“Rand Paul isn’t a libertarian!” “He isn’t his father you know.” ”You got the wrong Paul there kiddo.” This is usually said with a sarcastic sneer that makes you want to field-goal kick the guy saying it right in the nards.
But, sadly, you then remember you’re a civilized human being and abide by the non-aggression principle (I just took a deep sigh as I typed that). It’s because it really is that depressing that more people don’t understand why Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky is the liberty movement’s best option for 2020.
Yes Trump supporters, that means I am supporting a full blown primary on President Donald J. Trump for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States. So much so, in fact, that if the good Senator from the land of my favorite nectar wins said primary I will my vote and give my full blown support to him over whomever the nominee is for my party, the Libertarian Party – here is why!
Unless Larry Sharpe runs in 2020 I don’t think we really have anyone to run, from a marketing standpoint. And let’s face facts folks, marketing does, indeed, factor into politics (If you want advice on bad marketing, ask whoever ran Hillary Clinton’s marketing).
I mean maybe Clint Eastwood could, if he is still a member. Eric July; though I’m not sure if he is a member or interested. Bill Weld? (I am joking).
Rand Paul is marketable! The name recognition is what it is and at 80% agreement (a rough undereducated estimate not to be taken seriously) I believe we can work on the rest through more liberty minded members of Congress like Massie and Lee and, people who (in my opinion) are full-blown libertarians like Justin Amash.
In my experience from 2016, converting low-education (politically speaking) Bernie voters was done by showing overlap in votes between the two (back when Senator Paul was still in the race of course).
This also opens up people who have been previously opposed to libertarianism due to not knowing more then what media portrays; people not doing research as a result of this doesn’t help us either – again, due to marketing.
Either portrayed as haters of the poor or a cult of uninhibited gun-toting “potheads,” we don’t make ourselves look very good, especially within the party itself (The guy stripping at the convention, what the fuck!?).
Senator Paul will be the first major blow that carries a large overlap in ideology with libertarians, compared to establishment politics (seriously, it’s a lot of overlap).
Is he perfect from a standard libertarian perspective? Of course not! Is he ten gazillion times better than what we have in the White House now? In my personal opinion, absolutely!
He wants to seriously reduce spending, not just shift it. He wants to seriously reduce regulations, and not just call them tariffs or say “but muh flag… aka sky-cloth… no burny burny”!)
He is better then anyone in the Republican Party! Not because he is the “most libertarian” (he isn’t). But because he is the most marketable! Oh, and he is serious too!
Want to end the Drug War? Senator Paul is your man.
Want real Second Amendment support (not just sound bites from Ted Nugent)? Rand Paul 2020 might be your jam.
Want a tax code that makes some semblance of common sense? Then you want to “Stand With Rand.”
So, in conclusion, it is my sincere hope that you will come from this with some small amount of agreement, at least enough to mull it over in your head for the next year or so.
2020 is a long way off and there are a lot of Super Bowl’s, Wrestle Mania’s, and NBA Championships between now and then, those things are far less aggravating.
But when we get closer to that fateful day when more and more politicians (and non-politicians) start to consider running, I hope you will consider supporting Rand Paul. Not because I even know for sure he is considering running ( I don’t). But if enough of us start with “#RandPaul2020” and “#PresidentPaul” maybe it will catch on enough to spark the idea in Senator Paul’s head.
One thing is for sure, most libertarians I know would take a “President Paul” over what we have right now, any day!
* Bryce Jackson is a cook and writer from Chelsea, Vermont, who lives in Woodstock where he takes care of his two rescue dogs and his 71-year-old Vietnam veteran father.
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