I think Rand Paul obliterated the Tea Party in one fell swoop

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

He has made himself and the Tea Party radioactive.

Sarah Palin said he's "great!". She and everyone else who thinks he's "great!" will have to answer questions like:

Really? Do you agree with him that we should return to a segregated world filled with "Whites Only" signs? Is that the freedom of expression/speech that you desire? Do you agree that the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act should be repealed?

[Cosmocat]

1. This could be a strong strategic focus point ...

Paul is the blessed son of the movement, and he is now on the glaring lights of a national level election ..

I think the party would do VERY well to go after him HARD ... I think the more they attack him, the more time, energy and resources the movement will pour into him, which means less everywhere else. Attack him HARD, get them into the victim mindset and have them send as much money to him as possible and have as many of the morons roll to Kentucky to help him as possible ...

Meanwhile, his rhetoric is so limited, he has no answers for real issues ... Force him to answer more specific issues, or dodge them like he did on Maddow ...

[polichick]

2. A lot of tea party members would like to see "White's Only" signs again...

It'll be interesting to see if they admit it.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. Not to mention putting Republicans in a tough spot. Didn't Mitch McConnell just come out for him?

Ooooops!!!!

The Republican Party stands behind their candidate who would like to repeal the Civil Rights act and the Americans with Disabilities Act? Really?

What about those pesky child labor and minimum wage laws? They also really hamper "private" business.

What business is "private" exactly?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Wasn't Bob Dole A Co-Sponsor Of The ADA?

Well, he would be considered a RINO today.

[Seneca]

18. Dole also helped get food stamps off the ground

I always thought it curious that the Newt-led GOP, which was (is) hard right, allowed Dole and Kemp to be nominated in '96. I figure they must have known that the national electorate wasn't quite as far right as the '94 mid-terms suggested. Mid-terms almost always reflect voter turnout rather than actual make-up. The Newt/Religious Right wing of the GOP got what they wanted with Bush and Cheney in '00, unfortunately, and even then had to steal it. In hindsight, Dole and Kemp looked like quaint, outdated choices for a party that let its moderates die one by one after Reagan's takeover in '80.

[Atman]

4. I disagree. I think it makes them happy to know he's a racist just like them.

They have their man!

[Hubert Flottz]

6. I think so too...

The new age Nazis have their fuhrer now.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. Well his beliefs bring the issue front and center.

And I think the vast majority of America does NOT want to return to "whites only" lunch counters, etc.

[get the red out]

10. Yes, BUT

It will help all the teabagger bandwagon jumpers that just hate anything establishment realize what they are associating with, it isn't about "big government spending" anymore, it's about whether we want to be a civilized nation or not. I believe a LOT of people have jumped onto the "no tax" bandwagon without reading the fine print, not all these people are racists by a long shot.

[WeDidIt]

7. Yep, I think this was a key moment in the 2010 race. n/t

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. It's the "Macaca" moment for the Tea Party and the Republicans who get macacaed if they even act

like he is a credible candidate.

[WeDidIt]

12. And Palin already has his stench all over her.

:evilgrin:

[el_bryanto]

11. Wishful thinking

It'd be nice, but they already have to put up with accusations of racism and it doesn't seem to bother them.

Bryant

[Kahuna]

16. I agree. Also, it's not like the M$M is going to make this an issue...

They haven't focused on the racist leanings of the tea party yet. They have only made excuse after excuse for them.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. Accusations of racism are one thing.

Candid, unapologetic admissions of racism on national TV are another.

[el_bryanto]

20. It was an admission of libertarianism not racism

We'll see how it plays. I think that Rand Pauls ascension will play in Kentucky, but not so well nationwide.

Bryant

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. -nt

[el_bryanto]

27. Libertarianism has it's faults as a philosophy - but it's not the same as racism

Bryant

[krabigirl]

25. Yes, although Rand is not so libertarian on other things ie the war on drugs

[lunatica]

13. His reasoning on Maddow was the stupidest thing I think I've ever heard

What the fuck does anything he said last night do to make this country a better place? I mean, in what way has criminalizing segregation hurt anyone? Just on a practical level if a stupid ass white person wants to only do business with whites is that good business? I wouldn't think so. If you want to succeed then you best think that your customers come in all colors, all races, all nationalities and both sexes.

And if by some very unfortunate turn of events this country decided that business owners had the right to segregate their customers how many white people think it would be OK to go into a store where the owner was Black or Hindu or Asian? Fucking bigotry and hatred go both ways, especially when the laws condone it.

Rand Paul is bizarre. He actually reminded me of David Duke. Sounds very reasonable and insists that rejecting integration is not racist in the least little tiniest bit. All said with a beatific smile, insisting that racism is a terrible thing and that they're absolutely against it while doing everything they can to promote it.

[Odin2005]

14. Paul's opposition to the ADA will be his demise.

Air a political ad with a veteran in a wheelchair who can't get to where he needs to go with a speaker saying "this is what Rand Paul would like to return us to with his opposition to the ADA".

[KharmaTrain]

15. He Made Brownie Points With Them...

Listen to the dogwhistles...Paulbot Jr's problem was he whistled a little too loud. As the party of white supremecists and racists, Paul was only saying aloud what others don't have the cajones to do. I'm all but certain if the GOOP had supermajorities (thank goodness that didn't happen during the boooosh regime) repealing Civil Rights, ADA and any other "discriminatory" law (translation: unfair to pasty white middle aged christians).

It's not what I agree about...it's up to the folks in Kentucky. If this is who they want to represent them, it says a lot about our country...and not in very good terms. Yes, he can and while I like Conway and will be sending him a donation, I see Paulbot Jr. in a very strong position for November. The saving grace, if there's such a thing, is that he'll become McChinless' worst nightmare...probably would vote for someone else to be Minority Leader.

The GOOP is the party of racists...Paulbot Jr. fits right in.

[laughingliberal]

17. Rec nt

[spanone]

22. he's in way over his head.....as a politician he makes a good ophthalmologist

[Cognitive_Resonance]

23. He's a catalyst for exposing Tea Party/Republican bigotry and

extremism. It forces the issue. Time for the media to do their job. Pin-down the Republican establishment figures. Do they agree with his positions or not. Where do they stand?

Civil Rights, Voting Rights, Disabilities, Social Security, Medicare, ...

[krabigirl]

24. No...Sarah palin already did that.

[LanternWaste]

26. Not with a bang but a whimper.

His inability to articulate his views in a more politically expedient manner will almost certainly drive away the state moderate voting block.

Prior to Paul's interviews, the racism of the extreme wing of the GOP has been veiled enough for the candidates and politicians to embrace the voter, yet not the racism (nudge nudge wink wink).

Paul forced this quietly submerged current to surface into the light of day. And as the vast majority of racists lack the courage of their own convictions, and are rather hesitant about voicing their beliefs in the light of day for all to see, I expect that a dramatic siphoning off of tea-party voters will soon begin.

In Act I, we were introduced to the Players Dramticus of this little Theater of the Absurd. Act II recently commenced with the introduction of the dramatic conflict (the interviews) and will play out over the next few weeks.

Act III will most likely witness the fleas abandoning the rats abandoning a slowly sinking ship...

"This is the way the teabaggers end.
This is the way the teabaggers end.
This is the way the teabaggers end.
Not with a bang but a whimper.

[calimary]

28. One can only hope!

Well, hey, let's go all the way out, then, shall we?

If we dare not have the gubmint telling private businesses what they can and can't do, how 'bout we just let BP keep on doing whatever it wants in perpetuity. No laws! No accountability! Free market! Free market! And don't forget the "drill baby drill"!