Is Lindsey Graham running for president to Troll Rand Paul?

[NACBA]

On Thursday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) launched an exploratory committee for a 2016 presidential run, as Arlette Saenz of ABC News reported.
The committee, named "Security through Strength," will allow Graham to fundraise while he decides whether to officially launch a bid.
The committee's website implies that a Graham presidential bid will focus on foreign policy. It quotes Graham citing Ronald Reagan's "Peace Through Strength" policy for the Cold War, and adds that for "radical Islam," whose "followers are committed to destroying us and our way of life," Graham's own policy will be "Security through Strength."

What it means

http://www.vox.com/2015/1/29/7944905...president-2016

[acptulsa]

As far as I can see, Lindsay Graham has just about enough brains to run for president because he was told to, and no more.

And there could be an element of 'trolling Rand Paul' to it, in that it will make the whole rest of the field seem to be even more neocon than it is, thus making Rand seem 'out of the mainstream' (and they will pointedly not say to the masses that the whole of the Republican Party except Rand Paul is out of step with the bulk of the American electorate, which is why they keep losing the one nationwide general election).

This will make those neocon interventionists look reasonable because Graham will, as usual, be foaming at the mouth more than they are. Or so they hope. But if we do our jobs right, we can paint anyone who ever agrees with the fruitcake (in more ways than one) as being the same thing only slicker. And thereby use him to further divide the idiot vote among the neocons, and drive more sane votes out of the neocon camp completely.

So I, for one, sincerely hope he throws his tiara in the ring.

[KingNothing]

That effeminate hack will get eaten alive by literally every other candidate if he decides to run.

[Brett85]

It seems as though John Bolton is going to run for the same reason, just to attack Rand on the foreign policy issues.

[acptulsa]

It seems as though John Bolton is going to run for the same reason, just to attack Rand on the foreign policy issues.

So instead of good cop/bad cop they're going to play smart cop/dumbass cop?

[William Tell]

Graham doesn't know how to troll. He might just raise money and spend it all on attack ads against Rand in Iowa though.

[William Tell]

So I, for one, sincerely hope he throws his tiara in the ring.

Lolz!

[William Tell]

The committee's website implies that a Graham presidential bid will focus on foreign policy. It quotes Graham citing Ronald Reagan's "Peace Through Strength" policy for the Cold War, and adds that for "radical Islam," whose "followers are committed to destroying us and our way of life," Graham's own policy will be "Security through Strength."

What a dumbass. Rand's strategy is Peace/Strength. Graham's is War/Weakness. You can't use peace through strength as an attack against Rand. I guess its just a fundraising tag though.

[Occam's Banana]

On Thursday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Adam Sutler (N-SC) launched an exploratory committee for a 2016 presidential run, as Arlette Saenz of ABC News reported. The committee, named "Security through Strength," [...]

[jllundqu]

Graham won't run... he does want to throw out the neocon platform and drum up support for killing more people, though.

[William Tell]

Peter King has been talking about running too. I guess there are a lot of NeoCon doofuses who only want to be on the stage to attack Rand. They would hopefully help him get a chance to clarify it better with rebuttals though.

[euphemia]

I think he thinks it's his turn. This is the worst reason ever.

[georgiaboy]

Let him/them try.

It will be my supreme joy to witness Rand rhetorically eviscerate these poseurs for the world to witness.

This purging finally needs to happen, once and for all.

And please let Chris Wallace mediate.

[Brett85]

So instead of good cop/bad cop they're going to play smart cop/dumbass cop?

Which cop would be the smart cop and which cop would be the dumbass cop?

[Matt Collins]

Yall don't get it.... he might want to go after Rand and be an attack dog, but he also is in a tremendously powerful position if he can shape the outcome of the primary in South Carolina.

Like Romney, he will be able to negotiate a lot of things simply because he has a big hand in who wins South Carolina.

[anaconda]

What a dumbass. Rand's strategy is Peace/Strength. Graham's is War/Weakness. You can't use peace through strength as an attack against Rand. I guess its just a fundraising tag though.

"Weakness Through War!" Awesome! You should send this to Rand's staff.

[eleganz]

A scheme for Lindsey to run just to screw up S.C. for Rand is definitely something establishment figures would do to make sure Rand doesn't get the nomination. We've seen worse and I see stuff like this all the time in our local/state GOP.

[William Tell]

"Weakness Through War!" Awesome! You should send this to Rand's staff.

I was gonna say War/Effeminate, but censored myself.

[JJ2]

"Weakness Through War!" Awesome! You should send this to Rand's staff.

Yes! "Do we want Peace Through Strength or Weakness Through War"?

[limequat]

Yall don't get it.... he might want to go after Rand and be an attack dog, but he also is in a tremendously powerful position if he can shape the outcome of the primary in South Carolina.

Like Romney, he will be able to negotiate a lot of things simply because he has a big hand in who wins South Carolina.

South Carolina is War Party Central. Let em have it. Rand will clean up in purple states.

[cindy25]

Graham is running, hoping a terror attack close to the primary season will get him the nomination.

as far as SC, its good he's running. SC will be discounted because of Graham, FL because of Jeb and Rubio. Rand could come in 2nd in SC which would be counted by the media as a win.

[Foreigner]

I don't know who I rather would have jump in among the neocons. Lindsey Graham, Peter King and John Bolton are all hysterical mouth-foaming crazy with non-coherent policies. Which will make Rand seem like the only sane alternative. This is because I don't see the likes of Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz ect daring to disagree with them.

Will Graham even be admitted into the debates? He's polling at <1%, and I don't see many of the neocon voters even bothering to support him when they have more realistic hawkish alternatives in Bush or Rubio.

[RandallFan]

Does Graham spoiling, help Jeb or Rand win a 7 way race?

[r3volution 3.0]

....who has the artistic ability to make a Miss Lindsey version of this?

[jbauer]

Wait which one is the smart one?

So instead of good cop/bad cop they're going to play smart cop/dumbass cop?

[Koz]

So instead of good cop/bad cop they're going to play smart cop/dumbass cop?

Wait, which one is playing the smart cop?

[thoughtomator]

Wait, which one is playing the smart cop?

and while we're at it, what's a "smart cop"?

[acptulsa]

I don't know who I rather would have jump in among the neocons. Lindsey Graham, Peter King and John Bolton are all hysterical mouth-foaming crazy with non-coherent policies. Which will make Rand seem like the only sane alternative. This is because I don't see the likes of Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz ect daring to disagree with them.

Will Graham even be admitted into the debates? He's polling at <1%, and I don't see many of the neocon voters even bothering to support him when they have more realistic hawkish alternatives in Bush or Rubio.

Considering he appears on one of the Sunday morning blather shows nearly every single week (today included) I don't really expect any lamestream media outlet to refuse to point a camera at him.

And I think you put your finger on something. I think Graham is there to appear extreme, thereby making Jeb Bush's insane imperialism seem 'moderate'--if only by comparison.

Expect a lot of 'Rand Paul is as far out of the mainstream as Lindsey Graham' rhetoric. Unless we can nip it in the bud.

[TheTexan]

I hope he doesn't run... it would split the libertarian vote between the two of them...

[56ktarget]

I smell Paulite panic