Meet Tom Cotton: Ark's next Senator & Rand Paul's worst Nightmare

[NACBA]

Arkansas elected Republican Rep. Tom Cotton to the Senate on Tuesday, sending incumbent Mark Pryor packing. You might not be surprised that a Republican won in Arkansas in a heavily GOP year, but Cotton's victory is a much bigger deal than you probably think. His election is a significant step for the future of GOP foreign policy, and thus perhaps for American foreign policy.

(Read more: Sen. Rand Paul just gave one of the most important foreign policy speeches in decades)

Cotton, you see, is the golden child of the Republican party's hawkish establishment. He still calls the 2003 Iraq invasion a "just and noble" war. He's young — just 37 — and fervently backed by some of the most influential conservative figures in the nation. His Senate victory makes him a serious candidate for an even higher office some day. But even before then, his ascent could represent a larger movement in his party's foreign policy.

This sets him on a collision course with the GOP's other leading young voice on foreign policy: Sen. Rand Paul. One of Paul's top priorities is moving the Republican Party away from George W. Bush's neoconservatism; one of Cotton's is pulling the party back towards it. And given the slate of immediate foreign policy issues facing the Senate, the two are likely to be at odds sooner rather than later.

Cotton's hawkishness is his defining political trait

http://www.vox.com/2014/11/5/7154855...tton-rand-paul

[jbauer]

ahh great. The neocons live on.

[Virgil]

Not necessarily, Paul went to Arkansas and help Cotton out with the election. So it's a toss up on what Cotton will do for or against Paul.

-virgil

[William Tell]

Not necessarily, Paul went to Arkansas and help Cotton out with the election. So it's a toss up on what Cotton will do for or against Paul.

-virgil

But ideologically they want the GOP to go in opposite directions.

[DeadheadForPaul]

Wow good to know. I wasn't familiar with Cotton's policies. I'm afraid the rise of ISIS may bring back neoconservatism as even moderates and liberals are on board with interventionism to stop ISIS

[brushfire]

Meh... bfd. His kind are a dime a dozen and are on the losing side of history.

[Virgil]

But ideologically they want the GOP to go in opposite directions.

very true.

-virgil

[philipped]

But ideologically they want the GOP to go in opposite directions.

On probably "very pressing issues, in a very sticky subject for the Junior Senator amongst Republican colleagues and potential Primary voters."

......as the narrative has put it so far.

Maybe the dynamics could shift with ISIS in giving Rand more validity. Cotton could play along for the sake of loyalty in the Senate or he could make the McCain wing of the party ACTUALLY look like it really isn't a dying philosophy with conservatives to support global cost-infinite intervention. Only time will tell at this point, so I hope it works out best for Rand.

[enhanced_deficit]

Meh... bfd. His kind are a dime a dozen and are on the losing side of history.

^ This.

[invisible]

He needs to be caught in a homosexual act with some other MIC shill like wankford or russell.

[r3volution 3.0]

^ This.

Yup, that monster has been slayed.

The only thing that could resurrect it would be a major terrorist attack in the US.

Barring that, we're good.

[twomp]

Yup, that monster has been slayed.

The only thing that could resurrect it would be a major terrorist attack in the US.

Barring that, we're good.

That monster has been slayed? I think you need to take a look around, IF you haven't noticed, we ARE BACK IN IRAQ?

[DeadheadForPaul]

That monster has been slayed? I think you need to take a look around, IF you haven't noticed, we ARE BACK IN IRAQ?

This. After 4-6 years losing favor with the public, the NEO-CONS ARE BACK. ISIS are the perfect boogeyman to get moderates back on board their crazy train

[r3volution 3.0]

That monster has been slayed? I think you need to take a look around, IF you haven't noticed, we ARE BACK IN IRAQ?

talking about ground wars

neocons gonna neocon, but there will be no more ground war - short of 9/11 redux

[jtstellar]

it could be a dead cat bounce.. sometimes the best way to allow people a chance to soundly reject an idea is to first allow it to surface

[NOVALibertarian]

Rand has nothing to fear from this guy. People like him no-longer have any long-term traction outside of the South. Neo-Conservatism is dying but--like every monster in a horror movie--comes back for one last scare before finally being put out of its misery.

For reference:

[supermario21]

I don't think Cotton and many of these new Southern Republicans won because of ISIS. They pretty much won on economics, etc. Remember, many of the centrist Dems out there often try to show off their independence by being neocons themselves.

[twomp]

talking about ground wars

neocons gonna neocon, but there will be no more ground war - short of 9/11 redux

How certain are you that? All it takes now is for 1 helicopter to get shot down. 1 marine to have his head chopped off on video and Ma' and Pa' will be clamoring to go back to Iraq. Of course, they won't go themselves.

[supermario21]

How certain are you that? All it takes now is for 1 helicopter to get shot down. 1 marine to have his head chopped off on video and Ma' and Pa' will be clamoring to go back to Iraq. Of course, they won't go themselves.

Don't be so sure. Republican voters according to exit polls where actually more opposed to military action against ISIS than Democrats were. It was a 56-39 in favor among Republicans and something along the lines of 64/65-31 in favor for Democrats. Rand has his own 40% built in there while the other hawks can out-hawk each other into oblivion. Plus as we've seen with Iraq and now Syria toppling secular dictators who can hold the fabric together in favor of folks who eventually lead to ISIS is not a good thing.

[Maltheus]

Neo-Conservatism is dying

This election makes me think otherwise. And more and more, I see the left (both the media and on comment boards) siding with the neocons, in an alliance against grassroots/Tea Party types. Authoritarians don't go down without a fight.

[GunnyFreedom]

This election makes me think otherwise. And more and more, I see the left (both the media and on comment boards) siding with the neocons, in an alliance against grassroots/Tea Party types. Authoritarians don't go down without a fight.

Tea Party people going to be looking for allies around the country. They love Constitutional minded people.

[anaconda]

Meh... bfd. His kind are a dime a dozen and are on the losing side of history.

$800 billion out of the budget every year, endless wars, and unlimited access to drug profits and black ops. I'd say these people are winning. If they were a sports franchise they would qualify as a dynasty.

[Tywysog Cymru]

Don't be so sure. Republican voters according to exit polls where actually more opposed to military action against ISIS than Democrats were. It was a 56-39 in favor among Republicans and something along the lines of 64/65-31 in favor for Democrats.

Public opinion doesn't matter to those in power.

[r3volution 3.0]

Public opinion doesn't matter to those in power.

Of course it does.

That's why they spend untold billions of dollars creating it.

[Tywysog Cymru]

Of course it does.

That's why they spend untold billions of dollars creating it.

I get your point, but when the vast majority of Americans are sick of the wars but only a handful of congressmen are, something is wrong.

[r3volution 3.0]

I get your point, but when the vast majority of Americans are sick of the wars but only a handful of congressmen are, something is wrong.

No argument there.

All I'm saying is that they care about public opinion (read: their own jobs) to the extent that they will restrain their blood-lust until such time as they can get the public on board - which I don't see happening for the foreseeable future, barring another 9/11.

[philipped]

$800 billion out of the budget every year, endless wars, and unlimited access to drug profits and black ops. I'd say these people are winning. If they were a sports franchise they would qualify as a dynasty.

NeoCon Dynasty: 1989-2013 (ended with Syria)

[NewRightLibertarian]

This. After 4-6 years losing favor with the public, the NEO-CONS ARE BACK. ISIS are the perfect boogeyman to get moderates back on board their crazy train

Yep. The GOP winning power last week was a disaster for liberty.