Free Republic

It wasn't too long ago that Rand Paul was viewed as a serious threat to the GOP nomination. Not any longer.One of the big mysteries of the Koch brothers’ lavish gala this past weekend is the fact that Rand Paul was not in attendance. You’d think that the Kochs would at least insist that Paul come to the fete to do a dramatic reading of John Galt’s “Atlas Shrugged” speech for the billionaires in attendance, but he didn’t show. Some reports suggest that he was invited, but declined. Perhaps his feelings are hurt that they also invited Scott Walker, Ted...

Rand Paul took a left turn on his journey to the Republican nomination, and now his hopes now seem to be headed south. The libertarian senator from Kentucky’s new book, “Taking a Stand,” came out Tuesday, and it is chock full of lines that would position Paul well — if he were running against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. On the environment: “You’ll find I’m a tree hugger, literally…I’m a Republican who wants clean air, clean water, and the life-extending miracle of electricity. I compost.”

Rand Paul rounded on the Republican establishment as he made his pitch for the support of party activists in the key state of New Hampshire. From appearing in jeans to delivering a withering attack on the record of other Republicans, the Kentucky senator made sure he stood out from his rivals. "I got tired of seeing people in my party getting in charge and not doing anything at all," he told activists at the party's “Leadership Summit” in Nashua, New Hampshire. "They all look alike, the all sound alike, they all dress alike and nothing ever changes." Mr Paul...

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) thinks he knows something that you don't about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Bloomberg News' Dave Weigel reported Friday that Paul gave a speech to a pro-life group the day before in which Paul predicted the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation will soon be hit by a major scandal. "There's going to be stuff coming out about the Clinton foundation and their donations from different companies that get special approval by the secretary of state. It's coming out in the next couple weeks," Paul said. As Weigel noted, Paul has made similar...

epublican presidential candidate Rand Paul says that the Clintons "think they're above the law" and that there is "a grand hypocrisy" to Hillary Clinton's acceptance of donations from countries with poor records on women's rights. "I think the thing is about the Clintons is that there's a certain sense that they think they're above the law," he said in an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press." Paul argued that Clinton is wrong to say that Republicans are waging a "war on women" even as the Clinton Foundation receives funding from Saudi Arabia. "Hillary Clinton has taken money...

Republican senator Rand Paul walked out of a live interview with the Guardian on Friday, in the third testy exchange he has had with a journalist since launching his campaign for president three days ago. Paul, who said during his campaign launch on Tuesday he would like to see “any law that disproportionately incarcerates people of color is repealed”, responded awkwardly when asked which specific piece of legislation he would repeal. In a live broadcast via the smartphone app Periscope, Paul said he had “a host of bills” that would amend or repeal part of the statute. Midway through his...

(VIDEO-AND-AUDIO-AT-LINK)MILFORD, N.H. — Sen. Rand Paul claimed he’d be the Republican with the best chance of picking up black voters in the 2016 presidential campaign — and suggested a major scandal will soon threaten Democrat Hillary Clinton’s likely candidacy — during a stop here one day after announcing he’s running for the White House. “I’ve tried to expand the Republican Party by taking the message to places Republicans haven’t gone,” Paul said yesterday when asked by the Herald whether he is the Tea Party candidate in the race. “I’ve spent the last several years going to historically black colleges, going...

The latest poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) fares the best among the presumed 2016 Republican presidential candidates against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with independent voters, and is one of the top three contenders overall against her. The poll was conducted from March 26th through March 31st of 989 registered voters, 80 percent by telephone, and 20 percent over the internet to reach respondents without landline phones. The margin of error was +/- 3.1 percent. Clinton still leads the entire Republican field by 3 to 9 points, but has dropped from the...

Senator Rand Paul is the second Republican to announce his official run for the 2016 presidential nomination. He brings some strengths to the race, and some glaring weaknesses. On the positive side of the ledger, he has emphasized outreach to members of minority groups, especially black Americans. Paul can be an appealing politician with a knack for political theater, so he has had some success in front of unfavorable audiences. Such efforts are necessary to broaden the party’s appeal, and other candidates would do well to emulate Paul’s work (if not his chummy pow-wow with racial provocateur Al Sharpton). The...

<p>WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton is now behind or tied with most major Republican hopefuls in three critical swing states, according to a Quinnipiac University poll out Thursday.</p> <p>Her closest competitor in the poll – Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky – had an edge over Clinton in both Colorado and Iowa.</p>

I really want to like Rand Paul, but he keeps saying things that give me pause. I like that he wants to fight the GOP establishment. I like that he wants to roll back big government. And I like that he wants to expand the base to include more young people and minorities. (There are some very worrisome things he’s said about foreign policy, but we’ll put that aside, as those views seem to be “evolving.”) I didn’t listen to his Louisville campaign announcement speech yesterday, but Paul Mirengoff of Powerline did, and he noticed something that has really got...

“In five years we’ll find out what [Obama’s] real religion is.” LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — One of the high points from Sen. Rand Paul’s presidential campaign kickoff Tuesday came when a black local pastor named Jerry Stephenson delivered an impassioned mini-sermon on behalf of the candidate. After touting Paul’s unique ability to reach out to Democratic people of color, Stephenson added some extra heft to his support by saying he was a lifelong Democrat who had only become an independent in 2012. “And I am telling every independent it is time to run out here and run with Senator Rand Paul!”...

Rand Paul might have trouble courting some Republican voters who are wary of his foreign policy vision and unorthodox views on certain issues. But it doesn't appear that the junior Kentucky senator, who announced his presidential bid on Tuesday, will have to do much to win over Rupert Murdoch, the head of News Corp. and 21st Century Fox. It's become something of a quadrennial tradition for Murdoch, the billionaire mogul whose observations on GOP politics are watched very closely within the party, to weigh in on the race for the White House. Two parts of his vast media empire --...

Paul said that “in order to restore America,” the GOP cannot “dilute our message or give up on our principles.” “If we nominate a candidate who is simply Democrat lite, what’s the point? Why bother?” he said. “We need to boldly proclaim our vision for America. We need to go boldly forth under the banner of liberty that clutches the Constitution in one hand and the Bill of Rights in the other.”

It looks like Rand Paul will be announcing a presidential run tomorrow according to his new campaign video that says on April 7 a different kind of Republican will take on Washington:   Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has told her staff to be ready at any moment for a presidential campaign announcement: THE HILL – Most staffers hired for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign have no idea when she’ll announce, according to a CNN report, but have been told that they must be ready to start their campaign roles at any moment — starting Monday. Until then, they are working out of...

U.S. Senator Rand Paul is running for president … in fact, he announces his candidacy next week in Louisville, Kentucky. From there he travels to early voting Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina – including a big fundraiser in the Palmetto State the day after he announces. As we write this, money is being collected. Speeches are being vetted. He’s 100 percent in … and not only that, Paul is one of the few candidates in the race with (we believe) a path to victory. And one of the few candidates (we believe) to be worthy of real consideration. Is...

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) is the only major Republican likely 2016 presidential candidate who hasn't weighed in on the controversy over Indiana's "religious freedom" law that erupted this week — and his explanation for avoiding the issue is questionable.

A new Quinnipiac poll has Rand Paul tied for 5th. That’s eight different polls since November showing Paul in 4th place or worse. There was a moment in 2013 when political realignment was within our grasp– a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite conservatives and progressives under the banner of classic Jeffersonian liberalism. That window is closed– squandered by the mind-boggling incompetence of senior adviser Doug Stafford. I know what you’re thinking: It’s still early! Polls don’t matter until [some arbitrary future date]. (SNIP) Rand could meet with Al Sharpton again. Because that went over so well the first time. Rand could...

<>Politico writes that Rand Paul is losing support among key followers. One of the most prominent defectors is Drew Ivers, chairman of Ron Paul’s 2012 Iowa campaign, who says he will not endorse Rand Paul for president. On Tuesday, three members of Iowa’s Ron Paul-aligned Liberty movement — state Sen. Jason Shultz and former Iowa Republican Party central committee members Chad Steenhoek and Joel Kurtinitis — announced the same, adding that they will support Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Ivers, who had dinner with Rand Paul in August, said the Kentucky senator has abandoned many of the stances that made Ivers...

Paul wins. Walker 2nd.