Rand Paul, once declared in 2014 as the “most interesting man” in Republican politics and who was one of the first to drop out of the crowded Republican pool of candidates last year, never really made a dent in the electorate, polling in the single digits for the entire length of his candidacy. After the Iowa Caucus, where he pulled in less than a quarter of the votes that his father had amassed just four years earlier, it was time to hang up the Libertarian horse crop and settle in to a senator’s seat for the rest of his career. In light of the burgeoning success of both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, it was the prudent move. Even the great Establishmentariat darling, Jeb Bush, was no match for the popularity prowess of Donald Trump.
Paul has been stinging ever since that day and his politics have taken on a decidedly quiet demeanor throughout this past crazy election cycle. In February of last year, Politico magazine summed up Paul’s core issue with Rightwing voters:
Paul is one of the GOP’s leading non-interventionist voices. But with increasing instability in the Middle East, terror in Paris and an attack in San Bernardino, Paul’s risk-averse brand of foreign policy has fallen out of favor, as the Republican Party has returned to its roots as proponents of a more muscular and aggressive international posture.
It appears that nothing has changed in the global-political climate. With the Manchester Arena attack in the U.K. just two days ago, as well as the promise by the masked cowards that this “is just the beginning,” Trump’s administration and the U.S. intelligence community will be taxed to strike a middle ground between remaining hyper-vigilant without personal intrusion into everyday life.
The fact remains, however, that no matter how you slice it, the geopolitical realities of war and terror today trump many other concerns and an isolationist point of view seems less prudent than being involved in the direction of momentum against groups like, ISIS, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Al-Shabaab (to name the more prominent terror organzations).
That being said, it apparently has not stopped Senator Paul from mounting his white horse and riding to the forefront of an effort to put the kibosh on the U.S.-Saudi arms deal that was agreed to just two days ago during President Trump’s visit to Riyadh. Of course, Democrats are not only jumping on the bandwagon, they’re bringing cognac and chips.
Rand Paul needs to wake up he is usually off a deep end I’m plans. This deals get the Clean up of the Middle East started.
For one, Trump ran a campain on a non-interventionist foreign policy, he has proven that was a lie. He criticized many actions Obama took that he himself has taken, one being selling arms (biggest arms deal in history) to Saudi Arabia, he rightfully pointed out that they were responsible for 9/11. He criticized Obama for bombing Syria, and then he bombed Syria.
For two, Rand was, at times, the only republican standing against Obama. One example was that he was the last man standing opposing the Obamacare vote when all the other republicans had given in. Which brings me to another point, Trump claimed he was going to get rid of Obamacare yet, he supported a bill that is not very different from Obamacare at all.
We also had a month or more of him running with a lock her up slogan, and he claimed he was going to try, he got elected and personally called Hillary and her family “good people”. Yet another lie.
I could go on, but I feel my point has been made.
This man is a chip off his father’s block. Get rid of him!!!
He just has to saw something stupid to keep his name in the news.
He really is an outcast.
All the GOP have to remember we the taxpayers are paying their salary, so if they want to keep their jobs, they better start listening to the taxpayers, any who are running for re-election they too can be replaced come election time.
Did they not do anything about the Iran deal? I know they said they were going to, but I didn’t see anything
wtf
Saudi Arabia is NOT an ally
Where was he on the Iran deal!???