Middle Ground America's Opinion on Rand Paul

Rand Paul is currently an outlier. It's because he is campaigning as a Republican. Honestly, it's probably because he couldn't get the 10% needed to debate the Democrats and Republicans at a Presidential debate. He is more an Independent than a Republican but that is the nature of the game.

Although he is very anti-abortion and opposes same-sex marriage, there are many things he says that I agree with. He is against the war on drugs. He says don't promote marijuana but don't jail non-violent criminals. He wants everyone to be able to choose where they go to school. He would very much like for us to stop fighting overseas battles and focus back home in the US.

If I were forced to vote Republican, Rand Paul would be very high on my list. His libertarian foundation is far better to swallow than most of the Republican candidates.

The Left's Opinion

Rand Paul, known famously for his 'stand with Rand' filibuster against the U.S.'s drone policy is poised to do well this election cycle. His strong libertarian message has resonated with the young people in America today. While some view him as 'socially liberal' he is anything but. While he personally is not liberal on many social issues, he sticks to his libertarian principles that people should be able to decide such things for themselves.

This makes Rand an interesting candidate this election cycle. He will need to craft his foreign policy stance (which is borderline isolationist) into an acceptable national message. He will look to succeed where his father couldn't, in carrying the message of deterrence through strength, without intervention. He has a strange coalition of supporters that allows him to bridge many political differences. Couple that with his southern charm and ardent support for personal liberty and Rand will be very tough to beat.

The Right's Opinion