Rand Paul Says Jimmy Carter Was Better on the Budget Than Ronald Reagan

[henster]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/04/rand-paul-jimmy-carter-was-better-budget-ronald-reagan

Seems like something fatal in Republican primary...

[Adam Griffin]

Almost every President in the history of the country was better on the budget than President Jelly Belly, so he's absolutely correct.

[JRP1994]

Rand is right.
Rand is becoming GOP toast.

[Maxwell]

Rand Paul is 100% correct. Sadly, certain truths are not at all acceptable in Republican primaries.

[Meursault]

Even viewed from a purely neoliberal position and making absolutely no New Dealist assumptions about the economy, Carter was much better than Reagan. And it's no surprise Paul would say as much. See also: Murray Rothbard's 1988 essay "Ronald Reagan: An Autopsy".

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

He was also better on foreign policy.  You're not allowed to say that either, though.

[Mordecai]

RIP Rand Paul

[RogueBeaver]

A Paul isn't a Reagan fan? Colour me shocked.

[SWE]

Rand Paul states historical facts, tea party is outraged

[Indy Texas]

Also deregulated the economy more than Ronald Reagan did.

[MurrayBannerman]

To be fair, Carter had both houses of Congress.

[Maxwell]

A Paul isn't a Reagan fan? Colour me shocked.

Is he wrong though? Paul noted Reagan's job creation record as a positive.

[TDAS04]

Rand Paul is correct.

[Potatoe]

RIP Rand Paul

[Deus Naturae]

RIP Rand Paul

You guys realize these comments were made several years ago, right? It's a little late for them to destroy Paul's career.

[Mordecai]

RIP Rand Paul

You guys realize these comments were made several years ago, right? It's a little late for them to destroy Paul's career.

They could significantly hamper his chances for winning the presidential nomination in 2016 (on top of his comments about Dick Cheney and his father's baggage). Remember 2012? Ronald Reagan this, Ronald Reagan that, Ronald Reagan was the best President ever, and so on.

[Meursault]

Rather than destroy his career, I hope Paul's comments create at least a faction in the GOP willing to question the eidolon of the Reagan  cult, just as many Democrats were doing with Roosevelt in the 1970s.

[Mr. Illini]

Carter also favored drug decriminalization and a sane foreign policy...things Paul is sympathetic to.

The attack ads are writing themselves.

[ElectionsGuy]

He's right.

[BaconBacon96]

And with a few words of truth, Rand Paul kills his campaign for president. God bless.

[Likely Voter]

I have never understood the belief that Rand Paul would ever be able to break out and be a real top tier candidate with his collection of off-the-wall beliefs and comments. Rand is polling at about the same level as his dad (10-15%). It only looks big is because there is no establishment front-runner breaking into the 20s or 30s, nor has the conservative wing picked their darling (yet).

[SWE]

To be fair, Carter had both houses of Congress.

The budgets Reagan submitted to Congress were larger than the ones he submitted, so if anything, congressional Democrats kept his spending in check

[MATTROSE94]

I think that Paul is right. Reagan was a good President, but like any President, he was not without his faults. I think that this was a very levelheaded opinion from Rand, even if it might not be palatable to the Republican base.

Pretty much this.

[Indy Texas]

To be fair, Carter had both houses of Congress.

The budgets Reagan submitted to Congress were larger than the ones he submitted, so if anything, congressional Democrats kept his spending in check

Reagan had the Senate for all but the last two years. As for the House, he basically did have it in the form of a Republican+ConservaDem coalition.

[NHI]

Oh dear...
Not that he had the greatest chance, but this finishes him.