Posted on 05/12/2014 7:33:29 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., condemned his party's push for voter identification laws as "completely crazy" Friday, saying it's "wrong for Republicans to go too crazy on this issue because it's offending people."
The comments, delivered during an interview with The New York Times, make Paul the most prominent member of the GOP to speak out against a crusade that has energized the Republican base but alienated some of the young and minority voters the party hopes to court.
Notably, Paul disputed the political wisdom behind voter ID laws, but he did not question their substance or merit. He's previously said it is reasonable for states to require voters to present identification before casting a ballot.
The courts have put voter ID laws on hold in three states so far, with a federal court saying the rules in Texas imposed "unforgiving burdens" on... Thirty states have instituted voter ID requirements in recent years, though several laws have recently been struck down by federal and state courts.
Republicans, who have been the driving force behind the new laws, say they're protecting the integrity of elections by preventing voter fraud. Democrats, though, say there's no evidence of widespread voter impersonation or other forms of fraud. Many spy a more sinister motive, accusing Republicans of trying to depress turnout among students, African-Americans and other groups that lean Democratic and are more likely to lack a photo ID.
Paul, who has acknowledged that he is weighing a presidential bid in 2016, has urged his party to expand its appeal, and he has reached out in recent months to groups that don't traditionally align with the GOP.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Rand Paul is taking this “See I’m different and open” theme a bit too far. Voter fraud is a huge problem and has tipped elections. Also his silly attempts to patronize Democrats is doomed. They are laughing at him the way they laughed at Bush when he tried to befriend the vile Ted Kennedy.
His fundraisers keep calling me, and next time I am going to give them some constructive feedback. Rand is way too unreliable to back. I am glad he’s a Senator...the alternative was a crony-drone, but he needs to stick to his day job.
“wrong for Republicans to go too crazy on this issue because it’s offending people.”
We don’t want to ‘offend’ rapists, thieves or murderers either, right? So those laws should change too!
R. Paul was off my list quite some time ago.
He’s now off the list, buried, and the ground is salted.
He’s just as bad as his dear ol’ dad.
If backing down on sound policy when its advocacy offends people is really what ought to be done, we might as well just have a one party state run by the perpetually offended.
The correct way to push voter ID is to have a standard talking point in which when accused of racism or preventing the poor or elderly from voting, the standard response will be to demand the record of opposition to the requirement of government-issued photo ID to purchase pseudoephedrine or of the requirement for government-issued photo ID to use air transportation on the grounds that such requirements were racist or prevented the poor or elderly from getting good decongestants or using air transportation. There was none.
The second talking point is to observe that South Africa has a photo ID requirement for voting, which doesn’t seem to be any impediment to a multiracial democracy, along with an indelible ink mark to prevent repeat voting, and ask why when the great success in multiracial democracy (yes, yes, I know, it isn’t really, but we’re putting down a leftist talking point here, we we concede an irrelevant point) does these things, somehow instituting the same in the U.S. would be “racist”?
Don’t push for vote integrity because it offends people?
I do not know what Rand has been drinking lately. IMO, Voter ID requirements are essential. Rand may be asking for delays in States from implementing the requirement until He has been able to buy the votes he needs.
I have to show ID to buy decongestant med and to purchase beer at our local Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant even though I am over 60 yrs. As a taxpayer, I do not mind tax dollars going to help “legal citizens” get IDs if they need the help.
If this is accurately reported, Rand Paul has lost his mind. Most people support voter ID, as anyone sane should, and I don’t care if some leftist or illegal is “offended”.
Let us never forget that Obama sat under the teachings of Rev. Wright and that Ron Paul is Rand’s father.
WTH is wrong with those who are supposedly on “our side”? Nice fodder for the enemy, Rand. This country is at a crisis point and you open your big fat trap in pandering to the losers.
If you think that will get you elected, thing again. You are losing supporters faster than you’ll ever gain them. The PC Crowd won’t vote you, never have, never will. Stop the insanity.
Right. The insane thing is when you think a rising star politician is talking sense and espousing conservative values, they ultimately shoot off into left field with boneheaded comments that leave one scratching their head.
What a shame: Rand Paul is morphing into a little Juan McLame, Linda Graham puppet. McConnell must be pulling his strings. I had hopes for him, but no more.
If only drugs were legal, more people would use them and after their brains were fried this would make sense.
Poor Rand Paul is just another victim of the war on drugs. The illegality of drugs and the resulting less use of them is going to cost him the nomination.
The libertarians I personally know are for open borders. So, not a surprise to me, actually. When I argue that we must control/defend our national borders, they howl "statist!"
Projection is a liberal trait. STFU Ru Paul.
Why? This is him.
Voter ID, that be rayciss. My god to think that one word is helping turn our nation to sh*t.
I guess this means that Paul OPPOSES McConnell’s Voter ID bill in the Senate..
Not all illegals are Mexicans.
There is an est of one million islamics in the country, that is a real concern.
But your lack of a common-sense approach to addressing the issue of voter fraud, OFFENDS ME. Now, whatcha gonna do?
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