Paul Campaign Is Far From Over

by Josh Guckert

Following the debate last week, many journalists derided Rand Paul as having a bad performance. On top of the already-negative press that Paul had been receiving for weeks in advance of that first debate, Paul has been consistently attacked by mainstream media outlets as having peaked far too early.

Despite this constant pontificating by talking heads like Karl Rove and Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard, Paul made effective use of the minimal time he had during the debate. He was given the least time to speak of any of the 10 candidates on stage, but managed to get himself into the headlines during his confrontations with Donald Trump and Chris Christie. The former has seen his numbers drop slightly, as Paul has continued to attack his inconsistent record. The latter sees himself in danger of being replaced by Carly Fiorina in the next debate.

Then there was Paul, showing himself to be a “different kind of Republican”; one who will stand for the Fourth Amendment and in favor of negotiations over war; one who is trying to expand the Party by visiting areas where Republicans have not competed in generations.

With as many aspersions as were thrown against Paul after the debate, the only thing that seems to have occurred is that the candidates who participated in the “Happy Hour” debate (with the exception of Fiorina) have seen their numbers dwindle. Not coincidentally, the top 3 candidates in polls prior to the debate (Trump, Bush and Walker) have seen their numbers recede back to the middle of the pack. With all of these occurrences, the first debate should be seen as reaffirming rather than game-changing. The top 10 (in no particular order) of Trump, Bush, Walker, Rubio, Carson, Cruz, Paul, Huckabee, Kasich and Fiorina would seem to constitute the entire serious Republican field moving forward. While this is partly due to the polls (which will be addressed later), it is more to do with perception, as well as their ability to qualify for all-important future debates.

With that settled, we truly begin the 2016 race now. How has the Paul campaign marked that beginning? They have done so by exposing the current “front-runner” (a loose term at this stage) Donald Trump. As these truths are revealed, the previously mentioned field of 10 will become even more wide open. Further, Paul has proven himself to be the only candidate that has the leadership skills to take on a bully like Trump. As the others cower and refuse to stand up to a man who threatens to destroy the Party, only Paul has created a substantive discussion which will likely help bring about the demise of the obnoxious billionaire.

Paul has also chosen this time to launch “Students for Rand,” thus mobilizing his most passionate and ardent supporters. With the school year soon starting, the principles of liberty will have the ability to spread across college campuses, tapping into the anger and distrust that millennials have with so many modern politicians.

This goes even without mentioning the unprecedented campaign infrastructure that Paul has built in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. While others may rise and fall, it is important to note that the consistency of having a familiar relationship with voters in these early states is what will help lead towards victory.

On a final note, we do need to remember where we are in the 2016 election cycle. As addressed by the Huffington Post, there are a plethora of issues with relying merely upon polling this early in the race. Polls can indicate (in this particular primary especially) who are the (perhaps as many as 10) front-runners; however, the order is not to be taken too seriously.

Within the last few years, many have remarked that Rand Paul has the chance to become a transformational candidate. And that still rings true today. Though many in the Establishment wish he would simply fade away, those desires are unlikely to be fulfilled. The 2016 campaign has a slow beginning, long after all candidates have announced. Once the field is thinned down and Americans hear Rand Paul’s message as distinguished from the rest, we will get a much better impression of how the principles of liberty resonate.