Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Rand Paul Announces.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky declared himself a candidate for the Republican nomination for president on Tuesday, aiming to upset the political order in Washington and disprove those in his own party who doubt that a fiercely libertarian conservative can be a serious contender.

“I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government,” Mr. Paul wrote in a post on his website on Tuesday.

Mr. Paul’s brand of politics could make him both an outlier and a target among his rivals. In a primary contest of candidates debating which of them is the most doctrinaire conservative, Mr. Paul is likely to be the only one arguing for reducing federal drug penalties, clamping down on the nation’s intelligence agencies and taking a more deliberative approach to military intervention.

On social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, however, he does not stray from the Republican Party line.

Paul and Cruz will keep things interesting for sure.

great....wonder if Hair Club for Men will endorse.?

if Rand were to establish himself as the front runner, the opponents will make him out to be a Barry Goldwater w/o nukes.

They'll do that anyway. I don't care. He's still one of the good guys.

Yes, he is.

And so much better than the RINO liberals that sell us out on a consistent basis.

Ron will keep things interesting for Rand. He will be there today for the big party.Lots of young people will be there.

4/7/15 Former Congressman J.C. Watts (R-OK) praised Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) for talking about policy areas that are not “typical conservative issues” and “most conservatives would be afraid of getting voted off the island” for discussing on Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Hardball.”

Watts stated that Rand “obviously has some libertarian leanings, but I think he has the right perspective, and I think he wants to do the right thing.
And over the last two and a half years that I’ve been talking to him, that I’ve had his ear, I think he’s wanted to learn.

And I think the things that he’s done, he’s not just taken on just your typical conservative issues on the social side and on the economic side, but he’s gone much further than that, and he’s gone into nontraditional constituencies. 
I think he’s tried to be very consistent in striking up a dialogue with those nontraditional constituencies. And I think that’s what we need. You know, post-Jack Kemp, I’ve been looking for somebody that would offer up himself or herself to have this type of dialogue with more than a narrow constituency.”

Watts continued, “he’s talked about things in the last four years that most conservatives would be afraid of getting voted off the island if they were talking about those type of things.

And obviously he’s made some mistakes. He’s evolving, but I think he is honestly — he has honestly made the case to me that, ‘J.C., I want to have the right perspective, I want to learn, I want to go to the next — take the country to the next level in so many areas. And, Chris, we’re so focused on the 30,000-foot level on so many of these issues, that we don’t get down to that 300-foot level and have a dialogue, have a conversation, have deeper relationships, and I honestly think that he wants to do that.”

Asked about Rand’s foreign policy, Watts said “my conversations with him, I don’t think there’s any question that his philosophy in terms of war is, you know, if we’re fighting a war, we win, they lose. That’s the bottom line. However, I think he hasn’t taken on a demeanor that says, ‘let’s shoot and then aim.’

(h/t Real Clear Politics)

Bush the 3rd's/Rove's most likely to accept VP list to "balance" 2016 ticket.

1) Walker

2) Paul

3) Cruz

Cruz and Paul will be duking it out for the same voter base
I still like Cruz but won't cry over Paul

He's on right now and he blew it.......he lost 50% of the voters right off the bat, he said "I see an America where every American has a job".

Cruz's comment on Paul announcing...

"I am glad to welcome my friend Rand Paul into the 2016 GOP primary. Rand is a good friend, and we have worked side by side on many issues. I respect his talent, his passion, and the work he has done for Kentuckians and Americans in the U.S. Senate.
His entry into the race will no doubt raise the bar of competition, help make us all stronger, and ultimately ensure that the GOP nominee is equipped to beat Hillary Clinton and to take back the White House for Republicans in 2016."

Gotta love the high road.

It wouldn't hurt my feelings to have a Cruz/Paul or Paul/Cruz ticket next fall. Not one damned bit.

I like them both better than "Democrat Lite" offerings such as Romney or McCain, or Dole.

God help us all if we get another Bush or Demorat Lite.

I was really hoping for Rand Paul, but many of his comments that he has made in the past 6 months make me think he's just a guy who will say anything to get elected. (not that that isn't the case with everyone else running).

Rand Paul

Well,...the Rand Paul people would have you believe that Rand is a hard core libertarian who says and does a lot of neoconnish things in order to garner favor with the rank and file GOP.

Maybe so,....I don't know.

But even if that's the case, he's not going to fool the controllers of the GOP. And even if he did, the machine would spit him out if he got elected and started running the country according to libertarian ideology.

In any event, whatever his game is, it's based on trying to fool *some*body.

Of course that doesn't make him unique in the world of politics.

Up front I am a Rand Paul supporter.

Rand Paul was raised by Ron Paul and watched his Father and how the media treated him. Kudos to Ron for telling everyone I don't care what you think of me I ain't changing.

However.....

Rand wants to be President. He's also very crafty. He will do what he needs to do to get elected and I have no issue with that, you don't fight to lose.

It is my belief that Rand, if elected, would be more of a Libertarian than a Republican, and I'm OK with that as well.

I would be dismayed if he acted more like a Republican thab a Libertarian.

Take it for what its worth.....

I believe Paul would be great president, as would Cruz, Rubio, Mike Lee and maybe Walker.

IMHO, the biggest problems Paul will have are some of his supporters. He will have to be very careful to hide the loons and it will be interesting to see if he can pull it off. I hope so.

Yeah,...that's probably right.

The problem is,..the people with the money understand that.

The people with the money *hate* libertarians.