Rand Paul, a chip off the old block?

From what I know about Rand Paul, I am not happy about his victory in the GOP primary in Kentucky. Prior to running for the U.S. Senate, Paul’s main political experience has been as a supporter and spokesman for his father, the disgusting anti-American libertarian and Lew Rockwell associate Congressman Ron Paul. Rand (a nickname for Randall) seems to follow his father on all issues. Among other things, as Michelle Malkin has brought out, Ron Paul has trafficked with 9/11 “truthers” and supported their call for another 9/11 investigation. The truthers of course believe that the U.S. government, meaning President George W. Bush, conspired with the 9/11 hijackers to destroy the World Trade Center and a wing of the Pentagon, and also sought to destroy the U.S. Capitol building via Flight 93, in order to trigger a war with Muslims. While Rand appears to have been more ambiguous in his statements to truthers than his father, he hasn’t dissociated himself from them either. He also has affirmed his complete identity with his father’s politics. Radio interviewer Alex Jones asked him in 2009:

“You’re basically what I would call a chip off the old block. Your policies are basically identical to your father, correct?”

To which he answered:

“I’d say we’d be very very similar. We might present the message sometimes differently.. I think in some ways the message has to be broadened and made more appealing to the entire Republican electorate because you have to win a primary.”

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Leonard D. writes:

I look at that page you linked on Malkin’s site about Ron Paul, and honestly I think he is acting like a weasely politician to those truther kids. His answers are evasions, based on stating things he does believe in common with them—that the government often covers things up, which is true—while not actually agreeing to their particular beliefs. This does not raise my respect for Ron Paul as a person, because he is in my view lying by omission. However, I am impressed by his performance there as a politician.

In any case, Rand Paul is not Ron Paul. His political identification with his father may or may not extend to his father’s more extreme beliefs. It should be proven.

It appears to me you are ready to defenestrate a man who, at so far as his official positions seem to indicate, is far more in step with you most issues than almost anyone else who is electable. Have you read Rand Paul’s official positions? What disagreements do you have with them? Do you believe he is insincere in his official positions like most politicians are?

Phantom Blogger writes:

Rand Paul doesn’t support all the ideas of his dad. He has insisted he’s for the war in Afghanistan and against rapid withdrawal from Iraq and supports the detention of suspected terrorists. Rather than openly advocate drug decriminalization (as his dad does), Rand favors “a more local approach to drugs … it’s a state issue.”

Quote:

“Foreign terrorists do not deserve the protections of our Constitution,” said Dr. Paul. “These thugs should stand before military tribunals and be kept off American soil. I will always fight to keep Kentucky safe and that starts with cracking down on our enemies.”

Here’s a link to an article backing this up, and another here.

LA replies:

Ok, that’s encouraging—or at least less discouraging.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 19, 2010 08:13 AM | Send