The American Conservative: Rand Paul Revolution
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos | The American Conservative
March 1, 2010 Issue
Here’s one difference between Rand Paul and papa Ron Paul, says mama Carol Paul: her son is funny on stage.
“Ron doesn’t do that—he doesn’t tell jokes,” Mrs. Paul says of her husband of 53 years. She recalls a lively speech Rand made for his dad in New Hampshire on the 2008 presidential campaign trail. “He was so personable—it tickled me to death.”
Jokes aside, there are few obvious differences between Rand Paul, 47, and his dad, 74, who has become an unconventional political celebrity in his golden years. So Rand Paul, now embarking on a promising Republican primary campaign for U.S. Senate in Kentucky, finds himself charged with a complicated mission—convincing voters he is a good old bluegrass conservative Republican while maintaining the goodwill of his libertarian rebel base.
“It’s threading a needle,” says Scott Lasley, a professor of American politics at Western Kentucky University, “between what Rand Paul needs to do to win and where a lot of his base support is coming from. It’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out.”
He May Be Wrong About the Constitution
He may be wrong about the Constitution, and who it protects (everyone) by restraining government, but at least he plans to follow it.
IMissLiberty
It's a good article
You guys don't understand how conservative Kentucky is. Rand is doing the best he can with what is in front of him. Kentucky Republicans are old-time, Reagan, Bush I and Nixon ilk. They are not libertarians by any stretch of the imagination.
It's very hard for Rand to make headway in that climate without alienating his base. And McConnell's "Neo-Con mini-me", is more than happy to throw anything at Rand to make it stick.
I think the people are warming up to his anti-etablishment views, from what I hear from my family back home in KY. If we give Rand some room to breathe, he WILL WIN this race.
Once he's in office, he can make the argument for liberty. But he does have to get elected in Bush/Nixon country... (RE: Closed Primary!!!) Keep that in mind. He's not changing fundamentally, but he does have to compete if he wants to win. And I'll take Rand over a dyed in the wool Neo CON, ANY day!
Only fascists don't "get" Dr. Ron Paul.
They are so fearful of everything around them that they fear their own liberty.
"they fear their own liberty" --- Great point
You could say that about many of the mainstream sheeple.
"Since 1789 the only government on Earth that has the power to crush the American people`s liberties across the board is the government of the United States"
Robert Higgs
That sounds like
a pretty accurate description of what is going on.
Prepare & Share the Message of Freedom through Positive-Peaceful-Activism.
I so earnestly hope Mrs. Paul is right
about Ron and Rand being so much alike.
I wish Rand sounded more like Ron on foreign policy issues. This is a very straightforward analysis:
Therein lies the double-bind for Rand Paul, and it may very well highlight the internecine fissures within the GOP—within conservatism itself—like no other election this year. First, Paul has to work the system he and the burgeoning national base of anti-government rabble-rousers behind him have openly eschewed. But then, he must deal with competing ideological factions within his base—the loyal libertarians who brought his dad to national prominence and the Tea Partiers who don’t naturally abide libertarian positions on war and civil liberties.
Like father, likely son
Rons' strength has been in his poised magnanimity juxtaposition with his passionate constitutional conscience.
Rand has learned much from his dad, but I believe Rand
also understands how to speak on substantive issues while using just enough humor to get even his opponents to laugh with him, or else look really bad for being too proud to roll with a good come back.
For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and provide for it. - Patrick Henry
The piece also says Rand
The piece also says Rand "estimates that 75 percent of his current base “didn’t support Ron Paul”" in 2008.
Hardcore Paulites aren't as numerous as we think because we're amongst the choir so often. Hardcore Paulites didn't vote for Scott Brown in my neck of the woods, 20,000 voted for Joe Kennedy; that's about right for Massachusetts.
Rand's as close to perfect as we'll ever see, and having that in the Senate is a dream I've had since Billy Idol was top of the charts.
The first 5 million supporters of Dr. Paul are 'early adopters.' The next 10 million will require a modified approach.
good find
Thanks for posting this.
Website:
http://www.libertypoet.com/
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/LibertyPoet
"How can we justify to the unemployed and underemployed in the United States the incredible cost of maintaining a global empire?" - Dr. Ron Paul