I'm so glad Rand Paul won the primary!!! Here's why...

[PBass]

1. Tea Baggers and Libertarians have mostly gotten a pass on explaining their stupid and/or non-workable ideas in the mainstream media. (The media focus has mainly been on superficial stuff like costumes, misspelled signs, fake populism, and whether the term Teabagger is offensive - NOT policy). The average person does NOT want to eliminate Social Security, Medicare, the Dept. of Education, etc. The sooner these bad ideas see the light of day and are examined seriously, the sooner these bad ideas will go away.

2. Rand Paul is a win/win, whether he wins the general election or not. If he loses, it's a big Teabagger loss in the national spotlight... and that accelerates the end of their 15 minutes of fame. If Tea Baggers can't win in the South, they aren't a viable political movement. And if Rand Paul wins, he gets lots of opportunities in the Senate's spotlight to blab about his bad and unworkable ideas, and turn off more moderate voters nation-wide. It also deepens the fracture in the GOP - because lots of Republicans dislike Libertarians and Tea Baggers. So the more success the Tea Baggers have, the deeper the problem for the GOP.

3. Two birds with one stone... RAND Paul's escapades will also rub off on RON Paul. Every time Rand Paul explains how he wants to eliminate the Americans with Disabilities Act (for example) it makes RON Paul look bad as well. This is going to simplify the 2012 Presidential election quite a bit, IMO. Remember who won the CPAC straw poll... Ron Paul and Sarah Palin. Rand Paul will help emphasize how unsuitable his father is, for a national office.

[LLStarks]

1. win/win? really? we don't need teabaggers in office in order to end the movement. nt

[PBass]

2. I believe sunlight is the best disinfectant. (NT)

[Enthusiast]

3. IMHO, it would be best if Rand lost.

It would signal an electorate that was more informed about the issues.

[liberal N proud]

4. If he wins in November you can think of it as Bachman replicating

That is not a win in anyones eyes but the teabaggers.

[PBass]

5. Well I'd rather see him lose in November,

but until Libertarians are forced into the media spotlight, they can skate by in the background, without having to defend their policy positions to a mainstream audience.

The sooner the Teabagger movement comes to a head, the sooner they go away. I'd prefer to have that happen in 2010, rather than 2012.

[madokie]

14. I hear what you're saying and agree wholeheartedly

[emulatorloo]

17. Absolutely -- the only thing that worries me is a media whitewash.

So easy to forget to fact-check him and only show the patriotic soundbites.

[zipplewrath]

6. It's good now

It won't be in November.

But I don't expect him to so...

McConnell looks powerless in his own friggin' state.

The Tea Baggers now have and "official" spokesman, and he's gonna sound just like his daddy. How popular was he?

Between he, and Palin, anyone with a 1/10th of a brain is gonna vote democrat.

It could be the beginning of the end for the baggers (which maybe in the long run is bad, but man they can suck the oxygen right out of the room).

[jobycom]

7. I remember being happy when Reagan won the nomination for the same reasons.

I underestimated the stupidity of a slim majority of American voters. Felt that way again when Bush announced he was running. Laughed right up until December 12th, 2000, when he was appointed president.

It's never good when a racist demagogue wins anywhere at any level.

[calimary]

13. Agreed. It's NEVER good when one of these neanderthals gains a foothold.

Don't even let 'em get on the front porch, much less through the front door.

[The Northerner]

8. I've been told that the Dept of Education has no useful purpose

and that it should be abolished.

Does anyone know what purpose it serves?

For some reason I've never really cared to research what it does.

[PBass]

12. When they say eliminate the Dept of Education, that means no more public school system (NT)

[The Northerner]

18. But public education has been around for more than a century before the Dept. of Edu, right?

I think I may have misread your post but how does eliminating the Dept. of Education eliminate public education? It was only established in the late 1970s.

[DrDan]

9. to your first point

the issues you cite - I agree with you completely. He is off-base.

But he
- is against the war in Iraq
- wants to bring the troops home
- supports term limits
- is against the wall-street bailouts'
- wants to restore civil liberties
- is against the Patriot Act
- wants to balance the budget

Not all of his platform is stupid or non-workable.

His winning lets him use those issues to gain voters.

[Ter]

10. I see your point

Over 10 years ago, when people were thrilled that Bob Dornan lost, I said from the start he did a lot of good for us by looking like an insane nut every day. Honestly, he was more of a fireball than anyone since, and did lots of damage to his party, not to mention entertaining with his insanity.

Rand isn't the blowhard firebrand that Dornan was, but he despises neo-cons and many on Freek Republic dislike him for his opposition to wars and to the Patriot Act.

Bottom line? If we absolutely HAVE to have a Republican, better it is Pat Buchanan, Ollie North, Dornan, or Paul than Mitch Romney or John McCain.

[get the red out]

11. He's pretty good at showing his true colors

The media just needs to pick it up and Jack Conway just needs to throw it in his ignorant, insane, teabagging face.

[Tempest]

15. Paul is his own worst enemy

He pulled his first big mistake by holding his victory party at an exclusive private country club.

When he was questioned about it, he gave a nonsensical non-answer.

This empty suit will lose support as the months go by.

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. I'd pay to watch him debate an opponent.

Popcorn time, here we come:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[Unvanguard]

19. I hope it emboldens them. It is not something politically sustainable in the long term

but it will weaken the Republicans with primary fights and general election losses.