Rand Won Last Night’s Debate
Yesterday was Rand’s time.
As there are so many candidates, I will only discuss the ones that left an impression on me. Unfortunately, the way these debates are being conducted with numerous candidates all supposedly being allotted a certain amount of time will make it virtually impossible to rule out any candidates.
John Kasich signaled to moderates and the left that he was not a right wing nut job. He questioned Trump on the feasibility of deporting 12,000,000 people, and questioned Cruz on letting major banks and financial institutions fail.
I respect Ted Cruz’s resume and academic credentials. I don’t see why people think he can win though. He’s a sitting US Senator trying to solidify his position as an “outsider”. This could only happen in America I suppose. Being hated by Republicans and Democrats alike means he’s nothing more than an insider with an abrasive personality who doesn’t play well with others having an affinity for throwing tantrums within that insider’s sandbox known as the U.S. Senate.
Rand Paul
Rand won the debate though by pointing out how policies being advocated by his fellow conservatives on stage were not conservative. In a poignant exchange with Marco Rubio, he pondered why the conservative base is rightfully skeptical of bureaucratic government bloat, but then sound like left-wing technocrats when anyone questions the largest bloat of them all, the Department of Defense? The truth is, no fiscal reform can be taken seriously without looking at Pentagon spending. In other words, conservatives and Republicans are not rational in your beliefs in military spending.
Defense spending is nearly $600 billion. If that isn’t enough to maintain a strong global presence then what is?
Is “maintaining a strong global presence” the equivalent of entering conflicts with an undefined mission and/or no American interest?
It’s ironic that the candidates uphold Israel as a beacon of wisdom in foreign policy, yet argue against Russia’s presence in Syria, which the Israelis support. If Israel welcomes Assad as their own next door neighbor, why are we afraid of him from 6000 miles away? What’s the better, realistic alternative, and what US interest is served? If the GOP wants more money for expensive military bureaucracy and toys, they need to more coherently articulate who our friends are and what US interest is met in entering more wars of choice. Score one for Rand Paul.
