Paul’s Mideast tour fuels talk of 2016 White House run

The Washington Times ^ | Ralph Z. Hallow

[JohnPDuncan]

GOLAN HEIGHTS, Israel — Sen. Rand Paul doesn’t explicitly deny his eight-day visit to the Holy Land represents the launch of a 2016 Republican presidential nomination run.

“I consider it as more an effort to become part of an international stage,” the freshman Kentucky Republican said.

But at least some of the 40 evangelical Protestant leaders traveling with Mr. Paul think otherwise.

“This trip to meet with Israelis, Arabs and Palestinians is absolutely the first step in his 2016 White House campaign,” said David Lane, evangelical political organizer and president of the Los Angeles-based Pastors and Pews.

Mr. Paul joined the pastors on a tour bus climbing its way to the Israeli side of the 9,000-foot Golan Heights — the other side of the heights is Syrian territory.

Many others on the bus are convinced they are seeing him start a political climb to even greater heights.

[Timber Rattler]

I’ll take Rand Paul over RINOs Chris Christie or Jeb Bush any day.

[entropy12]

Of all the possible candidates for 2016, I like Rand Paul’s conservative+Libertarian views the best.

However I am not certain he has the best chance to win among other possibilities. Therefore I am holding off my decision of whom to support for later until more exposure unfolds.

Winning elections is paramount. When you lose election, you instantly become powerless and practically irrelevant. Just ask Akin & Mourdock.

[JohnPDuncan]

Rand Paul is infinitely better than Akin and Mourdock. Also he has his fathers organization in Iowa, New Hampshire and S.C built over the last 5 years. The Chairman of the Iowa GOP was Ron Paul’s state campaign chief. I think he’ll be a big player he just lacks wider recognition as he’s only been around a few years (elected 2010)

[entropy12]

Agreed. If I was advising Rand Paul, I would suggest putting more emotion and energy in his speech delivery. That is not easy to change, but he needs to try.