Rand Paul to GOP: Our voter ID push is “offending people”

[nayjevin]

Relevant MSNBC video, not sure if already posted.



Thread discussing Rand's minority outreach comments:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...sion-of-Rand-Paul-s-minority-outreach-efforts

 

[GunnyFreedom]

You don't have to worry about that

Thank God.

 

[Brett85]

I have a lot of trust in Rands political prowess.

I don't know. If Rand can win the GOP nomination running on a liberal/progressive platform, I'll be stunned.

 

[69360]

I don't see very many Conservatives thinking: "I like Rand Paul, but I won't vote for him because voter IDs!"

I think that's about right.

I think people should show ID before voting, but if Rand is going with this whatever.

 

[Brett85]

I'm still hoping that Rand walks back this statement and issues an apology for saying this. This was an offensive comment.

 

[specsaregood]

I'm still hoping that Rand walks back this statement and issues an apology for saying this. This was an offensive comment.

Exactly which part of what statement do you find offensive?

 

[Mr.NoSmile]

I'm still hoping that Rand walks back this statement and issues an apology for saying this. This was an offensive comment.

To who?

 

[Crashland]

I think maybe you shouldn't be quick to judge if you haven't had a meeting with black pastors to discuss this issue. Just saying.

 

[familydog]

83% of voters support voter ID laws, including 72% of Democrats.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journa...-of-touch-on-voter-id-laws-83-percent-approve

For what it's worth, polling doesn't necessarily reveal passion for the subject. A majority of Pennsylvanians support the voter ID law that passed in 2012. However, it was overturned by a state judge this year and the conservative Republican governor decided against an appeal. There is just not enough passion about it here that would warrant any further action. It certainly won't hurt Rand in the primary here.

 

[NIU Students for Liberty]

Please. Voter ID is not going to destroy Rand Paul, even in a Republican primary.

If anything, it's going to be: "I like Rand on everything except foreign policy."

 

[Brett85]

Exactly which part of what statement do you find offensive?

If voter ID laws "offend" blacks, then I believe that Rand's comments were offensive towards Republicans and Republican state legislators, because it implies that there's a racist motive behind voter ID laws.

 

[Crashland]

If voter ID laws "offend" blacks, then I believe that it's offensive towards Republicans and Republican state legislators, because it implies that there's a racist motive behind voter ID laws.

Not necessarily. They could be offended because there is a racial outcome, or because they feel it disenfranchises people, or because of the tone. Unless you were in that room, or if you speak to black leaders about this you can't just assume why they find it offensive.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Please. Voter ID is not going to destroy Rand Paul, even in a Republican primary.

If anything, it's going to be: "I like Rand on everything except foreign policy."

I promise you that it's a big enough deal in NC to win or lose contingent on this one policy.

 

[Crashland]

Rand's strategy is certainly different -- he is basically running for the primary by trying to sell his ability to form a coalition to win the general. He is separating himself from "unelectable conservatives" and "milquetoast moderates". This falls right into that, but I think he needs to clarify more. He has not said anything about policy, only about the tone or the vigor that we pursue voter ID laws. I hope he addresses this further at his speech to the NAACP.

 

[carlton]

Rand's strategy is certainly different -- he is basically running for the primary by trying to sell his ability to form a coalition to win the general. He is separating himself from "unelectable conservatives" and "milquetoast moderates". This falls right into that, but I think he needs to clarify more. He has not said anything about policy, only about the tone or the vigor that we pursue voter ID laws. I hope he addresses this further at his speech to the NAACP.

This. I think Rand knows something or has worked something out in the smokey backroom because his efforts now are overt appeals to the establishment rather than the base. Perhaps there is an agreement with some GOPe figures that if Rand can show his ability to coalition build and expand to more than a niche following he will be the one who will be "picked."

 

[MelissaWV]

Is he saying the push offends people, or is he saying that the pushy response to people claiming they are offended is silly? In other words, 100+ post thread, is he saying this really shouldn't be a big deal?

In fact, later on in the OP's article it discusses the much larger issue of potentially reinstating convicted felons' voting rights.

 

[francisco]

Rand's strategy is certainly different -- he is basically running for the primary by trying to sell his ability to form a coalition to win the general. He is separating himself from "unelectable conservatives" and "milquetoast moderates"...

Well said.

My only wish would be for Rand to make explicit this strategy, and point out to every audience that "Freedom brings us Together"

 

[Matt Collins]

I promise you that it's a big enough deal in NC to win or lose contingent on this one policy.

Link to polling data?

 

[nayjevin]

Link to polling data?

Matt, stop pestering Gunny. You aren't really interested in changing your opinion. And Gunny already recognizes that hard facts are necessary to form a valid conclusion. Your request would be valid if you planned to take action based on the link that Gunny might provide, but obviously you're trying to trap here. The least you can do is try to make an effort to frame the same request more like,

'That goes against what I think I know and it is truly relevant to me to find out that my assumptions may be wrong. Is this based on impression from talking to people or an actual survey?'

 

[Brett85]

It's not just this one thing that's making grassroots conservatives mad. If it were just this it wouldn't be any big deal, at least to me. But there's now a pattern emerging with Rand's recent comments on abortion, Obamacare, and now this. It's just my view that he must just have really bad political advisors.