GeoLaureate8
Nobody
- May 22, 2011
- 590
- 95
1. Hes more cautious than voters realize
Paul often speaks carefully and gives nuanced answers. Its an acknowledgment of sorts that if he wants to be a mainstream leader of the party, he needs to be careful about offending large swaths of Republicans.
2. He appears to have fewer skeletons than his father
Barring a surprise, opponents have nowhere near the volume of material on Rand Paul, a benefit of spending most of his adult life on the periphery of politics. He did come under fire during his 2010 campaign for questioning the constitutionality of a section of the Civil Right Act of 1964. And there was also the Aqua Buddha incident, in which an anonymous woman accused Paul and a friend of blindfolding her in a college stunt.
But neither did lasting damage to Paul. Indeed, Paul denied the Aqua Buddha claim, and an ad by his opponent invoking it ended up backfiring.
3. He can play the inside game in a way his dad never could
After introducing several bills during his first two years in the Senate that went nowhere, Paul has become a more savvy legislator.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the alliance he has formed with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who backed Pauls GOP primary opponent in 2010. Pauls campaign manager that year, Jesse Benton, is now running McConnells 2014 reelection effort.
After a rough start during his campaign, Paul has become adept with the media. He kept the buzz around his filibuster going for days with a series of interviews and events.
4. He has a stronger organization than any other Republican
Paul starts with a built-in base of libertarians that comprises at least 10 percent of the GOP electorate, and his boosters have made tremendous inroads in state parties around the country.
They may be a minority, but they are a devoted one. Paul supporters will drive farther and work harder than any other 2016 contenders core backers. They also tend to be younger and engaged on social media and the blogosphere in ways that people who support someone of the older generation like, say, Jeb Bush are not.
5. Hes perceived as principled
Grass-roots conservatives in the early states loathe career politicians as much as ever. Theres a real appetite for someone who doesnt always do the politically prudent thing.
The filibuster was a seminal moment not because it changed the conversation on drones but because it showed that Paul cared so deeply about something that he was willing to not urinate for 13 hours. Even liberal critics, from Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison to Bill Maher, praised him for fighting to support what he believes in.
5 reasons why you should take Rand Paul seriously - James Hohmann - POLITICO.com
Iowa Invite Gives Rand Paul a Leg Up on 2016 | RealClearPolitics
Paul often speaks carefully and gives nuanced answers. Its an acknowledgment of sorts that if he wants to be a mainstream leader of the party, he needs to be careful about offending large swaths of Republicans.
2. He appears to have fewer skeletons than his father
Barring a surprise, opponents have nowhere near the volume of material on Rand Paul, a benefit of spending most of his adult life on the periphery of politics. He did come under fire during his 2010 campaign for questioning the constitutionality of a section of the Civil Right Act of 1964. And there was also the Aqua Buddha incident, in which an anonymous woman accused Paul and a friend of blindfolding her in a college stunt.
But neither did lasting damage to Paul. Indeed, Paul denied the Aqua Buddha claim, and an ad by his opponent invoking it ended up backfiring.
3. He can play the inside game in a way his dad never could
After introducing several bills during his first two years in the Senate that went nowhere, Paul has become a more savvy legislator.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the alliance he has formed with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who backed Pauls GOP primary opponent in 2010. Pauls campaign manager that year, Jesse Benton, is now running McConnells 2014 reelection effort.
After a rough start during his campaign, Paul has become adept with the media. He kept the buzz around his filibuster going for days with a series of interviews and events.
4. He has a stronger organization than any other Republican
Paul starts with a built-in base of libertarians that comprises at least 10 percent of the GOP electorate, and his boosters have made tremendous inroads in state parties around the country.
They may be a minority, but they are a devoted one. Paul supporters will drive farther and work harder than any other 2016 contenders core backers. They also tend to be younger and engaged on social media and the blogosphere in ways that people who support someone of the older generation like, say, Jeb Bush are not.
5. Hes perceived as principled
Grass-roots conservatives in the early states loathe career politicians as much as ever. Theres a real appetite for someone who doesnt always do the politically prudent thing.
The filibuster was a seminal moment not because it changed the conversation on drones but because it showed that Paul cared so deeply about something that he was willing to not urinate for 13 hours. Even liberal critics, from Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison to Bill Maher, praised him for fighting to support what he believes in.
5 reasons why you should take Rand Paul seriously - James Hohmann - POLITICO.com
Iowa Invite Gives Rand Paul a Leg Up on 2016 | RealClearPolitics
