Bund styled, terrorist front group, C.A.I.R. A lot of folks think old Grover is just some Washington DC GOPe talker........he is far more sinister than that.
ACLU and Grover Norquist.
That rips it. Stick a fork in him.
Ted Cruz is the only one left.
Hamas.
Karl Rove.
That's "every" cycle only if you don't count 1976, 1980, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, or 2004. So... less than one third of the cycles. Close!
Rand Paul's immigration speech...The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.[Posted on 03/19/2013 7:04:07 AM PDT by Perdogg]
Unfortunately, like many of the major debates in Washington, immigration has become a stalemate-where both sides are imprisoned by their own rhetoric or attachment to sacred cows that prevent the possibility of a balanced solution.
Immigration Reform will not occur until Conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution. I am here today to begin that conversation.
Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.
If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you...
This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society.
Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.
Rand Paul calls on conservatives to embrace immigration reformLatinos, should be a natural constituency for the party, Paul argued, but "Republicans have pushed them away with harsh rhetoric over immigration." ...he would create a bipartisan panel to determine how many visas should be granted for workers already in the United States and those who might follow... [and the buried lead] "Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers...[Posted on 04/21/2013 1:52:42 PM PDT by SoConPubbie]
[but he's not in favor of amnesty, snicker, definition of is is]
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