Rand Paul: The Sensible Underdog

Link to the rest of the GOP candidates

The second official GOP Presidential Debate was entertaining to say the least, with it’s fair share of commentary from the likes of Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina, all tied for the top spot in the polls. We got what a lot of people would expect: Jeb Bush and Trump clashing over the failures of the Dubya administration, Chris Christie emphasizing New Jersey any chance he could, and a never-ending show of candidates comparing themselves to Ronald Reagan.

So yes, the debates were entertaining, but as for substance? We turn to Rand Paul, a libertarian favorite who is currently scraping the bottom of the polls, along with Christie. When it came to delivering actual, sensible solutions, rather than empty rhetoric or appealing to the conservative base, Paul was the man. When asked about his position on the Obama administration’s recent triumphant Iran deal, Rand Paul stated that he would not simply “rip it up” because it violated Republican ideals and try to analyze it from an unbiased position. This differed from the rest of his colleagues on stage, who vowed to dismember the Iran deal on day one. Paul furthered his non-interventionist view in discussing the Iraq War, noting that “Every time we’ve toppled a dictator, we’ve created chaos”. His solutions for dealing with ISIS in Syria and Iraq included arming the Kurds, an idea that his been denied previously by Paul’s Republican colleagues in Congress.

On the economic front, Paul briefly outlined his plan for a flat tax, an idea that has been echoed by the likes of Ben Carson. Compared to Carson’s flat tax of 10%, which he claims is based off the principles in the Bible, Paul’s sits at 14.5% for both individuals and corporations. While there has been research into the outcomes of initiating such a tax policy, Trump pointed out that it would inevitably be disproportional in nature, noting that an individual paying 10% in tax on a higher income versus someone earning a lower income and paying the same would be completely different.

As Jeb Bush humorously pointed out his recreational use of marijuana in high school, Paul was able to mention his drug policy, stating his desire to end the failed “War on Drugs” and legalize marijuana, especially for medical use. He noted the disproportional incarceration of Latino and African American men as a result of the “War on Drugs,” and it’s failure to curve the epidemic of drugs in America.  He clashed briefly with Chris Christie, who stated that as president he would enforce the the current federal laws and prosecute marijuana users nationwide. Paul mentioned a case about a young boy suffering from “500 seizures a day” and how cannabis oil has helped properly medicate him and stop the seizures, then accused Christie and Bush of wanting to prosecute “poor people” with the enforcing of current drug laws, a sentiment that has been repeatedly addressed by opponents of the “War on Drugs.”

It is clear that Paul is the black sheep of the Republican field, a candidate unafraid to take positions that may separate him from the rest of his party and base. Could this be the reason he is lagging so far behind in the polls? Maybe. One thing is certain though: based off last night’s performance, where Paul very seldom spoke about his agenda of tax reform, it is a very real possibility that Paul is next on the list to concede his candidacy. Unless he changes up his strategy of “speaking when spoken to”, Paul may be at risk of losing it all.