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04-29-2013, 10:39 AM
Rand Paul’s ascent brings new scrutiny ahead of possible 2016 campaign
By Alexandra Jaffe - 04/28/13 06:00 PM ET
Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) rapid ascent to prominence has not been entirely smooth, and Republicans and supporters alike warn that he’ll have to improve his message and the way he communicates it if he hopes to launch a credible campaign in 2016.
Paul faced a rocky April, with a widely-criticized speech to Howard University, followed by a call for restraint on immigration reform that baffled some supporters and culminating with him appearing to contradict his prominent opposition to domestic drone strikes.
His stumbles have not yet punctured Paul’s trial balloon — a recent poll gave him a slight lead in the Republican field in significant early-primary state New Hampshire. But some political watchers say Paul will have to focus his message over the next three years to maintain that lead.
“Rand Paul is from a more shoot-from-the-hip style, and there’s an appeal to that. But even when you're speaking bluntly, you still need to be cognizant that your message still reflects your brand,” said Rick Wilson, a Florida-based Republican strategist.
...
Part of Paul’s challenge is universal to nearly all presidential aspirants who have never run nationwide: The sometimes surprising level of scrutiny that comes with being a national political figure.
An aide to Paul said the senator is aware that he “may not have articulated [his position on drones] as well as he should have or had in the past,” and has evaluated his wording in hopes of preventing it from happening again.
“It’s less a question of, will those things happen, and more, do you learn from them and not fall into a pattern of them happening over and over again?” the aide said.
...
The aide added that Paul is a quick learner, and has been examining his comments to make sure he doesn’t encounter a similar situation in the future.
“What he is taking away from it is that, given the level of scrutiny, is apparently everything he's saying, his sentences are being deconstructed by people on the left. He has to be very careful in structuring his wording,” the aide said.
...
read more:
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-presidential-primary/296625-pauls-prominence-brings-added-scrutiny-ahead-of-possible-2016-bid
By Alexandra Jaffe - 04/28/13 06:00 PM ET
Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) rapid ascent to prominence has not been entirely smooth, and Republicans and supporters alike warn that he’ll have to improve his message and the way he communicates it if he hopes to launch a credible campaign in 2016.
Paul faced a rocky April, with a widely-criticized speech to Howard University, followed by a call for restraint on immigration reform that baffled some supporters and culminating with him appearing to contradict his prominent opposition to domestic drone strikes.
His stumbles have not yet punctured Paul’s trial balloon — a recent poll gave him a slight lead in the Republican field in significant early-primary state New Hampshire. But some political watchers say Paul will have to focus his message over the next three years to maintain that lead.
“Rand Paul is from a more shoot-from-the-hip style, and there’s an appeal to that. But even when you're speaking bluntly, you still need to be cognizant that your message still reflects your brand,” said Rick Wilson, a Florida-based Republican strategist.
...
Part of Paul’s challenge is universal to nearly all presidential aspirants who have never run nationwide: The sometimes surprising level of scrutiny that comes with being a national political figure.
An aide to Paul said the senator is aware that he “may not have articulated [his position on drones] as well as he should have or had in the past,” and has evaluated his wording in hopes of preventing it from happening again.
“It’s less a question of, will those things happen, and more, do you learn from them and not fall into a pattern of them happening over and over again?” the aide said.
...
The aide added that Paul is a quick learner, and has been examining his comments to make sure he doesn’t encounter a similar situation in the future.
“What he is taking away from it is that, given the level of scrutiny, is apparently everything he's saying, his sentences are being deconstructed by people on the left. He has to be very careful in structuring his wording,” the aide said.
...
read more:
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-presidential-primary/296625-pauls-prominence-brings-added-scrutiny-ahead-of-possible-2016-bid