Posted on 04/10/2015 6:26:00 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
IOWA CITY, Iowa—Rand Paul kicked off his first public appearance in the Hawkeye State since launching his anti-establishment presidential campaign with a question that was meant as a rallying cry. “Do we have any liberty lovers here?” he asked a crowd composed mostly of University of Iowa students, who sported Rand stickers and responded with cheers and whistles. But if Paul’s going to have any chance of contending for his party’s nomination, he better hope their nonlibertarian-leaning parents feel the same way.
The Iowa caucus will, of course, be the first major test for the entire GOP field—but the first-in-the-nation nominating contest is particularly important for Paul. The Kentucky senator’s campaign is predicated on the idea that he’ll be able to hold onto the libertarian-leaning bloc of voters who helped his father carve out a corner of the national stage in 2012, while at the same time layering upon that base enough converts from the more traditionally Republican masses to put him over the top. The Hawkeye State would appear to be particularly fertile ground for that strategy to take root. If it fails here, Paul will have a difficult time convincing anyone that it will work anywhere else.
In 2012, Ron Paul had one of his best showings of his entire campaign in Iowa, and much of that political infrastructure remains in place today. The elder Paul won 21 percent of the GOP caucus vote, enough to earn the libertarian firebrand an unexpectedly close—if largely overshadowed—third-place finish behind Rick Santorum and eventual nominee Mitt Romney, both of whom bested the Texas congressman by only four points, or less than 4,000 votes apiece. It’s conceivable, then, that Rand Paul will find himself among the caucus favorites come February 2016 simply by picking up where his father left off...
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
Good luck in getting answers from Paul.
It is now beginning to look like Paul’s nastiness to reporters is a diversion
so he does not have to answer questions.
Instead of stating his ever changing positions, he picks a fight.
LOL!!!
Iowa Dems put Hillary out of our misery in 2008. She hasn’t become more attractive since then.
For whatever reason, democrats have carried your state in EVERY Presidential election since 1984, with the exception of 2004.
That is a FACT. You live and vote in a democrat leaning state.
If you prefer a democrat lite, like Paul so be it.
Let’s just get the facts out in the open about how your state votes
in Presidential elections.
Exactly so and SPOT ON !
It’s interesting that Slate seems to offer concerned advice for Rand Pauls campaign in Iowa.
Red Flag.
Politico is big on Rand too.
Says a lot.
Well, then, let the Rand Paul supporters answer those questions for him.
And a added bonus ?
To be fair to the Rand Paul supporters we now have a platform for them to say what ever they want about Ted Cruz in why he is not the right candate, and why Rand Paul is a better canadate than Ted Cruz...
We want their thoughts and their critisizm of Ted Cruz...
He’s toast anyway on the ‘apple/tree’ rule.
Far out man, that’s heavy.....
Just what are those ideas that Ron Paul has proposed ?
Give us a whole list of ideas and values that Rand Paul wants to implemented that America suppostly endorse and love...
Tell us ? What does Rand Paul mean when he said in his annouchment speech that laws that dispportionately incarcerates people of color needs be repealed...
Mush for candates ?
So you say that Ted Cruz is not a conservative ?
BINGO .........
Far out dude, that’s heavy.....
If Paul can’t control his temper regardless of the provocation, he’s not going to do very well. Cruz has the ability, so far, to respond to attackers in the press without sounding thin skinned.
Not to jump into the middle of this ... but can’t you be anti Rand Paul and anti Jeb Bush? Cuz I know for certain I could not vote for either of those two.
I can be anti-bush and anti-Paul at the same time for my vote goes to Ted Cruz.
They aren’t discussing the fund raising efforts of other candidates. I’ll have to look and see where those stories are, they are the real truth on support and if a candidate has a chance.
Last I read Paul had about 14 million but that’s over years of fund raising. Cruz hit over 30 million in a week. It’s a whole different game when paulistas have to put their money where their mouth is.
Z taxman joined and put out a bunch of anti Ted Cruz posts on his first day. I flagged him as a troll but apparently he has not violated any decency standards.
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