GOP’s Rand Paul carving out his own campaign path

[jct74]

GOP’s Rand Paul carving out his own campaign path
Does appear with father at Virginia conference

By Seth McLaughlin
Monday, September 23, 2013

Despite trying to put distance between himself and his father, Sen. Rand Paul appears to be holding onto the supporters who powered former Rep. Ron Paul through the past two presidential campaigns.

Until last week, it had been more than a year — the end of the elder Mr. Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign — since the two made a major splash at an event together, and the son has been studiously staking out his own political stances.

The younger Mr. Paul’s eventual endorsement of Mitt Romney in last year’s election also rankled some of his father’s devoted supporters, who said it was a surrender of libertarian principles.

But to those at the 2013 Liberty Political Action Conference in Fairfax County from Thursday through Saturday, it makes sense for the senator from Kentucky to carve out his own national profile independent from his father — though he remains a viable standard-bearer for their movement.

“I see it as a tactical move,” said Sean Godfrey, a 30-year-old from Alaska. “I think that Rand is pure, I think he is for liberty, but I think he is trying to come off in way that is not going to turn off the people who would not have supported his dad.”

...

read more:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/23/rand-paul-carving-out-his-own-campaign-path/?page=all#pagebreak

[Patrick Henry]

For instance, Mr. Godfrey said that the general public wasn’t ready for Ron Paul’s support for legalizing heroin, but he said more voters may be open to Rand Paul’s push to reduce or eliminate minimum-mandatory prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.

Did Mr Godfrey really say this? Where are the quotes? If he did say this, why? I suspect this to be typical yellow journalism.

Let's sprinkle the heroin word around to scare folks.

[Brett85]

Did Mr Godfrey really say this? Where are the quotes? If he did say this, why? I suspect this to be typical yellow journalism.

Let's sprinkle the heroin word around to scare folks.

Ron did say that he supported Heroine legalization in a debate. He didn't bring up the issue, but he did say that he supported that when asked the question.

[idiom]

Ending the war on drugs is a pretty common standard of liberty. It's one of the few things the LP can even agree on.

[Patrick Henry]

I know Ron said that and I agree with it, but did this Godfrey guy say it? My question is why would someone bring it up to a reporter when not even asked? I wouldn't.
Ron did say that he supported Heroine legalization in a debate. He didn't bring up the issue, but he did say that he supported that when asked the question.

[Patrick Henry]

I know, and it needs to ended immediately.
Ending the war on drugs is a pretty common standard of liberty. It's one of the few things the LP can even agree on.

[Brett85]

Ending the war on drugs is a pretty common standard of liberty. It's one of the few things the LP can even agree on.

Yeah, I know. I'm not even a full fledged libertarian, and I support ending the war on drugs.

[Brett85]

I know Ron said that and I agree with it, but did this Godfrey guy say it? My question is why would someone bring it up to a reporter when not even asked? I wouldn't.

He brought it up to point out how Rand is taking a position on that issue that mainstream Republicans can better accept.

[FSP-Rebel]

Anecdotally, I was at the Wayne Co GOP committee meeting last night and a few reported on their experiences up at Mackinac last weekend. One state cmte-woman, who didn't seem to be on our team a year ago, said she had a ball up north and was so excited she got to ride in a carriage w/ Rand and said that he was very approachable. The secretary of our lot said she rode the elevator with him and thought he was very nice. Meanwhile, the first time they brought up his name, the whole room burst into applause. One of my Arab district cmte buddies later suggested that the whole cmte should support him for Prez and this cmte consists of random party officials from 4 different districts. I was told how much support Rand was getting by these party regulars but didn't believe it until I saw it myself last night.

[FSP-Rebel]

382540335408103424

[Bastiat's The Law]

Anecdotally, I was at the Wayne Co GOP committee meeting last night and a few reported on their experiences up at Mackinac last weekend. One state cmte-woman, who didn't seem to be on our team a year ago, said she had a ball up north and was so excited she got to ride in a carriage w/ Rand and said that he was very approachable. The secretary of our lot said she rode the elevator with him and thought he was very nice. Meanwhile, the first time they brought up his name, the whole room burst into applause. One of my Arab district cmte buddies later suggested that the whole cmte should support him for Prez and this cmte consists of random party officials from 4 different districts. I was told how much support Rand was getting by these party regulars but didn't believe it until I saw it myself last night.

Rand is going to surprise a lot of people with the tremendous amount of support he'll have out of the gate, and perhaps more importantly, how charismatic and persuasive he is with new audiences. He gives people hope and something to believe in. The country and the GOP have been starved from that for so long. The meme you see going around with liberals is that Rand is unelectable, oh my are they going to be in for a surprise.