Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul and Senator from Kentucky, is considering a run for President in 2016.
I know:–Mitt Romney’s campaign is barely dead and in the ground and already we’re hearing the rumblings of 2016’s challengers. Marco Rubio made headlines at a fundraiser in Iowa by commenting on the age of the Earth (HUH?) and now we hear that Ron Paul’s scion is openly interested in running, too.
For the kind of change needed in the Republican Party, it may not be too soon to start thinking about it.
“I’m not going to deny that I’m interested” in a 2016 presidential run, [Rand Paul] told ABC News. “I am different than some in that I’m not going to deny that I’m interested. I’m not going to deny that I think we have to go a different direction because we’re not winning.”
Not only is he “different than some,” but he also thinks the Republican Party’s problem goes beyond improving the GOP’s marketing and messaging–policy changes are needed, too.
Sound familiar? It’s not unlike what his father has argued for during the 2008 and 2012 elections.
Some of the policies that Rand Paul wants to see the GOP shift on include immigration, marijuana, and foreign wars.
He wants to work with liberal Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy and Republicans to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for pot possession. He wants to carve a compromise immigration plan with an “eventual path” to citizenship for illegal immigrants, a proposal he believes could be palatable to conservatives. And he believes his ideas — along with pushing for less U.S. military intervention in conflicts overseas — could help the GOP broaden its tent and appeal to crucial voting blocs that handed Democrats big wins in the West Coast, the Northeast and along the Great Lakes.
They are policies that are decidedly more libertarian and can appeal to blocks of voters that many believe the GOP should be winning: voters under 40, Hispanics, and anyone tired of war. With the shifting America’s shifting demographics working against the 2012 GOP party platform, the question is whether Rand Paul’s new road could be a path to the future for the Republican Party.
Oh, and one more thing: Paul wants to limit Senators to just twelve years of service. Think it’ll work?
Related articles
- Rand Paul ‘interested’ in 2016 presidential run | THE JEENYUS CORNER (jeenyuscorner.com)
- GOP Sen. Rand Paul hints at 2016 presidential run (modbee.com)
- Rand Paul to the Rescue! (slog.thestranger.com)
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He would have my vote on that platform….
It’s persuasive, on many levels, Byron. Do you think it can get through a primary?
Ah, the primary. Which has worked so well to set up establishment Republicans to crash & burn in November.
At this point I’d rather lose with a committed libertarian than lose with a candidate that makes moderate noises but is still hated by the NY Times crowd.
In all seriousness, if Mitt hadn’t kowtowed to the neo-con crowd and instead came out with a Ron Paul-like policy against foreign entanglements and aid, he could have started a real electoral re-alignment. Coulda but woulda never.
Anywho, Happy T-Day to you and yours!
BRG ESQ DBA The Sweaty Federalist