Wednesday, January 16, 2013

A Republican Insider on Rand Paul

I asked a Republican insider, who is very close to John Boehner, what he thought of Rand Paul and his chances in 2016. Keep in mind, although this insider does have some libertarian leanings, he is mostly "a Republican very close to the Boehner inner circle":
He's smart and serious, a great combination. As for 2016, it's simply way too early to say. How he comports himself as Senator over the next two years will tell.
It is not what he can accomplish, or even who he is, that matters. It is whether he can attract a wide group of supporters. We need leaders more than we need the exactly correct policy proposals.
My take away here is that Rand doesn't seem to scare him as a candidate. Second, his line, "How he comports himself as Senator over the next two years will tell," is an indication to me that the insiders are watching him to see how much of an establishment game he will play. Of course, since Rand has already visited our 51st state, it's likely that Rand will "comport himself" in  a manner, going forward, that will meet with the approval of the establishment.

Current California Governor Jerry Brown, when running, many years ago, for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, once said that the primaries were simply a Gong Show for the rich. Perhaps, it can be said that it appears that Rand will be heartily welcomed as a contestant for the 2016 Republican presidential Gong Show.

9 comments:

  1. Yeah, I wouldn't vote for him if you paid me in gold to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "He's smart and serious,"

    Yesterday's article had Rand Paul on the Plague Tour asking for GNR's version of 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' (a song written from Billy the Kid's perspective) and saying it wasn't Dave Lane's tour anymore.

    There is something gonzo about Randal, moving through the system that has become Reality TV, that makes for good theater.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is there any possibility Rand is a Trojan Horse for the libertarian movement? I mean, if that were a possibility, wouldn't you do exactly what he is doing? It's so see-through it's almost brilliant. He did go to Duke - and if we've learned anything, it's you can't trust a Dukie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish it was possible, but it only seems to go in one direction. I'm sure if he became libertarian in office, they'd find a way to impeach or assassinate him. Too much is at stake.

      Delete
    2. what can a libertarian president do anyway? Congress is the one in charge... 'Hey congress, can you pass these tax reforms please?'.. 'No', 'Ok, how about you repeal these regulations?' (after the lobbyists get to work...) 'No'.

      Delete
    3. Not to mention that a libertarian president's vetoes would be frequently overridden anyway.

      Delete
  4. "Is there any possibility Rand is a Trojan Horse for the libertarian movement?"

    No.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So let's hear all the usual defenses about how we can vote our way to freedom, when Ron Paul's own son wants the Ring of Power for himself, not to throw it into Mount Doom where it belongs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lew Rockwell didn't term it "Mordor on the Potomac" for nothing!

      Delete