Posted on 02/12/2013 7:56:48 AM PST by JohnPDuncan
David Adams, a Kentucky tea-party activist and former campaign manager for Sen. Rand Paul, remembers a conference call from the 2010 Senate race when the conversation turned to talk of their favorite presidents. Some said George Washington, others Abraham Lincoln. Adams's pick? "Rand Paul in 2016," he recalled.
Three years later, Paul is acting like he’s already preparing a future presidential campaign, courting activists from early-primary states, smoothing out his positions on foreign policy, and delivering a high-profile national address, competing against a potential future GOP rival, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.
Last week the Kentucky Republican spoke at the Heritage Foundation, seeking to dispel the perception that he's an isolationist and embracing George Kennan's containment philosophy. The speech comes after a high-profile visit to Israel where Paul, a vocal opponent of foreign aid, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called the country America's "most vital ally in the Middle East." Accompanying Paul on the visit were evangelical activists from the early-primary states of Iowa and South Carolina, a sign the senator wanted to shore up his relationship with devout Protestants, a key part of the Republican voting bloc.
On Inauguration Day, when his colleagues packed onto the West Front of the Capitol for the president's address, Paul traveled to South Carolina, an early presidential primary state, to speak at a conservative event.
And Tuesday, he will be giving the Tea Party Express’s official response to President Obama's State of the Union, sharing airtime with Rubio, another potential 2016 contender, who is delivering the GOP's official response.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
Bush used his executive experience to double the size of government. No thank you.
I like both Rubio and Cruz.
Rand seems like a loose cannon...He could break bad and pull an Akin.
Give me a break. Rand won his race easy in 2010. Akin is an idiot. No comparison.
I can't believe you just compared Bush to Scott Walker and Sarah Palin.
I don’t think so. I think that Rand Paul is a lot smarter than that.
I really do like his style.
Now....with The Media and Karl Rove gunning for him, it should prove to be interesting.
Rand is heads and shoulders over Rubio, but still weak (though not as weak as Rubio) on immigration. Rand is the most credible potential candidate on really cutting the size of the federal behemoth. But if he doesn’t straighten out his lenient immigration views I couldn’t support him.
I am very impressed with Cruz.
Rubio is a nonstarter.
I’m with you
Ted Cruz/2016
Rand is the only one who has actually stood up to Homeland InSecurity’s abusive airport sexual molestion policy. I think he would reign in the nutso war on terror and disaster police state wackos. He has no use for Bam’s national civilian ‘army.”
He is loyal to his dad because he is his dad and I am glad he has that character. However, he’s not a liberal-tarian wacko like his dad. Ron Paul’s most wacky supporters hate him and so that is a good thing.
Ted Cruz is looking real good, too. He can think, talk and walk at the same time. He is intellegent and a fighter like Rand Paul.
We conservative tea party types have a bright future if we don’t form a circle and shoot ourselves like last election. They support the constitutional Republic.
he’s all for immigration but he wants them to get in line and secure the border.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.