Rand Paul

Speculation Seriously Begins On 2016 Presidential Competition

Ronald 2 Comments

Eight weeks away from the Presidential Election of 2012, but with the obvious trend toward Barack Obama emerging, political pundits are starting to speculate on who might compete for the Democratic and Republican Presidential nominations in 2016, when if Barack Obama is reelected in 2012, we will be certain to have a new President.

The field of potential nominees is long in both parties. Among those being discussed are the following:

Democrats

Vice President Joe Biden from Delaware
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from New York
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill
Virginia Senator Mark Warner
Newark New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker
Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren

Republicans

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush
Florida Senator Marco Rubio
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum
Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker
New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham
South Dakota Senator John Thune

So there are, theoretically, 12 Democrats and 14 Republicans who can be seen now as possible competitors for the Presidential nominations, but of course, some of these conceivable candidacies are based on election results yet to occur, including whether Senators Claire McCaskill, Scott Brown, and Lindsay Graham are reelected, the first two this year, and Graham in 2014; whether Cory Booker runs for New Jersey Governor and defeats Chris Christie, with the result eliminating one of those two candidacies; whether Elizabeth Warren can defeat Scott Brown, which would eliminate one or the other of those two candidacies; and whether the “old timers”—Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Jeb Bush—decide to run or stay out of the race, leaving the battle for the nominations to the “new generation” of leadership that is emerging in both political parties.

As of now, there is plenty of diversity in the potential race, with the following statistics:

7 women in the race–Hillary Clinton, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, Claire McCaskill, Elizabeth Warren for the Democrats, and Nikki Haley and Kelly Ayotte for the Republicans.
2 African Americans in the race—Deval Patrick and Cory Booker for the Democrats.
1 Hispanic-Latino in the race—Marco Rubio for the Republicans.
2 Asian Americans in the race (both of India heritage)—Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley for the Republicans.

On the Democratic side, there are three potential candidates from New York—Hillary Clinton, Andrew Cuomo, Kirsten Gillibrand; one from New Jersey (Cory Booker); one from Delaware (Joe Biden); one from Maryland (Martin O’Malley); two from Massachusetts (Deval Patrick and Elizabeth Warren)–a total of eight of the 12 potential candidates from the Northeast, with one from the South (Mark Warner of Virginia); two from the Midwest (Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri); and one from the West (Brian Schweitzer of Montana).

On the Republican side, there are four potential candidates from the Northeast—Chris Christie of New Jersey, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, and Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania; seven from the South and border states—Bob McDonnell of Virginia, Nikki Haley and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio of Florida, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, and Rand Paul of Kentucky; and three from the Midwest—Paul Ryan and Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Thune of South Dakota.

Additionally, there are many Catholics running, startling when one considers that this nation has only had one Catholic President (John F. Kennedy), and one Catholic Vice President (Joe Biden).

Also, the Democrats have four Governors, one Mayor, and seven former or sitting or potential Senators on their list; while the Republicans have six Governors or former Governors, seven Senators, and one Congressman on their list.

Speculation starting already makes the 2016 Presidential race seem ever closer even though it will not begin in earnest until mid to late 2014, and particularly so after the midterm elections of 2014!

Wing Nuts Of 2010, And Now Of 2012–Lost Republican Opportunities In The Senate Then, And Possibly, Now!

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The Republican Party is infamous for running wing nuts for the Senate, and as a result, lost the chance for control of the US Senate in 2010.

They ran such characters as Christine O’Donnell in Delaware; Ken Buck in Colorado; Sharron Angle in Nevada; and Joe Miller in Alaska.

The first three were so whacky that the Democrats held on to the seats, and kept control of the Senate, with Harry Reid of Nevada remaining Senate Majority Leader. Lisa Murkowski won a miraculous victory in Alaska over Tea Party favored Joe Miller, keeping that seat sane and sensible, while Republican.

At the same time, Rand Paul and Mike Lee won in Kentucky and Utah, respectively, and Marco Rubio was also backed by the Tea Party, and now Paul and Rubio are likely leaders of the party in the near future, no matter how right wing they are!

Now we have in 2012 the following: Ted Cruz in Texas, backed by the Tea Party and likely to win a Senate seat; Debbie Fischer in Nebraska, who faces former Democratic Senator and Presidential seeker Bob Kerrey, who faces a tough battle; Richard Murdock, who defeated respectable conservative Richard Lugar in Indiana; and now, Todd Akin, challenging Senator Claire McCaskell in Missouri.

With the likelihood of Cruz, Fischer, and Murdock victories for the Tea Party and the right wing of the social conservatives, the only thing that may stop GOP control of the US Senate is the Todd Akin controversy, but in theory, Akin could win that race too, and with only three or four seats gain needed to win control of the Senate for the Republicans, the future makeup of the Senate is disturbing!

It should be pointed out that the Texas and Indiana seats coming up for election are already GOP seats, so only Nebraska and maybe Missouri would be gains for the Tea Party element as things stand now! But going from Kay Bailey Hutchison and Richard Lugar to Ted Cruz and Richard Murdock is a major step backward toward further deadlock, confrontation, and paralysis in a Senate already with a terrible reputation

A Future Presidential Race? Texans Ted Cruz (R) Vs. Julian Castro (D)?

Ronald 9 Comments

With news on Tuesday evening that former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz has won the Republican nomination for the US Senate with the backing of the Tea Party Movement; and also the news that Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio has been selected to give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in the first week of September, suddenly we must pay attention to the Lone Star State, as we may be witnessing a potential future race of these two Texans, both Latinos, who could not be more different, competing for the Presidency of the United States in 2020 or after!

Cruz is almost guaranteed to win the Senate seat to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison, even though Texas Governor Rick Perry supported his opponent, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. He would become one of the Tea Party activists in the US Senate, joining Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Marco Rubio of Florida, and would become a rival of Rubio to be the first Hispanic Republican to seek the Presidency, but with the difference being that Rubio is Cuban, and Cruz is Mexican. Do not forget that Mexican Americans are nearly two thirds of all Hispanics in America, while Cubans are only about three percent of the Hispanic population! Of course, the majority of Mexican Americans tend to vote Democratic, but in theory, Cruz might be able, long term, to change that reality. Being only 41, the same age as Rubio, who is about five months younger, a definite rivalry for Hispanic Republican support can be seen as in the making!

But at the same time, with the announcement that San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, also Mexican American, and only 37 and very photogenic, will be delivering the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, is an event to pay attention to, as many see him as the Mexican American version of Barack Obama in the Democratic Party, with a possible future in the party beyond the mayoralty of the seventh largest city in America, including a possible run in the future for the Presidency!

To imagine a theoretical race between Cruz and Castro in the future may be an illusion, but who can say that it will not happen?

With Cruz being 41 and Castro 37, we may be hearing about both in American politics for the next few decades!

A Very Scary Thought: Rise Of The Teavangelicals In The Republican Party!

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The Republican Party has been plagued since the late 1970s by the influence of the evangelical Christian RIght, originally led by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, as the Moral Majority.

Then along came the Tea Party Movement in 2009 as an opposition to any cooperation with President Barack Obama on the economic crisis facing the nation after the meltdown on Wall Street in 2008.

Now the two right wing movements are combining together to take America back to the past, and has elements of religious extremism, nativism, racism, anti Semitism, joined together with promotion of Grover Norquist and his supporters who want no increase in taxes, tax cuts to the top two percent, no regulation of corporations, and the promotion of a theocracy in America, along with a libertarian bent along the lines of Ron Paul and Rand Paul.

This is modern day Fascism in America, a threat to progress and tolerance in America, as the goal is to restore a past that was far from wonderful, but has been romanticized as glorious!

Progressive forces must resist and fight the right wing, as they are a threat to the changing America which is, inevitably, coming on–a multicultural America, in which the white majority will be a minority by the 2040s!

The Lunatic Right Goes Berserk After Supreme Court Health Care Decision

Ronald 1 Comment

The true nature of the right wing Republicans and conservative radio talk show hosts and Fox News Channel is revealing itself in the aftermath of the decision of the Supreme Court on the Obama Health Care law as being constitutional, written by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Roberts is being pilloried as a “traitor”, the Court being denounced as a “death panel”, and Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana, who once thought of running for President, said the Court decision was the equivalent of another September 11!

How reckless on the part of Mike Pence! How disgraceful a behavior by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt of Ohio, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, and the others on the lunatic right!

They are showing us the dangers if they were to gain total power, as Fascism would be around the corner, ready to destroy the middle class and the poor, in their support of the elite plutocracy that has become a threat since the time of Ronald Reagan onward!

We must pray every day, even if not religious, for the safety and the health of President Obama, Chief Justice Roberts, and other courageous people of different political views, who nevertheless remain in the mainstream of American politics, and want to do what is proper to promote and maintain democracy and opportunity for ALL Americans, not just the wealthy top one or two percent!

These extremists, and there are many others, reveal their true selves as they rant and rave, so go ahead, lunatic fringe, and show us what and who you are, and the American people will reject your leadership, and your talk shows in droves, as they realize that you do not give a damn about them, but only about your own selfish selves, your money and your power!

If Mitt Romney Wins Presidency, A Likely Challenge From Day One By Senator Rand Paul Of Kentucky!

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If Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney somehow wins the Presidency this November, he should be forewarned that he will not automatically be the GOP nominee for re-election in 2016.

There is great discontent within the Republican Party with Mitt Romney, and what is happening now is a “shotgun marriage”, as Republicans realize he is their only hope to dislodge Barack Obama from the White House.

But with Romney’s history of moderation until recently; with his alliance with neoconservatives on foreign policy; with the evangelical Christian right uncomfortable with a Mormon nominee, and distrustful of his social conservatism being real; with his close alliance with Wall Street big banks and corporations; and with his refutation of the libertarianistic views of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, it is certain that a President Romney would have rivals in 2016, most notably the highly ambitious Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ron Paul’s heir.

Paul running would set up a new civil war in the GOP, as the Wall Street Republicans would shun him; the foreign policy neoconservatives would look on him with trepidation; and the question would arise if the social conservatives would be able to accept some of his libertarian views.

Let’s just say that Rand Paul is a nightmare to many in the national political scene, including his fellow Kentucky Senator and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who will not be able to count on Paul’s support to be Minority Leader or Majority Leader of the Senate in the 113th Congress.

Like it or not, the impact of Ron Paul, and his son Rand Paul, will haunt the Republican Party for a long time to come!

Grade Level Speaking Ability Of Congressional Members Declining! Sign Of The Deterioration Of Discourse!

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An analysis of the discourse that goes on in Congress reveals that the grade level speaking ability of members of Congress, as an average, has declined since the coming of Tea Party Republicans to the House of Representatives, and dramatically lower than it was seven years ago, in 2005.

In 2005, the average member of Congress was rated 11.5, a junior level in high school, while now it is 10.6, a sophomoric level, one full grade lower!

The ten lowest ranked members of Congress are all Republicans, with eight of them being Tea Party Republicans, including two Tea Party Senators.

Interestingly, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin was rated the second lowest Senator in speaking ability, with an 8.6 score, and is a demonstration of what Wisconsin lost in allowing Johnson to win over former Senator Russ Feingold, long considered one of the most brilliant members of the Senate, in the Congressional elections of 2010.

Also, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, also elected in 2010, was the lowest in score of all Senators, with an 8.0, and this guy wants to run for President? This is the same person who is an eye doctor by profession, but not certified by the national organization, but instead formed his own optometric association and certified himself! Give me a break!

Just as a point of information, the two highest ranked Senators in speaking ability were Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka with a score of 14.2, and Maine Senator Olympia Snowe with a score of 14.0. The sad part is that both these Senators are leaving at the end of the year, not seeking re-election!

So the whole point of the Senate, and even the House of Representatives, supposedly being “the best among us”, people who have the distinction to serve as our representatives in both houses of Congress, is under scrutiny, and only adds to the low public opinion rating that Congress has, most recently 13 percent!

Congress has become a disgrace, and particularly so with the Republican Party membership!

Speculation About Reported Alliance Between Mitt Romney And Ron Paul: Could It Lead To Rand Paul Being Vice Presidential Running Mate Of Romney?

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Political pundits, including Joe Scarborough of MORNING JOE on MSNBC, have noticed what seems like a warm friendship between two Republican Presidential candidates, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Texas Congressman Ron Paul.

It has become obvious that Ron Paul has spent a lot of money on attack ads in various states against Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, and now Rick Santorum, as each has become a major challenger to Mitt Romney. He has also attacked them on debate stages, as he did last night against Rick Santorum.

This seems very weird to many observers, as Mitt Romney is not a libertarian or a believer in the withdrawal of America’s involvement overseas, which Ron Paul stands for.

And Ron Paul is too old to be considered as a running mate, but then it is recognized that his son, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who is 49 years old, has already said he would be honored to be considered for Vice President, a very strong hint that a deal could be struck to put Rand Paul in the Vice Presidential slot as a way to unite diverse elements of the GOP for November.

In many ways, it would be a “shotgun marriage”, but not the first in American history, as for instance, the team of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Nance Garner in 1932; the team of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon in 1952; the team of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1960; and the team of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush in 1980, were not based on close friendship or ties between the Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees. They were done for maximum political advantage.

The problem with this possibility of Mitt Romney teaming with Rand Paul is that it puts Rand Paul and his extremist libertarian philosophy a potential heartbeat away from the Presidency, although the positive side for Romney is that it makes a Libertarian Party challenger less likely or, at least, less able to draw away votes if there is one, such as former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson. Ron Paul has a lot of supporters, who could be drawn to support Mitt Romney, if he selected Rand Paul.

So this new rumor makes one think that it could be a way to help Romney clinch the nomination and have somewhat united support, but the thought of a possible President Rand Paul would be a radical change unacceptable to mainstream and centrist political attitudes.

The Transportation Security Administration, Elderly Ladies, And Senator Rand Paul Of Kentucky

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One of the most despised federal agencies is the Transportation Security Administration, created after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

A part of the Department of Homeland Security under Janet Napolitano, the TSA has shown total rigidity and a lack of common sense in its mission to prevent any chance of another September 11.

In theory, one cannot complain about the federal government doing everything it can to protect all of us who travel by air. But there is also such a thing as using one’s brains and recognizing preposterous situations.

Even going through a full body scan is seen by many people as dangerous healthwise and an invasion of privacy. But to demand a full body patdown for elderly ladies with equipment to allow them to travel without embarrassment of problems with their bodily functions, or for a United States Senator known to be a public figure, who shows he has no metal on his right leg, to be detained and prevented from flying is totally preposterous and is a policy totally insane.

One does not need to be a libertarian as Rand Paul is, to agree with him that invasion of privacy is out of control when it comes to flying. The TSA should be reformed to be flexible enough as to avoid ridiculous situations such as these examples.

This situation which has occurred with Rand Paul will probably promote his future political career on the national level, and indirectly, assist his father, Presidential candidate and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, to gain notice with the issues he believes in, particularly getting the government out of one’s personal and private life as much as possible!

Congressman Ron Paul And College Student Loans: Denial Of Educational Opportunity!

Ronald 1 Comment

Libertarian and Republican Presidential candidate, Texas Congressman Ron Paul always draws interest when he makes his statements and announces his platform, because it is so contradictory to that of all the other GOP candidates.

He is much loved by many young people, including college students, who have a utopian view of having very little government in the complex world of the 21st century.

However, with his new suggestion that college student loans be ended over a period of time, along with the Department of Education itself, many young people and other Americans who are enamored with him might have second thoughts.

His comment that anyone who wants an education will be able to get one is preposterous on its face, as realize how many poor whites and minorities go into the military precisely for the chance to get a low cost education, something that should not be a factor in volunteering to put oneself in harm’s way!

While many students may graduate with high levels of debt, to eliminate the government promoting education is a guarantee of FEWER college graduates, which even with the tough realities of unemployment problems today, is still the best way to promote job success and increased standard of living long term!

What Paul is doing is condemning millions of people not so fortunate to have wealthy parents, and facing the problems of constant struggle to survive, to have no way out of poverty or the struggling lower middle class!

That is only to be condemned as heartless, uncaring, narrow minded, and elitist, and certainly, Senator Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul, with a father who was a doctor in his younger years, did not face that kind of personal struggle, which might have prevented him from his career as an eye doctor before seeking public office!

This is more than enough reason to eliminate Ron Paul as a serious Presidential candidate, although it is certain that the GOP electorate will do that effectively in the early caucuses and primaries!