Back during the 2008 Presidental elections, I flirted with the Ron Paul rEVOLution. In case you were living under a rock, Dr. Ron Paul is a fire-brand Congressman-Doctor out of south Texas, whose outlandish and counter-cultural ideas range from lowering taxes to staying out of other countries to de-federalizing the health care system. Despite his unpopular views, Dr. Paul’s enthusiasm and "FU" attitude to Washington appeals to me around every major election. Whenever the race is between two business-as-usual politicians, I seem to gravitate towards outsiders whose fringe ideas seem hypnotically disruptive. I think it's in the public’s best interest to tolerate, if not foster, these types of politicians who can balance constituent interests with “creative” policy considerations. Dr. Paul was such a figure in ‘08. I’m not sure that the country was ready for some of his ideas though (hello, return to the gold standard!). The Ron Paul Revolution would have to wait.
Enter son, Rand Paul, the ophthalmologist and the junior United States Senator for Kentucky, who is the perfect embodiment of his dad’s ideology on top of a natural sense for populist politics. A new profile of Rand is out in the New Republic by Julia Ioffe. In it are several nuggets that I may have known but forgotten. Most notably, Paul went to Baylor (my alma mater) and was a NoZe Brother, an organization of which I was not a member but, like the great Dr. Pearl once said in the movie Waiting for Guffman when asked if he was the class clown in school: "No, I wasn't. But I sat next to the class clown, and I studied him.”
Enter son, Rand Paul, the ophthalmologist and the junior United States Senator for Kentucky, who is the perfect embodiment of his dad’s ideology on top of a natural sense for populist politics. A new profile of Rand is out in the New Republic by Julia Ioffe. In it are several nuggets that I may have known but forgotten. Most notably, Paul went to Baylor (my alma mater) and was a NoZe Brother, an organization of which I was not a member but, like the great Dr. Pearl once said in the movie Waiting for Guffman when asked if he was the class clown in school: "No, I wasn't. But I sat next to the class clown, and I studied him.”
As I consider this man, once label an “unviable” candidate by Democrats, I am repeatedly drawn to his outsider-ness; he who goes “wandering alone into the cafeteria, buying his own coffee, getting his own lunch.” I mean, what kind of public servant does that? A crazy one, certainly. But, this one takes the cake: he had a reputation for “reading every page of every bill.” Words cannot explain how awesome that would but if true. The feature draws examples of how Sen. Paul has used the system against itself, devising un-passable bills and engaging in senatorial “hostage-taking” by employing procedural delays as a way to market his public image. In many ways, it is simply genius. Exploiting systems in amusing and non-violent ways are sunlight in a darkened room—illuminating.
Sure, it’s easy to write him off. He’s a nut without presidential sensibilities. But, I say, this country elected the likes of George W. Bush and Rand seems to be smarter, at least as convicted in his beliefs about the country as W., and a lot more humble regarding his transgressions. Rand’s biggest task will be to attract the attention of new voters (Hispanics?) and re-brand the GOP as a populist party. That seems to be the key ingredient in getting elected. Hell, he just might get my vote.
Sure, it’s easy to write him off. He’s a nut without presidential sensibilities. But, I say, this country elected the likes of George W. Bush and Rand seems to be smarter, at least as convicted in his beliefs about the country as W., and a lot more humble regarding his transgressions. Rand’s biggest task will be to attract the attention of new voters (Hispanics?) and re-brand the GOP as a populist party. That seems to be the key ingredient in getting elected. Hell, he just might get my vote.
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