Rand Paul: Democrats are afraid I'll run

[Bull Moose Base]

This wrongly assumes Americans are not warmongers at heart. A majority of Americans love the idea of bombing enemies and love the military.

Rand Paul will get outright booed at GOP debates during foreign policy questions.

Paul actually seems pretty skilled at using emphasis and packaging heretical ideas to make them more salable to GOP rank and file. But it's still not enough and, like anyone who wants to win, he'll flip and water down his views as much as he needs to to make it through a primary. He's already been doing this plenty. Then, if by some freakish stroke of luck, he won the nomination, his differences with Hillary  on foreign policy would be muted. And people don't vote on that anyway, as others point out, but it would affect elite opinion and you'd have Rudy Giuliani and Elizabeth Warren sitting next to each other on Hillary's campaign bus.

[Bull Moose Base]

Paul would win 55-45.

Against Sanders maybe

If the argument is Paul would do well against Hillary because he'd beat her on foreign policy and civil liberties (not that I buy it), that edge would be negated against Sanders, whose economic views are much more popular than Paul's. I bet Sanders could get 55 against Paul, assuming the absence of an independent run. There of course would be an independent run but if we're saying Paul and Sanders will be the nominees, I assume the rule is pretend whatever the hell you want.

Apologies in advance for inspiring someone to start a Paul vs Sanders vs Bolton thread. I'll be annoyed about it too.

[Bull Moose Base]

People don't vote on foreign policy though.

President Kerry agrees.

Are you referencing the primary when the stronger war opponent lost to suggest Paul can win the GOP primary or the general election when the stronger war opponent lost to suggest Paul can win the general election?

*Hillary will run against war FYI. I mean, FDR did too, and W ran against nation-building but still...

Actually this isn't true, 47% want a less involved foreign policy and only 19% want more involved.

Most Americans want to be thin, too. That doesn't stop them from eating that pizza and chocolate cake.

In real situations, Americans cheer for war when it's on the table.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/pew-research-libertarian-study

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The libertarian movement is growing, except we might be counting people who think libertarian means we should force other countries to have more liberty.