How Does A Guy Like Rand Paul - Who Never Held A Political Office Before His Senate Bid.....

[global1]

go from that to the front-runner for the Repug nomination for President in 2016 in such a short time?

I mean - this guy is a junior Senator. He hasn't been in office long enough to gain any valuable experience. What makes him qualified to believe he could be President?

I don't get it. This guy is dangerous. Is it because he's the son of Ron Paul? Does he have a lot of money backing him? Are enough people in this country as insane as he is - to make him credible?

What gives?

[unblock]

1. as if they had a great pool from which to choose....

[roguevalley]

15. because they fear the liberarians. also, all of them do this. they all get a

turn on the red carpet. he fits their hate agenda best

[tabbycat31]

2. I saw this coming in 2010

(Disclaimer, I worked for his opponent that year). The week before the election I had a dream that he was running for president in 2016. I used that to recruit volunteers for GOTV.

I personally think he's a frontrunner because of his legacy/dad.

Ted Cruz is also being considered and he's got less seniority than Rand Paul.

[yesphan]

3. Yes to all of the above.

And if you don't believe, he'll have someone stomp on your head.

[Drale]

4. He's a egomaniac, who believes go put him on earth

to rule mankind with an iron fist. He believes he will be president, no one else of any intelligence thinks so though.

[mikeysnot]

5. And the same folks

that scream Obama is an amateur and unqualified will hold this moron up as the savior of the party, no matter how stupid he comes off to the rest of the thinking based community.

[Cracklin Charlie]

6. Just like 2012 primary season

They all took turns being the frontrunner. It's like a clown car.

Bachmann
Cain
Gingrich
Perry

They got nuthin'.

ps...Rand(y)'s such a weirdo.

[davidpdx]

22. I think there is going to be a whole new breed of clowns this time

If any of the 2012 clowns run I'd be shocked. The only possible two I could see running are Harry Perry and Man on Dog Santorum. Perry did such a miserable job last time I don't think he's capable of running. Santorum is has had a lot of family issues and now throw on some ethics issues. He won't get any traction.

[Sunlei]

7. big Rs will use him just like they did his father

[millennialmax]

8. He's a heterosexual white male from a red state with access to daddy's cult-like base. eom

[AlinPA]

13. Sounds like a winner.

[Phillyindy]

9. Don't look a gift horse...

...We want him to be the face of the Republican. One of 2 things will happen, either he'll be honest in the primary and be 2016's Ron Paul, only more racist and stupid, or he'll lie and piss of the base and lose the primary.

Dems don't have to worry about the White House for a long time.

[former9thward]

10. Sometimes experience can hurt you politically.

Your votes are judged as well as anything you have done in office. Obama had the same non-experience. He became U.S. Senator and immediately began running for president. He had been a state Senator in Illinois but he was a back bencher there. He was never in leadership and there were no bills that he was associated with.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

11. Sarah Palin.....Rush Limbaugh....Donald Trump....Alan West

The "Rent Is To Damned High" guy.

Why do these people become Republican candidates?

Because Republicans are fucking stupid.

[Chan790]

16. One of these things is not like the others.

Jimmy McMillan is the kind of awesome and strange that could only be a Republican in NYC. If you took the platform he ran on and read it aloud from the floor of the RNC convention, you'd be shouted down as a communist. He's proposed the creation of national rent-boards that are not allowed to consider property values in setting rents, free college, seizure of unoccupied apartment buildings to be used to house the poor and homeless at low rents. Okay, some of the things he's proposing are insane...like legally-requiring that only one parent may work and the other must remain home with the kids. What were we expecting from a guy who is vocally supportive of recreational marijuana use (not that I'm not but when was the last time you heard of a politician that was), favorite film is a porno (Deep Throat) and used to be a male stripper?

[truebluegreen]

26. Rick "Frothy" Santorum!

[totodeinhere]

12. I oppose him for president of course but it's based more on issues than experience.

We have had several presidents who hadn't held any political office prior to becoming president.

[dsc]

23. Most of those had been generals

and often bonafide heroes. In the modern era only Ike had never held office and had been the general that freed Europe.

[Hestia]

14. He's the perfect sock puppet - his ass engages his mouth bypassing any brain he may have

[Lil Missy]

17. Because the Republican base is right fringe crazy people. n/t

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

18. Remember when conservatives said you had to have 'executive experience' to be president?

that was hilarious.

[Agschmid]

19. Ummm...

Heard of this junior senator?

Barack Obama - United States Senator
from Illinois
In office
January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008

Just saying... he did hold a state office before he ran for Senate as well.

And no I absolutely do NOT support him, or the Republican party. Just don't like it when we unfairly compare.

[davidpdx]

21. I agree

The better argument is his insane views and the fact that he's really more a Libertarian than a Republican.

[Agschmid]

24. Much better, and totally valid argument!

[davidpdx]

20. First of all the whole front-runner thing is contrived crap

made up by the media. They did that in 2008 well before the first primary happened. Same thing in 2012 except really only on the Republican side since Obama was unopposed as a sitting president. How right was the media on who the front runner really was before the 2008 election? If I had the choice of betting on the media's front runner and randomly picking a horse in a race, I'd take the latter.

Second, if Rand Paul does run (and I'm not sure he has the balls to do it) he may win a primary or two, but there is no way conservatives will nominate him. He is not a Republican, he's a Libertarian just like daddy.

Third is the question as to whether he would have to give up running for reelection if he ran for president (Biden was able to do this under Delaware law in 2008, but I have no idea what Kentucky law is).

[BlueDemKev]

25. Because he represents today's Republican Party very well...

...short-sighted, extreme, and says what the great mass of ignoramuses want to hear.

[Just Saying]

27. Ha! Who knows?

For years I've found myself looking at the Republican Presidential nominees and going, "Really? That's the best you've got?!?"

Some of them even got elected!

[BlueDemKev]

29. Frightening, isn't it?

[Politicalboi]

28. They STILL nominate a dip shit

That doesn't know what a VP does, or even take the time to learn. I bet if they still asked Sarah what a VP does, she would not be able to answer it. Or GW Bush with "misunderestimated". It's almost like the dumber the better.

[cali]

30. Who says he's the frontrunner?

[customerserviceguy]

31. You could ask the same question

of those who think Elizabeth Warren is their preferred choice on our side.

Besides, Barack Obama proved that you don't have to have long experience as either a governor or a Federal-level legislator in order to win a major party nomination or a general election for the Presidency. Add to that the fact that a lot of Republicons will sit out 2016, as it looks like at least one term of Hillary is inevitable. They know they'll have a much better shot of winning the general after twelve straight years of one party in the White House, just like Bill Clinton knew that going into 1992.

The Repukes are devastated on the Presidential level, having lost the White House with two lackluster candidates in a row who didn't even make it close in the Electoral College. That leaves an opening for the opportunists, of which Rand Paul is one. He's the only one going into 2016 with an established base, having inherited his father's core of support that has been built up since the 1970's. No other Rethug has that much going for them at this point in time. Even Chris Christie will find out how little he is liked outside his home state's area.