Rand Paul: Partisan Primaries Are ‘Biggest Obstacle’ to Attracting Nonpartisan Voters

[NACBA]

Rand Paul: Partisan Primaries Are ‘Biggest Obstacle’ to Attracting Nonpartisan Voters

You know, I think there is a great deal of possibility for any candidate who can get out of either party, that doesn’t neatly fit in either party’s mold. So I think if you had a Democrat unusual enough to get through the primary system but to appeal to people outside of the Democrat mold, they could do well. Same goes for a Republican. And I’ll often tell people that a plurality of Americans now no longer consider themselves either Republicans or Democrats, so if you’re a Republican and wanted to get Bill Maher’s vote, it’s probably a difficult sell, but the fact that he’s open and willing because he’s frustrated with both sides, I think is emblematic of a lot of people, particularly young people. I don’t think they’re wedded to one party or the other, and so I think the biggest obstacle to somebody coming out that could attract people from the middle is getting through the primary system, because you’ve got to get through a primary system that, on both sides, you know, sort of demands ideological purity, and then if someone is outside of those bounds, it’s more difficult to get through the primary system.

http://ivn.us/2014/11/21/rand-paul-...utm_content=title&utm_campaign=opt-beta-v-1-1

 

[philipped]

Much has been said this month, both by and about the junior Republican senator from Kentucky, Rand Paul. During last week’s appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, the late-night talk show host broached the possibility of supporting Paul in a 2016 presidential run. Maher said:

“I know you’re thinking of running for President and in some states I know you can get Independents like me. I’ve said that. I am available to the Rand Paul campaign…”
As part of a strategy to reach outside of typical Republican circles, Paul did another interview with Salon.com’s Joel Keller, which was published Thursday.

In the interview, Paul shared what he believed to be the “biggest obstacle” to reaching out to voters outside of the traditional Republican base – the partisan primary.

From the interview with Keller:

You know, I think there is a great deal of possibility for any candidate who can get out of either party, that doesn’t neatly fit in either party’s mold. So I think if you had a Democrat unusual enough to get through the primary system but to appeal to people outside of the Democrat mold, they could do well. Same goes for a Republican. And I’ll often tell people that a plurality of Americans now no longer consider themselves either Republicans or Democrats, so if you’re a Republican and wanted to get Bill Maher’s vote, it’s probably a difficult sell, but the fact that he’s open and willing because he’s frustrated with both sides, I think is emblematic of a lot of people, particularly young people. I don’t think they’re wedded to one party or the other, and so I think the biggest obstacle to somebody coming out that could attract people from the middle is getting through the primary system, because you’ve got to get through a primary system that, on both sides, you know, sort of demands ideological purity, and then if someone is outside of those bounds, it’s more difficult to get through the primary system.
While assessing the field for a 2016 presidential run, it’s clear Senator Paul has a sense that voters are dissatisfied with both the Democratic and Republican parties. A Gallup Poll released last week showed Americans’ favorability of the Democratic Party dropped 6 percentage points to a record low of 36 percent. Meanwhile, approval for the Republican Party is at 42 percent and in Gallup’s terms, has yet to make “significant progress in improving its image among the U.S. population.”

Paul continued:

But if you do, I’m convinced — and basically the pitch I give to people is, look, you want somebody that reaches beyond the bounds of the Republican Party because that’s how you win general elections. So I think there’s an argument to be made even in a primary that you want somebody who can reach beyond the typical boundaries of party. And frankly for us as the Republican Party, I think the demographics of the country are such that if the trend lines of our lack of ability to get African-American votes and our decreasing ability to get Hispanic votes, if those trend lines continue, I think we won’t be able to win presidential elections, period. So I’m doing a lot of things, I’m doing, not only because I think the issues are right and I believe them, but I also believe in the electoral success that whoever runs or whoever is our nominee for president will have to be someone who disrupts the normal demographic voting patterns.
Even in spite of the hurdles partisan primaries hold for Senator Paul, he appears determined to build a coalition of support that crosses party lines. What remains to be seen is whether or not this approach will result in the nomination or a spot on the do not call list.

http://ivn.us/2014/11/21/rand-paul-...utm_content=title&utm_campaign=opt-beta-v-1-1

 

[philipped]

Rand is fully aware of the fact that by 2016 a confirmed MAJORITY of people will not identify with Republican or Democrat. He understands a primary will remain to be a muscle flexing contest to see who's the most conservative, but Rand will take that debate stage and make the case to CORE REPUBLICAN VOTERS that I'm not going to move to the center to stand a fighting chance with a Democrat. Rand Paul does not need to, he's spent all of 2013 and 14 showing that where he is can become a pinpoint to create a new middle within the GOP so to speak.
Rand will be going out there against a Democrat to reformulate the argument and re draw the terms for the everyone paying attention & specifically for the low-info voter. The lack of adherence to the constitution is over. The era of borrowing to spend more than we even consume is no more. If you think as a leader, sending our troops and resources without a declaration of war, approval from congress, no exit strategy and an unlimited potential tab is going to fly..............then by golly the people may not think of you carrying that "New car smell" as our incumbent POTUS described what the 2016 candidate should embody.

 

[RandallFan]

Romney and McCain were not too conservative.

Rand's on the wrong side of this issue. While Illegal driver cards were blocked and weed made legal, open primaries rejected in Oregon:

http://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Open_Primary_Initiative,_Measure_90_(2014)

Votes	Percentage

[TH="colspan: 5"]Oregon Measure 90[/TH]

[TD="colspan: 2"]Result[/TD]

[TD="colspan: 2"] No [/TD]
[TD="align: right"] 905,570 [/TD]
[TD="align: right"] 68.2% [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 2"]Yes[/TD]
[TD="align: right"] 422,237[/TD]
[TD="align: right"] 31.8%
[/TD]

Politically active people are the ones who will vote in primaries regardless. The blacks who voted for Thad Cochran were mostly liberal Democrats who align with Al Sharpton. They weren't open minded voters.

The measure would have implemented a top-two style open primary system. In a top-two open primary, candidates for a government position run on the same primary ballot regardless of party affiliation.

http://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_Top-Two_Primary_Initiative,_Proposition_121_(2012)

Votes	Percentage

[TH="colspan: 5"]Arizona Proposition 121[/TH]

[TD="colspan: 2"]Result[/TD]

[TD="colspan: 2"] No [/TD]
[TD="align: right"] 1,340,286 [/TD]
[TD="align: right"] 67% [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 2"]Yes[/TD]
[TD="align: right"] 662,366[/TD]
[TD="align: right"] 33%
[/TD]

So Rand Paul agrees we should try to end Rohrabacher, McClintock and Chris McDaniel's careers?

This will not win him votes and attacking Rand on pushing California style primaries will hurt him.

Dave Brat is probably the only good guy who emerged by fluke out of a system where voters crossed over. Cantor tried to save Dick Lugar against Dick Mourdock with outside voters. Cochran used it.

You only have to appeal to others voters in the general.

Whatever the motivation is the idea of open primaries is to get rid of conservatives and let the RINO get democrats to crossover.

Was he with Thad Cochran and Haley Barbour when he made this announcement?


There's no point having 100,000 Republicans vote for one guy, 90,000 vote for the other guy and 20,000 Democrats cross over to vote for the less conservative candidate.

Rand could have been screwed over in 2010 if the RINOS were able to get enough black and liberal voters to crossover.

They would probably do so because it appears Kentucky will only elect GOP Senators from now on so they will go for the RINO candidate. They thought liberal Conway was going to be competitive with Rand so no appeal to beating him in the primary at that time.

There's no point having primaries if they are non partisan.

The unions and Democrats went into primaries in Alabama to try to knock out conservatives as well.

Vance McAllister campaigned with a black liberal Democrat to promise to fix not repeal Obamacare. Luckily he is gone now. The Louisiana delegation, California and Washington delegations are filled with RINOS.

Look at the scumbags in GOP house leadership. Only Boehner will get primaried. McMorris-Rodgers, Scalise and McCarthy will never lose a primary because they can just recruit Democrats to vote in the open primary or the runoff.

 

[Okaloosa]

As far as growing the party I'm supportive having a primary model like in New Hampshire where Republicans and Democrats can vote in their respective primary, but Independents can decide to participate in the primary of their choosing. This will bring more people into the fold that can help in a general but denies your competition from beating you in a primary.

 

[FriedChicken]

As far as growing the party I'm supportive having a primary model like in New Hampshire where Republicans and Democrats can vote in their respective primary, but Independents can decide to participate in the primary of their choosing. This will bring more people into the fold that can help in a general but denies your competition from beating you in a primary.

Why would anyone register for a party then? Wouldn't practically everyone want to be independent?

 

[newbitech]

Why would anyone register for a party then? Wouldn't practically everyone want to be independent?

They wouldn't and yes, and I think that is a good thing. I have never understood having to sign up for a "party" to be able to vote. It only began to make sense to me when I started to realize that is control mechanism that people in power have put into place to slant election results.

Primaries wouldn't be terrible if the media and state didn't huddle up together and decide who to include and who to exclude as "electable" candidates.

 

[RonPaulGeorge&Ringo]

Romney and McCain were not too conservative.

Rand's on the wrong side of this issue. While Illegal driver cards were blocked and weed made legal, open primaries rejected in Oregon:

http://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Open_Primary_Initiative,_Measure_90_(2014)



Politically active people are the ones who will vote in primaries regardless. The blacks who voted for Thad Cochran were mostly liberal Democrats who align with Al Sharpton. They weren't open minded voters.

You're confusing the Louisiana-style nonpartisan/omnipartisan "jungle primary", which was on the ballot in Oregon; with the partisan "open primary" used in Mississippi and Virginia.

 

[RandallFan]

You're confusing the Louisiana-style nonpartisan/omnipartisan "jungle primary", which was on the ballot in Oregon; with the partisan "open primary" used in Mississippi and Virginia.

The biggest supporters of less partisan primaries are flaming liberals Schumer and Bloomberg. Liberals calling themselves moderates because they are war mongerers.

It is the same effect whether it is May, June,etc. or November when the RINOs bring out the politically active liberal voters and politically active "independent" Bill Maher voters (who already lean one way) to vote against the Tea Party.

Bill Maher is a liberal who agrees with Obama on 90% of issues. Rand needs to find a better independent voter: say one that disagrees with his trade views, agrees with his weed views and agrees on his FP views and will vote for him. Rand should hammer Angus King and Bernie Sanders on claiming independent when Rand probably votes or would vote if they allowed all the amendments against his own caucus more.

RINOS will try to get Democrats to vote against the Tea Party in June or November.

The Jungle primary is even less partisan (higher turnout) than the "open primaries" and jungle primaries were rejected 2 to 1 by voters.

Is Rand seriously saying Romney and McCain were too conservative?

Nothing was conservative/ rightwing about Romney and McCain except war mongering; which Rand won't give a straight answer on.

 

[RonPaulGeorge&Ringo]

You still seem rather confused. You should consider proofreading your rants.

 

[RandallFan]

Rand is wrong and 67% of voters oppose him.

He is supporting indirectly want Cochran did which is not a good idea. Basically chasing liberal black Democrat votes in Mississippi and liberal votes from Bill Maher in California. Does he believe either state is in play?