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View Full Version : [John Kass] Rand Paul wins again, but political arithmetic not on his side




01000110
12-16-2015, 08:27 PM
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-republican-presidential-debate-kass-1217-20151217-column.html


Rand Paul wins again, but political arithmetic not on his sidehttp://www.trbimg.com/img-56721261/turbine/ct-apphoto-gop-2016-debate-jpg-20151216/750/750x422
How do I know that Rand Paul (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/safari-reader://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics-government/government/rand-paul-PEPLT007915-topic.html) just won another GOP (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/safari-reader://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics-government/republican-party-ORGOV0000004-topic.html) presidential debate?
He was hardly mentioned in the post-debate coverage. That's how I know.
All this can best be explained by a stunning new metric that has sprung fully formed from my rather large forehead:
The Negative Rand Paul Quotient.
To determine the Negative Rand Paul Quotient, you scan the post-debate news coverage. Then tally up the many times talking heads said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/safari-reader://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics-government/chris-christie-PEPLT0000017577-topic.html) came off as "strong," even though "strong" means shooting down Russian fighter jets over Syria and kick-starting World War III.
Take the number of times Paul was not mentioned and multiply by (Infinity +/- 1). Toss in some other stuff you don't really remember from Algebra II.
http://www.trbimg.com/img-5671c02a/turbine/ct-republican-presidential-debate-analysis-20151216-thumbnail/400/400x225 (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/safari-reader://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-republican-presidential-debate-analysis-20151216-story.html)
And that gives you the Negative Rand Paul Quotient, or NRPQ.
Of course, part of the reason that Paul is plagued with the NRPQ is that he's doing poorly in national polls and barely made it onto the main debate stage.
And many of you think I'm crazy because I've said Paul won the other debates too. But I can't help it if he did.
Yet I can't let Paul completely off the hook for his own political problems. The man is somewhat boring.
Rather than boast about turning the Middle Eastern sands to glow-in-the-dark mush, or lopping heads of enemies or smashing Vladimir Putin (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/safari-reader://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics-government/government/heads-of-state/vladimir-putin-PEPLT007593-topic.html) right in his smirking face, Paul talked of other matters.
Such as our national debt and how our habit of borrowing "a million dollars a minute" weakens the nation.
But debt doesn't seem to bother other Republican candidates, and it certainly doesn't bother Democrats, who live to spend.
http://www.trbimg.com/img-5670e5a3/turbine/ct-photos-gop-debate-20151215/750/750x422


What really makes Paul boring is that he doesn't favor sending your kids to Syria. And he's not big on toppling ruthless Middle Eastern dictators just to see what happens.
And Paul is nothing like the supreme Democratic war hawk, Hillary Clinton, who already has blood on her raptor's claws from her Libyan adventure and will stain them a deep crimson should she be elected president.
"Regime change hasn't won," Paul said in his opening remarks. "Toppling secular dictators in the Middle East has only led to chaos and the rise of radical Islam. I think if we want to defeat terrorism, I think if we truly are sincere about defeating terrorism, we need to quit arming the allies of ISIS."
Sounds logical, but you didn't hear much of it on the news because of the NRPQ I just told you about.
Then Paul made it worse by talking of That Which Shall Not Be Named.
"As commander-in-chief, I will do whatever it takes to defend America. But in defending America, we cannot lose what America stands for. Today is the Bill of Rights' anniversary. I hope we will remember that and cherish that in the fight on terrorism."
The Bill of Rights? What the …? No wonder he's so low in the polls.
Now, Donald Trump knows how to campaign. He wants to ban Muslims and kick out millions of Mexicans and attack the Internet and kill the wives and children of terrorists.
He doesn't know doodly-squat about the U.S. nuclear triad — "For me, nuclear, the power, the devastation, is very important to me," he said in response to a question about that Tuesday — but still he's rising in the polls and doesn't have to bother with all that Bill of Rights stuff.
"So, they can kill us, but we can't kill them?" Trump asked.
Then the others joined in to all demonstrate that, yes, they too are tough.
It sounded like they were singing the "Ride of the Valkyries."
"And for the Russians, frankly, it's time that we punched the Russians in the nose!" said whiny Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
What was weird, besides Kasich talking about punching anyone, was his hand motions, like some angry Benihana chef with slave shrimp on the grill.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked Christie if he'd risk a war with Russia by shooting down Russian fighter planes in a hypothetical no-fly zone above Syria.
"Not only would I be prepared to do it, I would do it," said Christie, determined not to be seen as some feckless weakling.
So fierce was he that Christie was half Clemenza from "The Godfather" and half Charles Laughton as the angry Quasimodo (when the evil bishop threatens the beautiful gypsy girl).
"A no-fly zone means a no-fly zone, Wolf! That's what it means," Christie said.
Carly Fiorina cried that she too would teach Putin a lesson, adding she'd reassemble the warrior class and craft a ruthless plan.
And then she played the gender card, rather awkwardly, speaking through her adenoids and making those odd head-shaking motions of hers.
FIORINA: "I'll just add that Margaret Thatcher once said, "If you want something talked about, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman."
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: Thank you.
Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio canceled each other out. And Jeb! was still Jeb!, oblivious to the fact that Republicans don't want a Bush Restoration.
"Well, I think if you're in favor of World War III, you have your candidate," Paul said of Christie, but then included the others who, like Clinton, have promised to push a no-fly zone in Syria right in Putin's face.
"My goodness, what we want in a leader is someone with judgment," Paul said, "not someone who is so reckless as to stand on the stage and say, 'Yes, I'm jumping up and down; I'm going to shoot down Russian planes.' It is a recipe for disaster."
Yes, Senator, it is a recipe for disaster.
And a recipe for getting votes.
jskass@tribpub.com
Twitter @John_Kass

Indy Vidual
12-16-2015, 09:28 PM
jskass@tribpub.com
Is anyone going to email this guy to say "thanks", or something?

georgiaboy
12-16-2015, 09:44 PM
refreshing.

eleganz
12-16-2015, 09:46 PM
jskass@tribpub.com
Is anyone going to email this guy to say "thanks", or something?

Tweeted at him and he liked it so mission accomplished :)

muzzled dogg
12-16-2015, 10:26 PM
Well done

PaleoPaul
12-16-2015, 10:34 PM
This is the guy that exposes the Daley/Emanuel Chicago Machine on a daily basis. He's awesome.

derek4ever
12-16-2015, 10:53 PM
Good article. Before I read it, I was going to recommend that somebody put it in the spin section but it turns out the author defends Rand! :)

PursuePeace
12-16-2015, 11:24 PM
Well written!


This is the guy that exposes the Daley/Emanuel Chicago Machine on a daily basis. He's awesome.

Interesting. I've never heard of him before.
He certainly has my attention, now.

PaleoPaul
12-17-2015, 12:42 AM
Well written!



Interesting. I've never heard of him before.
He certainly has my attention, now.
You should read the way he roasts Rahm Emanuel.

JeremyR
12-17-2015, 02:20 AM
Thanks or posting

carlton
12-17-2015, 02:50 AM
Thanks or posting

Welcome Jeremy!