Rand Paul Really Wants To Be Elected President in 2016

jamin | April 10, 2013 | 0 Comments

U.S. Senator Rand Paul is continuing to build his political brand out in these streets. He spoke at Howard University (an historically Black university in Washington, DC) today and from what I gleaned from the speech (taken from direct quotes and summaries), it seems that he proposed some solutions I could pay attention to. He espoused personal responsibility and mentioned how big government can create bigger problems of dependency than most are willing to admit. There are some problems with what he said, but white right-wing bloggers and journalists are so giddy that he was “ballsy” enough to address the same Black people they could address but never bothered to simply get to know personally outside of their world of amazing suburban whiteness. For one thing, Paul said he’s never wavered in his support of civil rights, but there is documentation of him wanting to repeal the Civil Rights Act stating that it should not be the Federal government mandating fair treatment of citizens, but it should be left up to private citizens to determine if they will be fair and equitable to people regardless of race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

The problem with Libertarians is that they have a worldview that already takes into account things that the Federal government has stepped in to make better and there are generations operating in that mandate now. To take it away would result in people pretty much acting the same and more slowly regressing into more overt racist, sexist, and homophobic behaviors. “Well, let the free market decide. If someone is a racist and runs a business, let the people decide if they will patronize that business instead of the government mandating that the business owner must play nice with others.” Yeah, in order for that to work, there would need to be more than one business offering the same service at a competitive price. If they’re the only game in town and they’re racist and refusing service to Blacks and Latinos, without a law there to stop them, what recourse would minority patrons have?

Senator Paul also talked about mandatory federal jail time for crimes served hurts minority communities and how school choice needs to be the standard. Did he just do a “Black people problems” Google search and speak on the first two hits? He also talked about the Republican party being the party that freed the slaves (without mentioning how Lincoln didn’t want to do it, how he didn’t care about Black people, and how he told freed Blacks to leave the country for Panama, the Caribbean, and Africa because the Civil War was their fault), and was the party that put Blacks into Congressional power right after the Civil War (but failed to mention how Southern Republicans and Democrats came up with Jim Crow laws to prohibit Blacks from being in Congress so easily ever again). If you have to go back to the 1800s to claim how great your party is and how they were relevant to Blacks in this country, just give up and start over. Seriously. We’re going back 150 years to find the last time the Republican party gave a damn about anyone else except old rich White men? This is okay?

Senator Paul also mentioned how big government can help put food on the table but does nothing in the long run to encourage personal excellence and personal responsibility (intangible benefits of having a conservative mindset). He did not provide examples of how big government is failing minorities. Obama just raised taxes, so the benefits or failures of that plan have yet to be seen. So, he’s kind of lying by implying that higher taxes on the rich lead to economic collapse (when history shows the opposite – I mean, honestly, taxes for the rich were the lowest in decades from 2001-2012 and we had the lowest numbers of jobs created, the rich hoarded their money, and nothing trickled down to the poor and middle class except debt, unemployment, and more hard times). If he had provided concrete examples of stuff not working, I would be more willing to listen to him on this. I think some conservative ideas should be implemented, just like I think some of them should be shelved. Why is it an all-or-nothing game?

So, if Rand Paul wants to be elected President in 2016, he should continue to reach out to groups hostile to his party’s platform, but he should work on the following:

1. Laying out a plan that would show how the Republican party will not hoodwink those who vote for them with promises of better living, but having that only apply to the rich in practice.

2. Giving concrete examples of economic policies not working that are not the fault of George W. Bush and a Republican-controlled Congress of yore.

3. Giving heed to some Democratic ideas and actually implementing the best ones that work for the benefit of all, not just the benefit of some.

4. Stop trying to say the Republican party cares about anyone but old rich white men. Just say, “From this day forward…” because, again, if you have to go back to 1865 to find relevance for racial fairness, you’re already losing. Also, OWN YOUR MISTAKES.

5. Actually speak against the more extreme elements of your party. You’ll win Independents that way. But he’s a Tea Party senator, so, I don’t expect him to do this one. After all, he’s against any government spending without looking at the consequences. Private industry can’t do everything and it would be helpful if he admits that deregulation got a lot of stuff wrong and led to this disaster that the entire world is muddling through.

6. Fix his hair! Honestly, Rand Paul looks unwashed at times. President Obama, Bill Clinton, and even George W. Bush looked polished and professional. Rand Paul looks like someone who just got off a tractor and put on a suit he found at a bargain store for $20 and didn’t bother with bathing before trying to address a University crowd. And this is not a successful comeback story. Does he even bother to dry clean or iron his shirts?

7. Stop that whole, “I’m all for Civil Rights” when we have documented proof that you’re not. You trust people way too much to do the right thing and for issues like these, THAT’S WHAT GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO DO.

He probably won’t stop Chris Christie in 2016, but if he follows my advice, he could give Christie a run for his money.

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