Rand pulled out too early

[specsaregood]

I still don't understand why he would drop out just before NH....he could have stuck it out that long. He put altogether too much credence in the debates...this last one sounded like all they did was attack each other. He might have gotten in or even if not he could have done a rally, a YouTube, another online town hall...I don't think the debate would have mattered for him. I can't wrap my head around what he did...other than his ego could not swallow the fact that "the youth" did not vote for him...or something like that. I also believe the least he could have done is send out an email to his supporters, at least those who contributed financially to his campaign, explaining why he did this. I has left me with a bit of hesitation in ever thinking of supporting him for anything ever again...I'm not a quitter.

He said time and time again that he was running to win and if he didn't think he could win that he wouldn't be doing it. After IA, it became clear he couldn't win. It is as simple as that. Its not being a quitter, its called facing reality and moving on with your life.

 

[PCKY]

I believe Rand would've made the debate (he finished top 5 in the only national poll conducted after Iowa, and top 5 in an average of the last five national polls), but we'll never know because Rand made the absurd decision to suspend 36 hours before the debate lineup announcement.

In doing so, Rand let everyone in the liberty movement down - the week between Iowa and NH is the campaign. It's round-the-clock coverage for a week, and it leads to the 'final four' (or three). The focus is intense. Rand's campaign, the liberty movement's de facto mouthpiece, worked hard for a year+ only to suspend on the eve of when the spotlight is brightest. This week's exposure would've been the payoff for all that investment.

You're damn right he pulled out too early, and we all are suffering from blue balls as a result.

Rand made the strategically smart play. The youth vote never showed, the polls were accurate and he looked sad in NH, totally sad in SC and not real swell in Nevada. Assuming the polls are accurate and the youth vote is not there he was putting his KY campaign in jeopardy. I heard a Pikeville U political science professor say that she has heard people saying in her circles that there is a frustration in Ky that Rand only used us as a launch pad for a national campaign and really doesn't care about the Commonwealth or her citizens. He's got some damage control to do. If he wants to stay in politics, he's going to have to come home to Ky and assure us that he's our guy. The longer he floundered, the harder that becomes.

 

[squirl22]

He said time and time again that he was running to win and if he didn't think he could win that he wouldn't be doing it. After IA, it became clear he couldn't win

Actually, I don't agree with you on that. Iowa does not guarantee anything, win or lose. In some ways, NH is more important. If he had gone on to NH and did not do too well, then I could have accepted him dropping out a bit easier. It seems, his father didn't care about winning just getting the message out, and Rand seemed to care about winning and not so much about the message. Too bad...we can't have someone who cares about both. I do like Thomas Massey a lot....maybe he is a future potus candidate?

 

[r3volution 3.0]

I'll bet the same folks complaining about Rand dropping too early were complaining last time round about Ron leading them on with unrealistic hopes.

complainers gonna complain

 

[JJ2]

I don 't think it was ego driven. If the youth had made the shocking appearance that he had a strong campaign then he would have stayed. But they didn't. His campaign in IA was on track with the polls, and he landed where the polls placed him.
I think Mitch had him on somewhat of a short leash regarding his KY campaign. Mitch was fundraising for his Senate campaign and none too pleased if Rand was tilting at windmills on the national stage and then dropped the ball in KY.
I think Mitch called.

We're talking about 6 1/2 more days. That would have had no effect on the KY race.

 

[acptulsa]

My first thought on reading the thread title and seeing who started it, and who was posting in it, was, 'Oh, the irony.'

But I stand corrected...

duplicity not irony

As long as we allow the duplicity to rule us, what would be the point of the man running against the wind? I'm unclear on the concept.

What, exactly, is the purpose of this thread? Did someone suddenly wake up to the fact that there is now a plethora of erudite, intelligent, well spoken citizens who no longer have the slightest reason to refrain from pointing out the rather obvious fact that there isn't a single candidate for president that isn't a two bit, brainless, posturing, psychopathic, ignorant puppet? And that the media machine shoving them down our throats is nothing but the age old corporate agenda clamoring for a whiff of respectability and desperate to find a fresh way to appear to be relevant?

 

[gee_blee]

We're talking about 6 1/2 more days. That would have had no effect on the KY race.

Actually, we're talking about 36 more hours. I would've had little problem with him folding if he didn't make the debate.

If he made the debate (13+ million viewers), and even if he didn't (dozens of national TV interviews), he would've reached masses with the liberty message one final time this cycle.

Further, his folding the tent had nothing to do with his senate campaign. The best thing for his senate campaign would've been the national attention from sticking around for NH. And the election isn't until November - a ridiculous amount of time to work for the reelection.

Finally, this whole notion that he 'ran to win', and that as soon as he realized he wouldn't win he should drop out is absurd:

1) By that logic, he should've dropped out in August. No one with brain waves thought he could realistically emerge after that first debate and those polls. When the field is as large and deep as this one was, everyone is a long shot anyway, so if winning's his only goal then he stuck around six months too long.

2) If winning was his only goal, then why target fickle college students? Young voters are notoriously unreliable. The fact that he did target them leads me to believe that he was looking past this election and, if so, she should have stuck around for another week.

Makes no sense that he didn't.

 

[ChristianAnarchist]

LOL The inuendo of politi-speak is hilarious.

@7:40

Carlin was a very wise man. I only disagree with him in a few areas and I sorely miss his wit...

 

[Primordial]

Actually, we're talking about 36 more hours. I would've had little problem with him folding if he didn't make the debate.

If he made the debate (13+ million viewers), and even if he didn't (dozens of national TV interviews), he would've reached masses with the liberty message one final time this cycle.

Further, his folding the tent had nothing to do with his senate campaign. The best thing for his senate campaign would've been the national attention from sticking around for NH. And the election isn't until November - a ridiculous amount of time to work for the reelection.

Finally, this whole notion that he 'ran to win', and that as soon as he realized he wouldn't win he should drop out is absurd:

1) By that logic, he should've dropped out in August. No one with brain waves thought he could realistically emerge after that first debate and those polls. When the field is as large and deep as this one was, everyone is a long shot anyway, so if winning's his only goal then he stuck around six months too long.

2) If winning was his only goal, then why target fickle college students? Young voters are notoriously unreliable. The fact that he did target them leads me to believe that he was looking past this election and, if so, she should have stuck around for another week.

Makes no sense that he didn't.

I agree, now even Kasich has a chance according to the news hype of the day. I think it will be a close race until the end and Rand could still have had a few opportunities to gain momentum and at the very least bring the legitimate issues to the forefront.

NEW: Nearly half of GOP primary voters in preliminary New Hampshire exit poll results say they only decided within last few days.

https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/697180630413549569

 

[specsaregood]

Gotta laugh at the people that supposedly thought Randal had the judgement to be commander in chief and president of the united states; but don't think he has the proper judgement to decide when to end his campaign. lol.

 

[Antwan15]

He said time and time again that he was running to win and if he didn't think he could win that he wouldn't be doing it. After IA, it became clear he couldn't win. It is as simple as that. Its not being a quitter, its called facing reality and moving on with your life.

This is complete nonsense. Nothing what-so-ever is "clear" about this race. Rand himself has NO IDEA who will win this race. And I think YOU need face reality, we have a 19 trillion dollar national debt, the 10 year treasury is at 1.74, and the only person in the race who even had a chance of cutting ANY spending dropped without any rational reason. "Simple as that".

 

[misterx]

He has a senate campaign to focus on. I do think he should've stayed in through NH though. He had a legitimate chance at joining the top tier if he had.

 

[Joeinmo]

Gotta laugh at the people that supposedly thought Randal had the judgement to be commander in chief and president of the united states; but don't think he has the proper judgement to decide when to end his campaign. lol.

Its lack of money, not lack judgement...he could have stayed in but the money wasn't there and Rand doesn't do debt

 

[brandon]

Better than pulling out too late.

(Did anyone else already make this joke?)

 

[notsure]

That's what she said

 

[PCKY]

We're talking about 6 1/2 more days. That would have had no effect on the KY race.

His poor showing in IA may have already had an effect. He's fighting the narrative that Ky is just a fall back plan. If he had no chance in NH, why stay? The reality was that he just didn't capture the following. He has two primary opponents and assuming he wins that, he has a democrat to deal with.

 

[PCKY]

Actually, we're talking about 36 more hours. I would've had little problem with him folding if he didn't make the debate.

If he made the debate (13+ million viewers), and even if he didn't (dozens of national TV interviews), he would've reached masses with the liberty message one final time this cycle.

Further, his folding the tent had nothing to do with his senate campaign. The best thing for his senate campaign would've been the national attention from sticking around for NH. And the election isn't until November - a ridiculous amount of time to work for the reelection.

Finally, this whole notion that he 'ran to win', and that as soon as he realized he wouldn't win he should drop out is absurd:

1) By that logic, he should've dropped out in August. No one with brain waves thought he could realistically emerge after that first debate and those polls. When the field is as large and deep as this one was, everyone is a long shot anyway, so if winning's his only goal then he stuck around six months too long.

2) If winning was his only goal, then why target fickle college students? Young voters are notoriously unreliable. The fact that he did target them leads me to believe that he was looking past this election and, if so, she should have stuck around for another week.

Makes no sense that he didn't.

He has two primary opponents. The primary is in May. The youth vote (that Bernie seems to have captured) was the only group he had left. All the time he has spent over the last year away from the state has left Kentuckians with a bad taste in their mouth. He would have had to spend all his free time up until the Primary outside of the state. He would not have made the debate in NH. The coalition that he had would have made more sense in the general or if he had an independent canidacy.
Bernie is the new Ron Paul. Rand keeps the liberty narrative going best in the Senate.

 

[RJ Liberty]

Gotta laugh at the people that supposedly thought Randal had the judgement to be commander in chief and president of the united states; but don't think he has the proper judgement to decide when to end his campaign. lol.

^This. Rand knew he wasn't going to win, likely by October (when he was demoted by the GOP to being given closet space as his green room in debate prep). He realized it was time to focus on his Kentucky reelection campaign. It's a tactical move, and a smart one.

 

[CPUd]

He's fighting the narrative that Ky is just a fall back plan.

yep, case in point:

^This. Rand knew he wasn't going to win, likely by October (when he was demoted by the GOP to being given closet space as his green room in debate prep). He realized it was time to focus on his Kentucky reelection campaign. It's a tactical move, and a smart one.

 

[Mike4Freedom]

yep, case in point:

The fact that he finished top 5 in Iowa, but they were using polling in NH too. He realized they just change the rules to let people they want in (Kasich, Christie, Bush) and to exclude people they do not.