Sen. Rand Paul is taking another move that has Democrats worried as he is attempting to reconcile the two factions within the Republican Party over the issue of same-sex marriage.

The issue of same-sex marriage is a hot button issue for conservative groups, with some proclaiming the party needs to hold firm on social issues as well as fiscal conservatism, arguing both are important parts of Ronald Reagan’s three legged stool of conservatism, being fiscal, social, issues and national security. On the other hand, others have argued that in order to woo younger voters who are sympathetic to the Republican message of limited government, the party needs to focus less on social issues such as same-sex marriage which are gaining acceptance among many young people due to indoctrination.

However, Rand Paul has said there is no reason why the party cannot accommodate both sides of the debate. In a New York Times interview, Paul said the GOP needs to make sure it does not flip on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

Sponsored Links



“The party can’t become the opposite of what it is,” Paul told the Times in reference to the GOP’s plank on same-sex marriage.

He noted that if the party decides to suddenly be like President Obama who said he was opposed to “gay” marriage when running for president in 2008 but later did a flip flop on the issue the party will lose far more than it gains.

“If you tell people from Alabama, Mississippi or Georgia, ‘You know what, guys, we’ve been wrong, and we’re gonna be the pro-gay-marriage party,’ they’re either gonna stay home or — I mean, many of these people joined the Republican Party because of these social issues,” Paul said. “So I don’t think we can completely flip.”

Paul is emerging as the leader of the libertarian wing of the Republican Party, and has taken views that are popular with those on the left as well as the right. The senator has come out strong against the NSA spying on average Americans with no probable cause, arguing it violates the Constitution. Tea party factions have also come out against the government’s spy program, as do many liberals. While speaking at the liberal stronghold at Berkeley, Paul received a standing ovation for saying it was none of the government’s business what emails you sent or who you were talking to.

He has also come out for restoring the voting rights of convicted felons in certain cases, an issue that has long been considered a liberal issue.

Paul’s appeal across ideological lines has begun to cause concern for leaders in the Democratic Party who fear that he could become a danger by being able to siphon off Democratic votes were he to run for president.

On the issue of same-sex marriage, while he is not calling for the party to change, the party should nevertheless be willing to allow those who feel differently to be welcome into the GOP.

“I think we can … agree to disagree on a lot of these issues. I think the party will evolve,” he said. “It’ll either continue to lose, or it’ll become a bigger place where there’s a mixture of opinions.”