Randy & Andy Tag Team in 2016?

[Sentinelrv]

Randy & Andy.....I think that's a catchy name. Anyway, I was just wondering what the feeling on the forum would be toward both Rand Paul and Judge Andrew Napolitano running in 2016. I don't know how many people here know about it, but there is a campaign to draft the judge to run and it seems to me that it has been picking up steam lately. Here is the Facebook page for the campaign...

https://www.facebook.com/DraftJudgeNapolitanoForPresident

I've been watching this page and it has gained around 30,000 likes since January. That's much more than I expected it to get and it's only been three months. These guys running the campaign were at CPAC passing out info also. Adam Kokesh interviewed the guy in charge and he basically said that they want to convince the judge to run by building a grassroots base of support in every state and that if he did decide to throw his hat in the ring, he'd already have this base to draw support from. The interview is below...

What do you think about it though? I can see the benefits. The Judge is more like Ron Paul than Rand is, which will motivate a lot of us. It wouldn't be one liberty candidate against the establishment anymore. It would show our growing influence within the GOP. They could play off of each other in the debates and help shape the conversation. It would help make Rand Paul appear like the less extreme candidate, for those worried about too much change at one time. It would also help the judge gain more name recognition and popularity, so that if Rand did win the nomination, he could choose the Judge as his running mate. The only thing I worry about is vote dilution to the point that somebody like Rubio wins Iowa. That is unless the judge drops out at the last minute and endorses Rand. What do you think?

 

[Sentinelrv]

I think it's also good to mention that this campaign has been noticed by the judge and he seems to be guaging people's interest in a couple Facebook posts. The Judge posted this during CPAC...

"Uh oh! Spotted at CPAC... What do you think?"

And this a couple days later, linking to the campaign's Facebook page...

"You flatter me friends. Wouldn't you rather I just be your night watchman?"

His name was also mentioned by the announcer as having gotten support when revealing the straw poll results at CPAC.

 

[Article V]

It would be very smart for Judge Napolitano to run for the GOP nomination, then drop out to endorse Rand just before the Iowa primary. He'd have a hard time raising money, but the plethora of debates would be able to keep the Judge going long enough to influence and shape the national discussion (analogous to a 13hr filibuster that Judge Nap recommended Rand do!).

Look how much influence Herman Cain had in 2012. Cain single-handedly absorbed a huge segment of the Tea Party by posing as one of them, then ensured the Tea Party would not rally around Ron Paul by besmirching Dr. Paul's reputation, then demolished whatever credibility the Tea Party had left by making a complete mockery of his own Cain campaign--all while laughing at the People as he engaged in spectacular blunders, quoted Pokemon (in both his announcement and resignation speeches), proposed taxes based on the default settings of the SimCity video game, etc. Then, one month before the Iowa caucus, Cain drops out sending his supporters to re-align with Romney, Santorum, or Newt.

...Herman Cain was a Federal Reserve plant who never seriously was seeking the Presidency; he was a tool to steal Tea Party thunder and redirect it.

Let's learn from our opposition:

Draft Judge Nap (a face the GOP already knows and trusts thanks to Fox News) in the GOP primary to normalize Rand (Rand could never be called extreme with Judge Nap on stage, because Nap is far more libertarian than Rand) then have him shift his supporters to Rand when the time is right. By doing this, we'll steal the thunder and credibility of those who would attack Rand, then we'll be able to herd the mainstream GOP into the Rand tent.

 

[Sentinelrv]

Draft Judge Nap (a face the GOP already knows and trusts thanks to Fox News) in the GOP primary to normalize Rand (Rand could never be called extreme with Judge Nap on stage, because Nap is far more libertarian than Rand) then have him shift his supporters to Rand when the time is right. By doing this, we'll steal the thunder and credibility of those who would attack Rand, then we'll be able to herd the mainstream GOP into the Rand tent.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Rubio wouldn't be able to paint Rand as the extreme candidate as easily with the judge around. And there's always the odd chance that Napolitano might become really popular and steal the election, one can dream!

 

[The Gold Standard]

I would vote for that ticket. I would vote for the Judge over Rand for the top of the ticket as well.

 

[cocrehamster]

I would support the Judge and even donate to his campaign, it would be worth it just to see him in the debates. I'm still fully on board with Rand but as long as one drops out and backs the other before Iowa (most likely Judge dropping out and backing Rand) I think it would be beneficial. It almost seems like Rand might have more trouble getting support of some of the more skeptical Ron supporters than the mainstream republican types if he wins the nomination, I think a VP Judge would help with that, and having been in the debates would give him more name recognition.

 

[fisharmor]

Reverse the billing, and I'm on board.

 

[itshappening]

There's only one problem with this; The Judge probably has little interest in running for president, vice president or any other political office.

 

[V3n]

The Judge is a great guy; great writer; great media personality; great Judge.. but he has never held an Executive office.

He's a non-starter.

 

[Todd]

Hate to say it. But if it came down to it and those were the last two for the nomination, I'd vote for Napolitano on complete principles before Rand.

*holding my breath until someone says that Nap can't win. edit: ^ too late.

 

[erowe1]

I assume you mean support them for two different offices, right?

 

[Brett85]

I would only support the judge if he reversed his position on having completely open borders. If he keeps that position no one is going to take him seriously.

 

[jkob]

Napolitano is great but wouldn't add much to the ticket, would rather him serve in the cabinet. VP is an essentially powerless position unless something happens to the president so it's better to try to build bridges with the pick than to double down ideologically.

 

[Sola_Fide]

I would be behind getting the Judge in the primary debates for sure

 

[Article V]

The Judge is a great guy; great writer; great media personality; great Judge.. but he has never held an Executive office.

A judge is the executive in the courtroom, just like Cain and Trump are executives in the board room.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, NEVER HELD ANY EXECUTIVE OFFICE! Nor did John McCain.

Judge is not a non-starter. He certainly has more credibility in the law and governance than Cain or Trump both of whom received plenty of traction before they imploded themselves. Judge Nap could definitely help shape the early debates then bow out of the race at a strategic time.

 

[fisharmor]

The Judge is a great guy; great writer; great media personality; great Judge.. but he has never held an Executive office.

He's a non-starter.

And yet Herman Cain still got to be the front-runner for a month.

I would only support the judge if he reversed his position on having completely open borders. If he keeps that position no one is going to take him seriously.

It would be nice if there were people running for office who had principles, and were capable of defending those principles.
People who maybe were able to explain in ways we could all understand how he could be against FEMA when he represents a district on the Gulf Coast.
Or people who are able to change our minds on things like earmarks, or people who are able to convince us that our positions on militarism are inconsistent with the rule of law.

Ah, but I suppose that sort of person would be doomed to failure. He would command crowds multiple times the size of the front-runner, but lose the office. And all those people that got behind him would be told for years afterward online that their efforts, their passion, their enthusiasm for this man of principle were wasted, because he didn't get into office.

Maybe they wouldn't be told in those words, though. Maybe it would translate into "nobody takes this guy seriously". But maybe those newly awake people would take that at face value: Hey buddy, you're nobody, and so are the eight thousand college students you stood with. Get behind the establishment candidate, or remain nobody.

You know, the media has been saying that for about six years. Nice to know it's finally made its way here.

 

[V3n]

And yet Herman Cain still got to be the front-runner for a month.

Great example!! Thank you for helping me prove my point!

 

[Article V]

Napolitano is great but wouldn't add much to the ticket, would rather him serve in the cabinet. VP is an essentially powerless position unless something happens to the president so it's better to try to build bridges with the pick than to double down ideologically.

VP is a terrific mouthpiece. Judge Nap has proved himself to be a brilliant speaker and an exceptional conveyer of information to the public. Lots of people are qualified to be in a Cabinet, but Judge Nap is uniquely qualified to be an ambassador for liberty and a caretaker of liberty should the reins ever need a new hand.

I wouldn't be so quick to throw out the idea of Judge Nap as a VP. All polling shows VP does little to effect how voters ultimately vote, so pandering to an establishment GOP after you've already won the party nomination could potentially backfire in a general while added little upside. Judge Nap is a real conservative and can speak like the true Christian he is if the evangelicals ever need rallying.

VPs are also most likely to become President, followed by Governors and Secretaries of State. So there's no reason to pull a Reagan by pandering to Bush only to turn the reins over to progressive conservatives in 8 years. Better to pick a Judge Nap, then swap him into the Supreme Court later so that you can run with a new VP in 4 years when a better liberty candidate is apt for presidential grooming.

 

[FSP-Rebel]

I'd be wanting to hold the Judge off for a SCOTUS appointment, we seriously need someone with plenty of life left that is a true constitutionalist up there. Or better yet, Attorney General.

 

[Jordan Liberty]

Like others have been saying I would take the Judge over Rand, but Rand has already gotten traction within the GOP. Best case scenario: Rand as Prez, Judge as a Supreme Court justice.

EDIT: exactly what the fellow above me said. Justice or Attorney General would be great.