EARLY BARBS IN THE 2016 GOP PRESIDENTIAL BATTLE …
We’re not sure it’s accurate to describe U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) as a “libertarian” – especially not in light of his escalating sellout to the “Republican” establishment.
Nonetheless, that’s the label one establishment “Republican” is applying to Paul’s 2016 presidential candidacy.
Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum – a fiscal liberal, social conservative who is also eyeing a 2016 bid – dismissed Paul’s prospects of securing the GOP nod during an interview this week on CNN.
“I don’t think that will happen because the Republican Party is not a libertarian party, it is a conservative party,” Santorum said. “And it will nominate a conservative, and not a libertarian.”
Santorum is one of the leading critics of the emerging fiscally conservative, socially libertarian wing of the GOP. In fact he’s downright hostile to elected officials who are championing this ideology – and has been spearheading a movement (along with social conservatives like Huckabee and so-called “neo-conservatives” like U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham) to boot them from the party.
“The Republican Party isn’t going to change,” Santorum infamously said last spring. “If we do change, we’ll be the Whig Party. We’re not the Libertarian Party, we’re the Republican Party.”
This website has made our distaste for Santorum abundantly clear.
“Santorum’s nonexistent commitment to taxpayers coupled with his sanctimonious, discriminatory world view represents everything that’s wrong with the GOP,” we wrote earlier this year. “If he does run in 2016, we look forward to roasting him at every turn.”
Of course we’re also less-than-enthralled by Rand Paul’s recent moves …
Paul endorsed liberal “Republican” presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, and this year he’s backing liberal “Republican” Senate leader Mitch McConnell. In between those betrayals he came down to the Palmetto State and raised money for the ethically (and literally) bankrupt S.C. Republican Party – which is slavishly devoted to the expansion of the state’s bloated and inefficient government bureaucracy.
Paul supporters argue he’s not straying from his ideological moorings – just looking to expand his appeal.
Maybe so, but giving one’s imprimatur to politicians like Romney, McConnell and (most recently) liberal U.S. Sen. Susan Collins strikes us as an embrace of their positions.
For example in endorsing Collins, Paul was asked by a newspaper in Maine why he would back a candidate who aggressively supported the National Security Agency (NSA)’s domestic spying program – especially when the Democrat in the race opposed the program.
His answer?
“I don’t really know, exactly, what her position is on the NSA; you’d have to ask her about that,” he said.
Uh-huh …
Advancing a true limited government agenda is about more than just the positions a politician takes – its also about the people he or she decides to support. Rand Paul needs to recognize that.
33 comments
Nominate either of these two and Hillary will waltz into office.
There is no one other than Nikki Haley who could beat Hillary. Nikki has turned SC around in jobs, education, and the lowest number of unenployment in years.
Thanks, haven’t had a good laugh in a while.
Hillary its waltzing into office(assuming she runs) no matter what wet fish the GOP puts up.
And “Slick Willy” gonna be back up in the BIG HOUSE!
YOU BETCHA!
I wish the Democrats would put someone better than Hillary up, though.
The GOP is running scared. They’ve pulled out Benghazi and Monica Lewinsky…. again….and again…. and again….
WEEEEEEE
Its a big football game and the Blue team wins again!
Too bad when either “side” wins, we all lose. Those who think that one side is actually better than the other for the majority of Americans are simply fooling themselves.
If you want to see true “bipartisan teamwork” (lulz), let a legitimate 3rd party arrive on the scene. You’ll see dims and pukes work together like nobodies business.
we all lose.
—–
unless you’re in the business
The busisness of..what? Scaring people? Isn’t that what politicians attempt to do?
37 million dollars raised by the Tea Party – 7 million made it to candidates… the rest went into “the business.”
Who is we? If Republicans win the Koch Brothers certainly do not lose; The Fake News Network certainly does not lose. Sheldon Adelson certainly does not lose. The 1% certainly do not lose.
On the other hand, if Republicans win, working women, single women, young girls, minorities, and gay people lose big time.
yeah..all of those you mentioned are flying high now, huh?
Pro tip:dragging down everyone makes no one better.
Like who? Barbara Boxer? Alex Baldwin? Seth MacFarlane?
Too bad Idi Amin is no longer with us. He was prettier and had a nicer disposition.
Rand would have a chance. He’s pretend-libertarian but still has plenty of establishment Republican in him.
Santorum? Snowball’s chance in Hell.
TBG has always figured that for one of Lindsey Graham’s pick up lines to Democrats and Independents.
“Hey….I’ll bet you’ve got a little ‘establishment Republican’ in you.”
“No? Well , would you like some?”
Rand told Harvard students that he’s “libertarian-ish”. Sounds accurate, as well as preferable to any other republican.
He meant to say he’s “douchebag-ish”.
even crazy town is preferable to any Republican.
This Crazy Town? Butterfly….
http://youtu.be/LWnP9r222DY
Mental Midget Wrestling Match.
Two crazies. Maybe they’ll marry each other and ride off into the sunset.
The mistake ole frothy fecal matter is making is the assumption that Rand is going to claim he’s a libertarian. Rand is in full on sell out mode, cozying up the Neocons and the whole enchilada.
He’s going to out Neocon Santorum before it’s all over.
Back to cuddling stillborns you go Santorum, the sooner the better.
I wonder how many people God has asked to run in 2016?
More interestingly, how many did the FSM or Satan ask to run?
Got to keep the loonies on the path.
Good one!
All aboard!
Mighty Mouse vs Mickey Mouse.
Doesn’t matter. Neither of these guys is going to win the nomination. Neither is Cruz or Huckabee or Rick Perry.
You’re going to get either Jeb Bush or Chris Christie.
Pretty much. Whether you want him or not.
Surely there must be some good looking minority out there that has never really done anything and has no experience doing…anything, that needs a job…
I mean hell, we elected one, and that turned out great, huh?
Not really. George W. Bush was a complete failure…and we didn’t elect him in 2000. It was rigged.
No more so than the election fraud that takes place with dead registered democrat voters.