Rand Paul debate preview: Hit Donald Trump harder

[65fastback2+2]

My prediction? Trump is going to flame out soon. It won't be Rand that does it, but when it happens, many of the GOP voters will remember who it was that warned them. Rand is playing the long game here. This is the type of strategy that the pundits will dismiss and the knee-jerk reactionaries in here will decry, but it will end up paying dividends soon.

When the sheep start getting attacked by the wolf, they will remember the one that tried to pull off the wool early on.

All of this.

Rand has made the perfect bet right now. There's two binary options.

1) Trump continues on and gets the nomination
2) Trump flames out

If 1 happens, then it doesnt matter what Rand or any other candidate did. If 2 happens, Rand gets to be there to say "I was the one who warned you and told you the truth".

There is not a scenario in our current political scheme where Rand and Trump end up tied for the nomination and any of this is Rand's undoing at the end.

 

[acptulsa]

I know right? You don't defeat Hannibal by fighting him, the Romans learned that pretty well.

I really wish Rand would take a firm stance on the border.

Rand clearly doesn't understand why Trump is leading, and this strategy will only hurt him more. Disenfranchised voters view Trump as the anti-establishment candidate, and those who attack his as establishment insiders.

This is going to just hurt Rand more, attacking trump just makes him look like an establishment type. The voters dont know Rand well yet he needs to sell himself more!

Rand, you're not ready for prime time.

Let me get this straight. CNN tosses out some wild assed speculation on what Rand Paul might do based on--well, exactly nothing--and just like clockwork, his campaign is written off on his own website within twenty minutes?

LOL

Get a life, guys. Get out of mama's basement.

That simply isn't true. The power Trump supposedly speaks truth to are the Washington elite. Trump is a rent-seeking businessman, but he is not a Washington insider. Not only that, he's turned his rent-seeking status to his advantage to buttress his anti-establishment image. Attacking him makes whoever does it look like an establishment hack.

What part of those who pay Congress to do their bidding are as much a part of the establishment as the Congresspeople who take those bribes is too adult a concept for you? In your world, it seems that K St. lobbyists aren't insiders either. K St. lobbyists are pretty much the definition of insiders, bud, in the minds of intelligent, sane people. And without the people who use their services--people like Trump--they wouldn't even exist.

 

[klamath]

Other than immigration, Trump supporters don't vote for him because of his positions. They support him because he's viewed as an anti-establishment outsider, speaking truth to power and shattering mainstream narratives. The anti-establishment vote that Trump has monopolized is exactly thevote that Rand needs to court. The voters that can't stand Trump are primarily the neocons and the Republican old guard, who won't vote for Rand in a primary.

Then it is a failed strategy. The 70% WILL prevail in the end.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

I'd take them seriously if they didnt support Trump.

You're being a fool not listening to what these people are saying. Perhaps they can help you identify the weaknesses in Rand's strategy. A couple of them were former Rand supporters

 

[klamath]

Some comments from the Daily Caller:

I would say these are the same people posting here. They attack Rand and quit supporting him for a few positions they disagreed on but give Trump a pass for almost all of his positions that are horrible. If that is the kind of supporter Rand has to rely on fuck it. Mix of racist neocons.

 

[erowe1]

I really wish Rand would take a firm stance on the border.

He does take a firm stance of expanding legal immigration.

 

[maxoutco]

Tonight, one of the main topics is foreign policy. Rand's opposing view to the majority of the party will put the spotlight on him. With so many candidates and being at the end, it might be the only minute he gets??? Hopefully, he has a rebuttal that not only is sound, but rallies the party. Rand needs to pull a Fiorina.

Bash Hillary Clinton hard on the head. (Rally the Base)
Hold a firm clear stance on foreign policy as a dove and give implications of going to war (Strong Position)
Reestablish Trump's ties to the Clinton's. (Attack the Front Runners Again)

 

[angelatc]

Rand's favorable ratings and poll numbers went down drastically after his performance in his first debate. So now Rand wants to double down on the same losing strategy? How is that smart? He just needs to let voters know what he's for and try to come across as more likable to voters. Voters don't want to vote for someone who does nothing but constantly attack the other candidates. And I say that as someone who despises Trump too, but going out of his way to attack Trump will do nothing but backfire.

I agree. Trump is either going to blindside us all and walk into the general with overwhelming victory or he is going to implode. I am betting the latter.

Think about the politicians that insulted Ron Paul in 2007. We are STILL mad about that. No way would we ever choose to support any of those guys. That is what is going to happen here. Paul is not going to win any support away from Trump by attacking Trump. When Trump implodes, his supporters will not suddenly realize that Rand was right. They're still going to hate him.

Rand would be better off talking about things they agree on, coming off as the sane alternative to Trump.

 

[angelatc]

I didn't realize that favoring mandatory GMO labeling is a key component of Ron's legacy

It isn't. This is the liberal infiltration into the liberty movement. In 2007 we all agreed that there should not be laws mandating potential allergens on food labels. Now we have our own loud band of left wing nuts who want GMO labeling, even though there isn't a single scientific reason for it.

They can't care about the upward pressure on the price of food as a result, they certainly don't care that it is a call for big government intervention, and no way do they care that they are being used as shills for the multi-billion dollar fraud industry that is called "organic."

Nope. They WAAAAAANNNNNT it, so piss off, you poor people, and fuck the free market.

 

[BenMuldowney]

Other than immigration, Trump supporters don't vote for him because of his positions. They support him because he's viewed as an anti-establishment outsider, speaking truth to power and shattering mainstream narratives. The anti-establishment vote that Trump has monopolized is exactly thevote that Rand needs to court. The voters that can't stand Trump are primarily the neocons and the Republican old guard, who won't vote for Rand in a primary.

at least one person on this board gets it. now tell me... WHO IN THE HELL IS ADVISING RAND? i love ron and rand but for the life of me i think they choose absolutely the worst campaign staffs. all rand had to do in the beginning was politely say he disagrees with trump on certain issues but play up their common ground of anti establishment. the time to go in for the kill would be near the end IF THEY ARE CLOSE!!!

what bothers me so much now is that rand doesnt see this and is doubling down on a losing strategy. i think the gop heirarchy pushed so many candidates into running to "water down" rand and it worked... but rand also killed his candidacy.

 

[BenMuldowney]

Tonight, one of the main topics is foreign policy. Rand's opposing view to the majority of the party will put the spotlight on him. With so many candidates and being at the end, it might be the only minute he gets??? Hopefully, he has a rebuttal that not only is sound, but rallies the party. Rand needs to pull a Fiorina.

Bash Hillary Clinton hard on the head. (Rally the Base)
Hold a firm clear stance on foreign policy as a dove and give implications of going to war (Strong Position)
Reestablish Trump's ties to the Clinton's. (Attack the Front Runners Again)

LOL.. pull a fiorina? you mean parrot neocon talking points in a debate that no one watched and then let the msm pretend she was this fascinating new voice?

 

[klamath]

at least one person on this board gets it. now tell me... WHO IN THE HELL IS ADVISING RAND? i love ron and rand but for the life of me i think they choose absolutely the worst campaign staffs. all rand had to do in the beginning was politely say he disagrees with trump on certain issues but play up their common ground of anti establishment. the time to go in for the kill would be near the end IF THEY ARE CLOSE!!!

what bothers me so much now is that rand doesnt see this and is doubling down on a losing strategy. i think the gop heirarchy pushed so many candidates into running to "water down" rand and it worked... but rand also killed his candidacy.

ISUS killed his candidacy. No other reason.

 

[BenMuldowney]

ISUS killed his candidacy. No other reason.

isus? huh? ok, i'll bite... explain.

 

[CPUd]

His candidacy is alive and well.

 

[jkob]

Can't imagine this is a good idea, go after somebody else like Jeb or something. It's not punching down when they're A)still ahead of you in the polls B)represent the GOP establishment. Trump is just going to insult and mock Rand, make him look like a total joke and nobody is going to defend him because he's a woman. Expect Trump to call him a hobbit or something height related. I guess it is a desperation ploy at this point, no other way to get attention but voters will be able to tell that and I don't think that is something they really like all to much. Never wrestle with a pig, this is EXACTLY what Trump wants.

 

[BenMuldowney]

His candidacy is alive and well.

what are his most current polling numbers?

 

[klamath]

isus? huh? ok, i'll bite... explain.

The republican electorate went from being sick of the ME wars back to kicking muslim ass. Even story of American aid workers being raped and murdered, women sold as sex slaves to ISUS fighters and Christian heads being cut off, pounded another nail into noninterventism. It was very well known that rand was moving toward interventism only to get elected and would govern far more noninterventist and the republican electorate wanted nothing of that.

 

[freejack]

All of this.

Rand has made the perfect bet right now. There's two binary options.

1) Trump continues on and gets the nomination
2) Trump flames out

If 1 happens, then it doesnt matter what Rand or any other candidate did. If 2 happens, Rand gets to be there to say "I was the one who warned you and told you the truth".

There is not a scenario in our current political scheme where Rand and Trump end up tied for the nomination and any of this is Rand's undoing at the end.

This. If you've spoken to Trump supporters you'll realize they are beyond reason. Rand is definitely relying on scenario 2 and if things play out that way, he stands to benefit the most from Trump's downfall.

 

[jllundqu]

The GOP fucked us royally last time. They have become obsessed with white-identity politics and low information bullshit. The average GOP voter doesn't have an IQ greater than their shoesize.

This country doesn't deserve Rand.

 

[maxoutco]

Fiorina bla bla bla

LOL.. pull a fiorina? you mean parrot neocon talking points in a debate that no one watched and then let the msm pretend she was this fascinating new voice?

You can poopoo Fiorina because you disagree with her, which I did also, but she hit it with the party base, hence the rise in the polls. Maybe it was all fluff from the MSM, maybe not, but you have to look at what garnered the attention she didn't have before.