Rand Paul Is A Gateway Drug To Harder Forms Of Republicanism

[ashling]

http://aattp.org/rand-paul-is-a-gateway-drug-to-harder-forms-of-republicanism/

Trying new things is exciting. Experimenting with different friends, lifestyles and beliefs is what makes this world such an adventure. But you have to be careful. Not every kind of choice is good for you. Some are bad, really bad. Especially Rand Paul.
Maybe you’ve heard of Rand Paul from a friend, or learned about him at a party. Many people discover Paul for the first time while they’re at college. Folks might even tell you he’s “cool” or “hip.” That he’s going to liberate you with his wild, mind-blowing properties. Don’t believe it.

Rand Paul seems harmless, but he isn’t. In fact, he’s a gateway to the most hardcore forms of Republicanism out there. Don’t let him destroy your life.

***
Rand Paul is a way for idealistic libertarian-leaning kids to stumble into the GOP. And when they do, they even think it will be different for them. That’s what everybody thinks. But you start supporting Rand Paul, and pretty soon you’re on that long slide. You’re rationalizing all the social issues, you’ve withdrawn from your friends (the ones who are women, anyway). And soon you’re just hanging out with others who are into the same life. Then one day you find yourself voting for Mitch McConnell and going to CPAC. And you don’t know yourself anymore. You read some hateful nonsense by Ann Coulter, and it just doesn’t even bother you like it should.
***

[cliffordu]

1. Best OP headline. EVER!!!!

[graham4anything]

2. This article is very, very dangerous.The Paul's are the worst of the worst cult.

This article is attempting to make Rand the lite, when in actuality, Rand is the worst of the worst.
Mitch is a saint,compared to Ron and Rand.

Mitch is sanity vs. the cult like Paul family.
There is NOT one good bone in the Paul family.

They are more evil than the Bush family.

Excepting of course anyone who thinks David Duke and the John Birch Society are fine folks
and / or maybe have a business selling sheets.

Idealistic racists are the Ron/Rand paul family and well, go see the movie "The Master" that is in reality what the Paul's are.

This article attempts to distort the fact.
Rand and Ron ARE REPUBLICANS first and foremost, and both are the 1% who rob from the poor not only their money, but their souls.

Ron and Rand and David Duke (their BFF), ARE the body snatchers.
Wake up America...they are here and if you go to sleep, the invasion will take over

and by the way,
Ron and Rand it's true want to do away with drones.
Why bother with Drones, when on day one, they would just drop the big one and be done with all in a flash.

They is Cult. Break free while one still has a chance.


Right off the bat, the Ron/Rand/David Duke is against 83% of the demographics of the Demcractic voters itself.
And no one in the 17% remaining should be fooled by them.

[ashling]

4. I respectfully disagree with your take on the article

I do not see it as " attempting to make Rand the lite" anything. This appears on the page of the group Americans Against the Tea Party and, if anything is a warning to some people (and I am afraid there are some DUers among them) who thing not that Rand is the lite, but that he is the light.

This piece does not distort any facts. It just doesn't take it in the same vein that you have. It is unabashedly done in a humorous tone - see the authors bio - but that does not make it any less serious. It warns that Rand's rant about drones is not the way to some higher plane (pardon the pun), but the gateway to something far worse:

Sure, he said a lot of interesting things about the drone program. And with his comments on softening drug penalties, you might think Rand Paul is all about personal freedom. That’s just not true. Paul is not even in favor of legalizing marijuana – he’s using states’ rights rhetoric. And his filibuster about the drone program made for a compelling fundraising letter. But he’s not going to change policy and turn the GOP into some kind of hippie non-interventionist party, is he? To believe that you’d have to be, well, high.

Supporting Rand Paul leads to a scary collection of right wing Republican policies. Paul co-authored a Senate bill, the Life At Conception Act, that would outlaw abortions even in the case of rape or incest. He’s solidly against gun control, and sure he’s said he wants to leave gay marriage up to the states, but he opposes it. And that is a meaningless distinction. Because in fact, Republicans have a history of putting anti-gay marriage referendums on state ballots to energize turnout among the committed crazies, which helps elect their national candidates.

In your post you warn to break free from their cult while you still have the chance.

The author of this piece warns:

But you can stay out of this darkness. You have a choice.

[Paul E Ester]

3. Bush/Paul 2016

So goes the rumors...

Here are some good bits from todays todays guardian: Rand Paul's 2016 presidential chances are better than most people realize

The Ugly
Rand Paul is really, really conservative. He's the second most conservative senator, next to Mike Lee of Utah based on roll call votes. This is matched by the by the ideological ranking system based on campaign donors. Now some of this obscures his more libertarian positions listed above, though there's little doubt Paul's very conservative.

Paul's views on Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights strategy would scare many Americans. Paul does not believe the Constitution grants protections against racial discrimination in the marketplace. He has gone so far to once say that businesses could choose to turn down customers based on their skin color.

Paul was against the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). He is against the income tax. He's called Medicaid "intergenerational welfare".

History suggests that after losing two consecutive presidential elections parties tend to pick candidates who occupy more of the middle ground. Someone like a Jeb Bush. Paul would be the most conservative Republican to win the nomination ever.

And if Paul ever got past the Republican nomination, these positions could prove disastrous in a general election. Overwhelming majorities of Americans think Martin Luther King is a hero, approve of WAVA, think the percentage of income taxes they pay is fair, and like medicaid. In addition, Paul's libertarian streak ends on same-sex marriage and abortion. Paul is against both. Americans are for both.

While I don't believe ideology matters too much in general elections, Paul's out of mainstream positions would almost certainly cost him a few points.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/11/rand-paul-2016-gop-presidential-odds

[ashling]

5. Libertarians make bad lifegaurds

[Blue_Tires]

6. brilliant post...