Rand Paul just made his bid for the U.S. Senate official.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Rand Paul, the son of 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul, ended months of speculation Wednesday by saying he will run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated next year by fellow Republican Jim Bunning.
The Bowling Green ophthalmologist told The Associated Press he is entering the race and plans to run as a candidate with “outsider” credentials.
Stay tuned for months and months of insanity in the Republican primary.
35 responses so far ↓
1 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Aug 5, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Cuz, as we all know, outsiders with no political experience whatsoever have made fantastic high office holders.
2 E // Aug 5, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Well SM…
I’m not fan…but it seems that Congressman Yarmuth seems to be holding his own in DC.
I don’t seem to recall him holding any elected political office prior to beating Northup.
3 jake // Aug 5, 2009 at 4:55 pm
It’s possible to be an “outsider” when your father is a U.S. Congressman and former candidate for President and all…
4 Thunder Storm // Aug 5, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Steve M,
We have all kinds of “experienced” office holders in Washington DC and Frankfort and what a bang up job they are doing.
We need fresh young blood and we have a good crop to choose from.
5 Larry West // Aug 5, 2009 at 5:19 pm
In Kentucky Republican circles, “outsider” probably means being outside of the Mitch McConnell cabal, which Rand Paul is.
Of course, the “real” outsider would be Bill Johnson (www.KentuckyBill.com) — he’s so far outside that very few have even heard of him!
6 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Aug 5, 2009 at 5:42 pm
The bottom line is that Rand Paul has virtually no political experience. Prove me wrong. Also prove that one can handle a huge political office without prior experience.
E, Yarmuth did indeed have a good deal of non-office-holding political experience. He was a vocal political participant writing/talking about the issues of the day for many years. That, along with running businesses, made him suitable for a U.S. Representative.
Thunder Storm, Rand Paul should run for a smaller local office first, rather than running on Daddy’s coattails. He needs to prove his mettle in a much less taxing office, or at least be a more vocal political participant in various matters. Eventually, he may rise to the experience level needed to be a U.S. Senator. But right now, he’s done nothing.
7 WarCoVoter // Aug 5, 2009 at 7:34 pm
SM – Almost everything you said about Yarmuth also applies to Rand Paul. He does indeed have a good deal of non-office-holding political experience. He has a vocal political participant writing/talking about the issues of the day for many years particularly in areas of local government and health care. He also played a significant role in the presidential campaign last year. My guess is that he has similar experience to that of Yarmuth before Congress.
For better or worse, he is an outsider from the standpoint that he is not embraced by the party establishment. For that matter, I am not sure if I would consider Ron Paul to be a true insider either although he certainly knows his way around.
I am not exactly sure what I think of Rand Paul but the criticisms leveled here are at best trivial and probably inaccurate.
8 jake // Aug 5, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Sorry, no one can tell me that a doctor – with a U.S. Congressman who ran for the presidency for a father – is an “outsider.”
He’s as establishment as they come. Maybe not as mainstream as Barack Obama or Mitch McConnell, but let’s get real.
That doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. But I think he needs a new label.
9 WarCoVoter // Aug 5, 2009 at 8:50 pm
What is your definition of insider and outsider? Give me some examples of viable (assuming that is label that applies to Paul) candidates that are outsiders.
10 Taylor // Aug 5, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I think the point is that people are going to have to decide if they want to play Rand Paul up as being experienced enough or as being a non-politician who represents ‘real’ people. I recognize that the two aren’t entirely incompatible, but the cognitive dissonance should be there.
11 Jimmy // Aug 6, 2009 at 1:10 am
No experience? If the current crop and that over the past few years is what “experience” give us, then by ALL means Rand Paul sign up … please. These “experienced” people in politics for the most part are largely only experts in shaking enough hands, petting the right political sacred cows, bowing down to kiss the rings of the party bosses, and putting enough yard signs around my neighboorhood.
12 Jimmy // Aug 6, 2009 at 1:15 am
Jake, “insiders” don’t take on the sacred cows of their own party from time to time. I’d give Paul that much. They (insiders) just talk about fluff, try not to make any of the party boses upset, so they can keep the bundled/PAC funds commin’.
13 E // Aug 6, 2009 at 8:06 am
Insider/outsider…whatever.
Given that Bunning has managed to turn into a walking talking farce, and has no national media presence (or much local presence for that matter) save for his curious outbursts…it sure is nice to have a potential Kentucky representative that is well spoken, articulate, and that is already being relatively well received by both the left and right wingers in the national media.
Should he win, or not, I think in all fairness one would have to admit that Rand has represented himself and the state well in the national media.
Should he win, I can’t see where his blossoming national media presence would be anything but a benefit to our state.
14 Terri // Aug 6, 2009 at 11:23 am
Affluent white trust fund kid runs for office following his father’s legacy and with his father’s same platform…hmm…where have I heard that before?
15 E // Aug 6, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I suppose you have evidence that he has a trust fund?
His father did pay for his education…so what…although a working person myself, it is entirely likely I’ll do the same for my daughters if I’m able.
In ANY Kentucky election, if we disqualify affluent white folk who’s leg up in life is due in part to their parents…our options become severely limited.
16 Aratus // Aug 6, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Rand Paul politely waited until Senator Jim Bunning bowed out. He has just announced!!!
He held back from fundraising in a big way
and he’s definately not one of the “inner circle”
around Mitch McConnell. Trey Grayson is
a recent arrival to the G.O.P and yes, i can see that much will be said about Bill Clinton’s 1992 run!
I honestly think many of the people who have voted for Jim Bunning in the past might find
themselves voting for Rand Paul due to his activism. The House could see House Bill 1207
go to the floor to be debated in full. This bill
has more than 260 co-sponsors. The bailout
will be a big issue in the upcoming months…
17 jake // Aug 6, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Let’s see how many out-of-state Ron… err… Rand Paul commenters we get today.
18 Aratus // Aug 6, 2009 at 1:34 pm
You all do know that Ron Paul is very close to
having
a full & total audit done on the FEDERAL RESERVE!
Yes… its taken roughly 25 years for this to be happenstanced…
19 E // Aug 6, 2009 at 1:40 pm
More visitors and comments…ultimately translate into more dollars for you Jake.
You love it!
20 Just me // Aug 6, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Aratus
I thought Rand was running??
21 Aratus // Aug 6, 2009 at 2:52 pm
RAND PAUL is definately running!
He announced his senate run yesterday!
If you all have been following events in Texas,
there
may be a special election. The senate seat may be up
for grabs that Sen . Kay Bailey Hutchison is now sitting in,
for she intends to step down so that she can run for governor in Texas!
If you think Rand Paul’s 2010 senate run will draw
the national press to KY as in a.s.a.p — wait until it
gets out that both Rand Paul & Ron Paul
are seeking
senate seats in tandem, respectively in Kentucky and Texas…
22 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Aug 6, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I hardly thinks that helps Rand — he’ll give off the smell of a carpetbagger.
23 Aratus // Aug 6, 2009 at 3:31 pm
quite definately we can see how hard-drinking ben hecht era
objective journalists let alone hunter thompson
gonzo wannabes
who like their wild turkey are going to have to remain sober enuff
to know what town and what state they are in when there is an
energized tub thumping rally by the Doctor Paul that they are doing a story on…
24 Aratus // Aug 6, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Ron Paul’s House runs have seen him win
with 70% of the vote, a senate run by he as
his son is seeking the senate seat now held by
Jim Bunning would tend to subdivide all
reVOLUTIOn dollars out there. Rand Paul
might have an easier time of it, given that he
has started to rev up his campaign staff…
Either way, both Rand Paul and Ron Paul are
going to see crowded fields as the news gets out…
Kay Bailey Hutchison’s upcoming run for governor of Texas is on the heels of Sen. bunning’s
early
retirement not of his own making…
25 jake // Aug 6, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Told ya so about all the out-of-state Paultard traffic!
26 b4liberty // Aug 6, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Rand Paul is a outside , and so is pretty much Ron Paul. Both are career doctors. Ron Paul has never really been mainstream and that is because of his outsider status. He only votes based on his beliefs not because its tows the party line. That is an outsider.
27 b4liberty // Aug 6, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Another great example , you say because ron paul ran for president he cant be a political outsider. Well considering Ron Paul is a Republican and he held a counter convention in St Paul during the RNC convention, I would pretty much say that makes him a outsider. A insider would never dream of hosting a competing convention deliberately the same time as their party’s convention. Also he would not endorse John McCain.
28 b4liberty // Aug 6, 2009 at 6:01 pm
@ jake, just b/c my ip is from indiana does not make me a out-stater considering I was born and raised in Kentucky and my whole family is from there ! I homestead in Kentucky and will be voting. Thanks
29 Taylor // Aug 6, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Rand Paul is a outside , and so is pretty much Ron Paul. Both are career doctors.
Because spending 19 of the last 33 years in Congress and running for president twice does a career doctor make!
30 Just me // Aug 6, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Oh. My. Gawd.
31 Aratus // Aug 6, 2009 at 8:19 pm
it looks like i’m the only true and total
out of stater, given that i am in N.E and
i did meet Rand Paul last December
outside Quincy Market’s Fanieul Hall…
evidently i’ve now got my movement spurs!
i see “paultard” up above, and yes, if i saw
the link Rand Paul’s informal unsalaried
campaign manager proved to this here blog,
others could easily click on the link and
merrily leave their wry & witty comments!
i should qualify. Ron Paul may only run for his
House seat in 2010… i was merely passing on
what i think could happen. the one thing i am
certain
about is that Rand Paul just threw his hat in the ring…
32 Aratus // Aug 6, 2009 at 8:23 pm
embarrassing typo
proved = provided
33 Aratus // Aug 6, 2009 at 8:27 pm
RAND is RUNNING!
wait until this circulates
about on the net, now
that twitter people can tweet
and facebook people have
their pages running faster… i
feel like a pioneer in cyberspace!
34 Just me // Aug 6, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Oh. My. Effing. Gawd.
35 ToddKY // Aug 21, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I saw 2 Rand Paul yard signs while out driving yesterday(Lexington). This is exciting! Next best thing to having a Paul in The White House is having one holding office for your state. For anyone making the foolish suggestion that Rand lacks experience, you obviously have not heard him speak or don’t share traditional American values to appreciate the freedom and liberty he speaks of. Like his father, this man has lived it his entire life. Being able to trust in that experience is priceless.
Leave a Comment