Rand back to being Rand
After his presidential campaign flamed out, the Kentucky senator returns to his libertarian roots.
By Burgess Everett
04/24/16 06:48 PM EDT
During his ill-fated presidential run, Rand Paul tried to stretch his brand of libertarianism to appeal to a broader audience. He talked tougher about engaging the Islamic State, undercut diplomacy with Iran and called for cutting domestic programs to pay for more defense spending.
Now, nearly three months after he pulled the plug on a presidential campaign that peaked at least a year too soon, Paul has resumed his role as the Senate’s libertarian-minded contrarian. And the 53-year-old eye doctor appears quite content, relieved of any need to soft-pedal his ideas for a national audience and ready to settle in to the Senate for the long haul.
In a recent interview in his Capitol office, adorned with magazine covers documenting the Kentucky Republican’s meteoric rise, a relaxed Paul lounged in a chair and spoke with excitement about the prospect of being the Senate’s leading libertarian voice on international policy and surveillance issues for another six years. He’s favored to win reelection this fall and scoffed at criticisms leveled by his Democratic opponent that he’s running a permanent presidential campaign, with his Senate seat as a launchpad.
Though he wouldn’t slam the door shut on another national bid, Paul sounded wary, saying it would be a “surprise” if it happened.
“It’s hard to ask somebody who just spent a lot of effort being here and there and being everywhere in between about doing it again. It’s not something that I can immediately say, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m looking forward to 2020,’” Paul said, even as he conceded that “2020 would be perfect for an ophthalmologist.”
“It’s a never say never,” Paul said, but “really all I can see in the near-term future is making sure I do a good job for Kentucky. I’m running for reelection, and then I want to be a big voice in the Senate.”
...
