Rand Paul Speaks at Berkeley - image LA Times
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) went to Berkeley and, as the San Jose Mercury News headlined: “found support”…”of all places”! It is not without some humor and irony that the headline reads – “of all places”, simply due to the fact that Republican’s don’t generally stump and fundraise in the California Bay Area. San Francisco, the home of Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), is not the area one would anticipate any Republican to dare to tread – why bother, really the entire state is lost, along with Massachusetts. However, Paul is not your run of the mill, standard Republican, as he leans more Libertarians, which is an appealing prospect to a wide-range of voters – from the left to the right, men and women, young and old. Not only did he receive a warm welcome at UC Berkeley, he also received a standing ovation – which, knock one over with a feather!” (Daily Caller).
Outside of a very few articles on the success of the visit, most of the “Mainstream” media are treading carefully on coverage – The New York Times article on the Berkeley visit “Rand Paul, Warning About Spying, Faults Obama” doesn’t really speak to the oddity nor the implications of what Paul has accomplished., rather about a small portion of the speech he made to the students (who then applauded and stood).
The real implications are that a Libertarian, albeit, Republican is gaining more traction than any other candidate at the moment, given the articles rather than the polls, and the schematics of who will and will not vote in a mid-term or general election. The implications are, to this mind, that there is real change in the wind, not a slogan, nor a hypothetical, but a change in the hearts and minds of a populace who are tired of the same “party” lines, and are seeking a breath of fresh air. This air comes with a penchant for piece, individual liberty and common sense as far as social and fiscal issues are concerned, and are tied, hook, line and sinker to the Constitution.
This makes Rand Paul the frontrunner across the political spectrum and one should bet the house there is a proverbial “target” on the man, as he is upsetting the general party (and that is literally and figuratively) that is Washington D.C. entrenched politico’s and their sycophants.
One might see more venom develop from both the RNC and the DNC as they fight to maintain the status quo –a losing battle with the Libertarian minded Paul. For one, he is not shy about speaking out and correcting the press, which is a plus, and second, he does not come across as the politician, more like the family doctor/college professor/guy who eats snickers on the run who has a message which is on point.
Not since casting a vote for Anderson (Libertarian leaning Republican) in the 1980 election, has the prospect of an opportunity to cast one for another in 2016 been more appealing. Anderson did not even make a dent in the bucket – running against Reagan and Carter, however, it was the first time one can recall seeing a national third party candidate, period…or a decent choice between two behemoths, when one does not particularly embrace either “grand party”. Therefore, to have one Libertarian leaning Republican run under the banner of the “grand party”, with a cadre of like minded Constitutionalist (be they Tea Party or Libertarian) growing in the same party, would be historical and personally exciting. It has been centuries since either party truly rebranded as a national party that would allow for a crossover of opposition party members, as well as those who are more independent minded, and Paul, in this time and in this place is the one to carry that water - reminiscent of Washington, George. What more can one nation ask for?
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