Posted on 01/31/2013 5:08:50 PM PST by xzins
The Republican Party needs to broaden its appeal by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war," U.S. Sen. Rand Paul told hundreds of Greater Cincinnati Republicans Saturday.
"We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue," the Kentucky Republican said at the Northeast Hamilton County Republican Club's annual pancake breakfast at the Sharonville Convention Center.
To help the party rebound from two successive losses in presidential races, Republicans must find new strategies and messages to reach voters who now often look askance at the GOP, Paul told a crowd of more than 500.
Toward that end, the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage, Paul said.
“We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party,” Paul said.
Paul, a tea party favorite whose name is among those mentioned in the early speculation over the 2016 presidential campaign, expanded on that theme in a brief interview with The Enquirer after his speech.
“Even bigger to me than the social issues is the idea of war,” Paul said.
Republicans, he said, might attract voters put off by the party's hawkish image “if we had a less bellicose approach, if we were for a strong defense but a little bit less aggressive defense around the world”.
“If we didn't have to be everywhere all the time, if maybe we tried to reserve it for when our national interests were impacted or a vital interest of ours was - and if Republicans didn't seem so eager to go to war - I think we'd attract more young people”. wtsp.com
War and gay marriage....libertarian issues.
I guess it’s in his DNA.
Without turning the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Eastern Europe into seas of glass, there is no way to win the "War on Terror".
Transcript please, sounds slightly like creative editing to marginalize the Senator
Transcript please, sounds slightly like creative editing to marginalize the Senator
The “War On Terror” isn’t much different than the “War On Poverty”....ect....ect.
Anyone know what Rand Paul thinks about Amnesty?
Libertarians are usually all in on “Open Borders.”
Well, I certainly don't trust Press TV (aka Iranian state media), but this sounds like stuff Rand would say. He's something of a libertarian, and I will bet much more like his Dad than he lets on. He has an isolationist (anti-war) foreign policy and isn't very interested in fighting over the social issues. Very much like his father.
McCain was never going to be able to or allowed to defeat Obama. I agree that the Republican party is going to have to change but I just don’t think Republicans have the spines to stand up and be true Constitutional adhering Conservatives. Nor do I think they will ever agree on why we lost in 2012, what we should do about it in the future or even have enough imagination to come up with a list of other things that could possibly go wrong.
I do believe it’s high time for a lower profile foreign policy. It’s not our job to democratize the world. We do have some interests abroad, but helping jihadis overthrow stable Middle Eastern countries is not one of them. Plus, it’s related to our immigration policy. Since we import 100,000 Muslims annually, we are importing a growing terrorist threat within our own borders.
Can you explain our need to get involved in Libya? (and now apparently dozens of other African nations)
Wrong, Rand. In fact, instead of being lazy and speaking in generalities, invite voters who actually care to examine the record. More liberal DEMOCRAT leftists are responsible for sending more American men and women to war than are the 'Pubbies.
And, thse same DEMOCRATS are responsible for those troops remaining at war than are Republicans. While the 'Pubbies usually take a harder stance toward defending America and talking a good story, it is the left that actually sends more American military to war because they think it makes them "look presidential" and they get a footnote in history of being a "wartime president".
IOW, it's all about who is full of more crapola! Tell people THAT story, Rand!!
Avoiding conflict, ditching principles, setting aside morality, taking a puff on the bong, and engaging in some inconsequential gender neutral free love -BUT limiting government and being fiscally conservative?
Who does this morally devoid anarchist idiot think he is fooling?
Just exactly how many of my principles, values, religious beliefs and God given rights to I have give up for a bunch of pussy Republicans? We have a cry baby for a Speaker and a vast majority of Republican house members votes for him. There are only three Republican Senators that voted against John F'n Kerry, a communist traitor.
Rand Paul can shove it up his ...
sorry for the rant.
If we are going to send our children to fight a war, we need to at least give them the tools to win it.
We were right to go into Afghanistan and kick the Taliban out. We should have been a bit more brutal in our initial entrance and we should have left 10 years ago. We might have had to go back once or twice but clearly we shouldn’t be “nation building” in an Islamic cesspool like Afghanistan.
As I have stated numerous times, we lost the war in Afghanistan when we ordered the Army to burn Bibles. We lost our moral authority when that happened. IMHO we can’t get out of there soon enough.
It is our job to destroy our enemies. Rebuilding their countries and giving them a government that they didn't earn by spilling their own blood is not our job. That was a Bush idea. Obama just wants to make love to them ...f'n faggot.
No need to apologize....thats the way many of us feel....and you said it quite well. Thank You
First things to cross my mind, too.
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