"Rand Paul’s Mixed Inheritance"

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Rand Paul’s Mixed Inheritance

By SAM TANENHAUS and JIM RUTENBERG at the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/us/politics/rand-pauls-mixed-inheritance.html?_r=0

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As Rand Paul test-markets a presidential candidacy and tries to broaden his appeal, he is also trying to take libertarianism, an ideology long on the fringes of American politics, into the mainstream. Midway through his freshman term, he has become a prominent voice in Washington’s biggest debates — on government surveillance, spending and Middle East policy.

In the months since he commanded national attention and bipartisan praise for his 13-hour filibuster against the Obama administration’s drone strike program, Mr. Paul has impressed Republican leaders with his staying power, in part because of the stumbles of potential rivals and despite some of his own.

“Senator Paul is a credible national candidate,” said Mitt Romney, who ran for president as the consummate insider in 2012. “He has tapped into the growing sentiment that government has become too large and too intrusive.” In an email, Mr. Romney added that the votes and dollars Mr. Paul would attract from his father’s supporters could help make him “a serious contender for the Republican nomination.”

But if Mr. Paul reaps the benefits of his father’s name and history, he also must contend with the burdens of that patrimony. And as he has become a politician in his own right and now tours the circuit of early primary states, Mr. Paul has been calibrating how fully he embraces some libertarian precepts.





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[Gothmog]

1. This is a funny statement from the OP

“Senator Paul is a credible national candidate,” said Mitt Romney,

Please let Rand Paul be the nominee. Rand is an idiot and a poor speaker

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2. I know. Now that Christie is in trouble I look forward to who on the far right ends

up ahead in the Primaries. I'm hoping it is Rand Paul or Cruz.

[Mika]

3. Credible ...

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4. Violence is never the answer. I'm glad people were stopped.

[FSogol]

5. Rand Paul is a cowardly little grifter, trying to weasel around the fact that he is a dunce,

propped up with his dad's mailing list of supporters (which the Pauls accurately call "Marks&quot and some sophomoric Ayn Rand-based pseudo-platitudes. He will get a month long spotlight of fame during the Republican Primaries (Motto: Even Gov Perry, Herman Cain, and Rick Santorum can get attention here) until laughably fading in lieu of some smarter candidate.

PS. Fuck Rand Paul.