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Why Rand Paul Is Winning
Pajamas Media ^ | 03/09/2014 | Roger Simon

Posted on 03/10/2014 7:36:29 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Count me as one who was not suprised at the size of Rand Paul’s victory [1] in the CPAC straw poll. I’m only surprised it wasn’t bigger — even though he nearly tripled the votes of his nearest rival Ted Cruz.

You could almost say that Paul is the ONLY interesting candidate on the immediate horizon — Republican or Democrat. I’m not going to badmouth the Republicans (I may have to vote for them), but Hillary is as dull, predictable and reactionary as Obama, if that’s possible. Neither of them has evidenced an ounce of creativity, or even an original thought, while in office.

It is this creativity that distinguishes Paul. He seems future oriented, unlike the rest of the potential candidates who mouth platitudes, liberal and conservative, bashing each other in the most tedious manner imaginable. Yes, the liberal side is by far more repellent, and old fashioned in ideology to the point of ridiculousness, but this does not absolve the right of the need to come up with forward-thinking solutions to the obvious American decline.

That is why Paul appeals to the young who are oriented, as they should be, toward the future. The whole Democratic Party is oriented toward the past and so are, alas, too many of the Republicans. The young see this. They’re smarter than we are. (They still have some brain cells.)

Paul is doing the right thing in seeking to expand the Republican base — appealing directly to minorities and students to explain how conservative/libertarian policies are better for them, instead of running and hiding from these liberal constituencies as Republicans normally do. That Paul is going into the very bowels of the beast in the next few days, UC Berkeley, to give a speech is commendable and dramatic. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some interesting results. The time is certainly ripe. And beyond that, I think we all know that if we show people some respect they often — though certainly not always — return the favor.

The other potential Republican candidates would be wise to pay attention to Paul, to “learn from Chairman Rand,” as it were. In this digital age, history races along. We all know Obamacare is terrible and the deficit is bad, but if that’s all you have to run on, I don’t think you’re to get where you want. Ideas, please. Big ideas. Fortune favors the daring. (Incidentally, one big idea I might favor is to virtually abolish almost all of the federal government with the exception of defense, and let the states do almost everything. It is here we could “learn from Chairman Rick Perry.” More of this later.)

Speaking of which, as I wrote [2] last week, defense is Paul’s potential Achilles’ heel. He has to figure out how to negotiate his libertarian principles in an obstreperous world that, most of the time anyway, couldn’t care less about them. On a planet occupied by the likes of Vladimir Putin and Ayatollah Khamenei, he needs a foreign policy that doesn’t sound like naive wish fulfillment. Barack Obama already checked that box.

Unfortunately for Paul, in this area in particular he is in a position where the most minor of his tea leaves will be read. I was concerned, for example, that he referenced lyrics by Pink Floyd, and therefore Roger Waters, in his CPAC speech, when Waters has been closely associated [3] with the anti-Semitic BDS movement in the last few years. I sincerely hope this was a mistake or an oversight.

Still, if someone like me — once a neocon of a sort, I suppose — can be interested in Paul, something important must be going on. There’s no doubt that Barack Obama — we can assume inadvertently — has done his best to turn America libertarian. It would be deliciously ironic if that devotee of Saul Alinsky and Frank Marshall Davis would be responsible for electing our country’s first libertarian president (well, at least since the days of the Founders).



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatism; cpac; randpaul
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To: Beagle8U

Rand’s amendment was that Congress verified the status of the border. Not the President.

Don’t take my word for it... Read it for yourself. It’s only one page...

http://www.paul.senate.gov/files/documents/TrustButVerify.pdf


41 posted on 03/10/2014 8:34:31 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Tre Norner eg ber, binde til rota...)
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To: SeekAndFind

He already has a public stance on gay marriage.
/////////////////////////////////////////////
Really? So if legalizing gay marriage was on the ballot in Kentucky, which way would Rand Paul vote?


42 posted on 03/10/2014 8:35:04 AM PDT by bramps (Go West America!)
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To: Dead Corpse; P-Marlowe; Travis McGee
An “amenesty” is just giving them citizenship. Like Reagan did.

Same garbage John McCain, GWB, and others tried, lying about the definition of Amnesty.

From www.Merriam-Webster.com:

Full Definition of AMNESTY

: the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals


As pointed out to you by P-Marlowe last night, any Illegal Alien that has been employed in any job in the US has engaged in ID Fraud. Any Illegal Alien that has received health-Care has engaged in ID Fraud.

ID Fraud is a felony.

There are no provisions in Rand Paul's Amnesty plan to punish the Criminal Illegal Aliens according to current US Law, NONE.

They will be made fully legal and they will not be prosecuted for their felonies.

This, according to the current definition of Amnesty above, constitutes Amnesty.
43 posted on 03/10/2014 8:36:22 AM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: SeekAndFind; mickie; pax_et_bonum; Maine Mariner; Chigirl 26; Bob Ireland; flaglady47; ...
Here, the writer, Roger L. Simon, is praising Ron Paul with faint damns.

The thrice married, New York City resident Simon, 70, writes novels and is a "former liberal", so he says. I say he's still a liberal operating under the "Libertarian" cover.

He was a civil rights activist in the 60's, now he's into liberal/Libertine-arian views, such as supporting same-sex marriage.

The Libertarian agenda under conservative cover is cleverly being promoted to the max today, even on these pages, and it will only heighten as the election gets closer. Libertarian accolytes embed themselve into conservative discussion websites and into conservative conferences like CPAC.

Rand Paul is all over the tubes 24/7.......and embedded lib writers like faux-conservative Simon promote him and the party's ideology.

Paul is a likeable little guy and a smooth talker...but beware, he's a TROJAN HORSE stabled in the Republican party.

Too many conservatives are falling for his seductive line. Libertarians regularly pack CPAC sessions with young techies so that a Paul or Paulista will win its straw vote. They work assiduously to draw votes away from the GOP to further their goal of a Libertarian presidency....and Rand Paul is their present poster child.

Remember, amnesty-promoter Paul's first name was not pulled out of thin air.

Leni

44 posted on 03/10/2014 8:38:02 AM PDT by MinuteGal
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To: SoConPubbie

So? Prosecute them. I assume you have a list?


45 posted on 03/10/2014 8:38:05 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Tre Norner eg ber, binde til rota...)
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To: Dead Corpse

I still don’t trust that. There is nothing saying Pelosi won’t be running Congress in a few years.


46 posted on 03/10/2014 8:38:19 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Unions are an Affirmative Action program for Slackers! .)
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To: bramps

Why guess?

http://reason.com/blog/2014/03/04/rand-paul-says-he-believes-in-the


47 posted on 03/10/2014 8:38:44 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Tre Norner eg ber, binde til rota...)
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To: Beagle8U

I don’t trust government. Period. But y’all insist we have one. So here we are...


48 posted on 03/10/2014 8:39:28 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Tre Norner eg ber, binde til rota...)
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To: Dead Corpse

Rand Paul’s immigration plan is about as anti- American as you can get:

Let people come here, work, take their tax money, BUT DON’T LET THEM VOTE???

That is flat out immoral.


49 posted on 03/10/2014 8:41:01 AM PDT by bramps (Go West America!)
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To: Dead Corpse; P-Marlowe
So? Prosecute them. I assume you have a list?

This was covered as well last night with you.

1. E-Verify for all employment.
2. E-Verify for all Social Services with the exception of Health-Care for immediate death, or such things.
3. Pay the extra money necessary to educate your 3rd world kids
4. The Biggie, Enforce the current laws, including fines and imprisonment for employers.

Do this, and you don't have to prosecute, they self-deport.

Take away all their freebies, and their is no reason for them to stay.

You dump 30+ million Undocumented Democrats into the electorate, and there will never be the opportunity for Conservatives to be in leadership of POTUS, or the Congress or the Supreme Court.
50 posted on 03/10/2014 8:43:12 AM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: bramps

So.... You are saying illegals should get to vote?

Um... No. Just... No.


51 posted on 03/10/2014 8:43:17 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Tre Norner eg ber, binde til rota...)
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To: SoConPubbie
Here are the links, from last year, where Rand Paul clearly lays out his own Amnesty plan for 2 million illegals per year...

Good post.

Rand Paul is a shill for the massive legalization of illegal aliens, which honest people correctly label "Amnesty".

All the word-smithing and weasel words by Paul and his supporters cannot change that fact.

Hope folks pick a patriotic nominee instead.

52 posted on 03/10/2014 8:43:31 AM PDT by Dagnabitt (Amnesty is Treason. Its agents are Traitors.)
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To: Dead Corpse

Where did I say that?


53 posted on 03/10/2014 8:48:52 AM PDT by bramps (Go West America!)
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To: SoConPubbie

Nothing I’ve seen of Rand’s proposals will “dump 30 million” onto the voter roles.

Nor have I seen anything better from Cruz. “Wait until 2015” isn’t exactly filling me with confidence.


54 posted on 03/10/2014 8:49:21 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Tre Norner eg ber, binde til rota...)
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To: bramps
Let people come here, work, take their tax money, BUT DON’T LET THEM VOTE???

Right there...

People are going to come here. If they come here illegally, they should get NOTHING from us. No tuition help, no welfare, no housing, no nothing. Period.

If caught, they should be deported. If caught again, they should be executed.

That's MY take on it.

As for any given politician... You can almost never look at what they SAY, but look at how they VOTE and what legislation they pen.

55 posted on 03/10/2014 8:53:06 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Tre Norner eg ber, binde til rota...)
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To: Dead Corpse

If you read my post carefully, noting the colon, you will see I am stating Rand Paul’s immigration stance, which is immoral as well as anti American.

Illegal immigrants should be shown the door. Period, Amen. Employers who hire them under the table should be heavily penalized. Sounds like you agree with me, so why push the guy with the bad hairpiece?


56 posted on 03/10/2014 9:03:07 AM PDT by bramps (Go West America!)
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To: bramps

Why defend Rand? Because he’s hell on wheels when it comes to pretty much every other issue. RKBA, limited FedGov, lower taxes, sane fiscal policy, ending Obama-care, rolling back our role as “Globo-cop”, Bill of Rights enforcement...

The GOP-e hates him, so he must be doing something Right. With a 100% ACU rating his voting record looks a heck of a lot better than all the MSM news articles are making him sound.

I just don’t want us throwing out a decent candidate because “everyone says” he’s one thing, when a cold look at reality is showing something else.


57 posted on 03/10/2014 9:09:30 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Tre Norner eg ber, binde til rota...)
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To: Starstruck

Exactly what I was going to say. Ron Paul would bus people in to vote in these straw polls. They meant absolutely nothing.


58 posted on 03/10/2014 9:13:39 AM PDT by laffnatu
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To: Dead Corpse
I presume you know he wants to let illegal aliens stay here but doesn't want them to vote. How long will that last? That option is the worst of any and will be almost immediately ruled unconstitutional (as it should) and illegals will then get to vote. And then guess what? You have Obama world on steroids. Careful what you wish for.
59 posted on 03/10/2014 9:20:09 AM PDT by bramps (Go West America!)
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To: ncfool

There are a lot of Potheads, and Rand Paul in the true Paul tradition is the Sultan of Pot.

So many of Rand The Sultan of Pot’s troops are young Potheads. He is a regular “Alex of Toke Ville”, Rand its
the Pied “Piper of Pot”. An ingrown toe nail is an excuse for a medical maryjane prescription


60 posted on 03/10/2014 9:47:09 AM PDT by Zenjitsuman (New Boss Nancy Pelosi)
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