The Rand Paul Lesson: Stick to Spending Issues, Not Social Ones

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How can one run for office and yet avoid the social issues? Duh ? Is this some kind of joke?

mud of OK 12:15AM May 25, 2010

Does Ms. Cary suggest the same advice, to avoid social issues, to the Left? Roe v Wade was a successful usurpation by federal courts of state law and is overwhelmingly supported by the Left. Efforts in courts and in legislatures to eliminate a state preference for every child to have one mommy and one daddy and not any other combination are led by the Left. And the fundamental mantra of the Left, whether from the politicians or the clergy, is "social justice", which is their justification for taking from those who earn and giving to those who don't. To the Left, fiscal IS social and that is the world we live in.

Frank Natoli of NJ 6:19AM May 23, 2010

Who even watches Rachel Madow? Nobody.
Certainly not Republican voters. Not even a smattering of Democrat ones.
This is another example of the liberal media thinking that their little world that they live in is THE sum total of the universe. This Mary Kate Cary is in for a real rude shock this coming November.

Lord Voldemort of CA 9:59PM May 22, 2010

This is the same advice that's given over and over again: republicans should try to win by not being republicans. The fact is that Paul is a libertarian, and he expressed standard libertarian views, which are shared by many, including many scholarly types. And no, the people with such views are (as a general rule) not racist. Paul was extremely clear from the beginning that he opposes racism, would not tolerate it in government, and would not patronize businesses that discriminate. (The Civil Rights Act of 1964 did NOT ban segregation, as claimed. Segregation by governments (fed, state, local) had already been banned.)
The call for republicans to stick to economic issues -- that's fine, until they actually focus on economic issues in a serious way, and then the left screams that they're being controlled by the Club for Growth, and says that they should back off on the economic issues.
The issue Paul was dealing with is a central one to questions regarding the scope of governmental power, the sort of real questions which should recognized and discussed.
The vast majority of the people worked up about this are people who would never have voted for Rand Paul anyway. Republicans generally don't win by attempting to appease non-GOP voters, and this is especially true of conservative or libertarian candidates. It is often true of moderates as well. Look at McCain: by far the favorite GOP candidate of the commentators, specifically because he was perceived as the "least republican;" he was the subject of a glowing endorsement by the NYT etc. But then once the nominations were done virtually everyone who had endorsed or pushed McCain helped Obama to defeat him. It's better for GOP candidates to lay out a clear vision and defend it; that's what most voters want, especially today.

Indy of NJ 4:28PM May 22, 2010

After 17 monhts of bankrupt economic and national security agendas, pure socialist pacifism on the part of the House and Senate Dems and the naif in the WH, and people are going to tar Pubs with horrors because Paul made a philosophical libertarians explanation?? Oh puleeze. Blumenthal, Durbin, Rangel, Dodd , Leahy all lie about political things especially Fannie and Freddie, the housing bubble and debt and Rand Paul is going to decide who to vote for in Nov.?? The facts are in '64, it was the Pubs who got the Civil Rights Bill through for LBJ not the Southern Dems. Please. Grow up. Paul is a professorial pol not an urban or northern racist like half the Dem Party. He speaks for Paul not the GOP and in Kentuck my bet is , he still creams Conway. Dems lie every day and our nation is crumbling like Greece and Venezuela and the trolls want to oust Paul and all Pubs because....Oh puleeze. The nation is being transformed into a European socialist welfare state with a Third World tin pot dictator in the WH and voters here are worried about Rand Paul? As with Dems, this is a diversion from the horrors their House and Senate leaders are pressing on our liberties, economy, national defense, education system and our own use of domestic energy resources. If Indies needed any reason to vote or not to vote, take a look at the last 17 months with a tyrant in the WH. Now that matters.

Glenn Koons of CA 3:56PM May 22, 2010

While I understand and appreciate the philosophical point Rand was making, the comments were gratuitously stupid from a political point of view and I wish I had the hundred dollars back that I gave him.
I wholeheartedly agree that GOP candidates should stick to fiscal issues since those issues are needlessly divisive and are none of the federal government's business. However, race is not a social issue.
Another thing that GOP candidates should avoid is the foreign adventurism issue. It is impossible to preach fiscal responsibility and advocate the Cheney/McCain etc.type of foreign policy.

Steve851 of IL 2:47PM May 22, 2010

"Please don't try to cram your religion down our throat. Please don't focus on protecting society by abusing gays, or treating any group like institutionalized 2nd class citizens. Please don't try to repeal Roe V Wade."
This is why America is ultimately going to end in secession.
Because I want to see a national religion. gays ARE 2nd class citizens.
Roe V Wade needs to be repealed.
How do you resolve those differences?
You CANT!
So inevitably, someone is going to be forced to secede.

John of NY 2:25PM May 22, 2010

The days are over when Republicans/Tea Party politicians can avoid the big questions on the social side. It's easy to "stick" to fiscal, limited gov't, security, etc. issues.
As an independent voter, if I'm going to consider voting for a Repub. or Tea Partier, I need to know where he (or she) stands on social issues.
When I've asked "conservatives" how they stand on the Civil Rights Act, I get stone silence. Not a winning strategy!

Fernando Centeno of TX 12:26PM May 22, 2010

The Republican brand is marginalized by the take on social issues from way too many of their far right. Moderates, like me, are desperate for fiscal responsibility. You can win us all with an honest, candid approach so putting our financial house in order UNLESS you turn us off by appealing to one of your bases and trying to turn back the clock on social issues.
Please don't try to cram your religion down our throat. Please don't focus on protecting society by abusing gays, or treating any group like institutionalized 2nd class citizens. Please don't try to repeal Roe V Wade.
A strong but reasonable national defence, individual liberty and, for the love of god, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. Are the messages that we desperately need addressed and, oh by the way, win the moderate voters that will decide this election.

Michael Pratt of OR 12:12PM May 22, 2010

If the Republicans are smart enough to keep the coming election focused on economic, spending and national defense/foreign policy issues, they stand an excellent chance of regaining control of Congress. But if the far right wingnuts start spouting off about social issues, they will blow an incredible opportunity because they will scare away moderate Republicans and independents like me.
Oh, and "Recall", please get a clue, will ya? Rand Paul certainly isn't the first politician, Republican or Democrat, to put his foot in his mouth and he certainly won't be the last. If we "recalled the candidacy" of every politician who ever said something dumb, we wouldn't have enough people left over to fill all the elected offices in the land.

Danram of TX 11:46AM May 22, 2010