Should Rand Paul attack Donald Trump when he asked what he thinks of him?

[thoughtomator]

There is no benefit to Rand in engaging with Trump. Trump is a flash in the pan and Rand stands as well as anyone to pick up the remains once the flash burns itself out.

 

[Wilf]

Rand is the one who left the populist vacuum for Trump to fill. He's the one at fault. You know how many posters in here told Rand to get on the ball months ago? Too many to count.

I do not think that Rand rose up to become a potential presidentional canadiate by suporting sterotypical conservatives positions, and I do not belive that he will gain any votes by opposing immigration.

 

[dude58677]

Rand is the one who left the populist vacuum for Trump to fill. He's the one at fault. You know how many posters in here told Rand to get on the ball months ago? Too many to count.

If Trump is not a flash in the pan as the post just above me then he needs to find a way to get back into the swing of things.

 

[RonPaulMall]

I do not think that Rand rose up to become a potential presidentional canadiate by suporting sterotypical conservatives positions, and I do not belive that he will gain any votes by opposing immigration.

You don't have to support "stereotypical conservative" positions to run a populist campaign. Dave Brat proved that a Liberty Candidate running under a populist banner is an unstoppable force of nature. Rand just failed to draw the proper lessons from that campaign.

 

[thoughtomator]

You don't have to support "stereotypical conservative" positions to run a populist campaign. Dave Brat proved that a Liberty Candidate running under a populist banner is an unstoppable force of nature. Rand just failed to draw the proper lessons from that campaign.

Indeed. Brat won in no small part on strident opposition to Cantor's aggressive immigration advocacy. Even Cantor saw the need to pretend to have a different policy position and actually also attempted to portray himself as anti-immigration (spent $1m on TV commercials promoting a blatantly false version of his own policies on that issue alone) once he started smelling trouble.

Trump went from nowhere to #1 on the basis on anti-immigration rhetoric. The feeling is out there, it is broad and it is deep. As it should be after so many years of regular Americans being thrown under the bus in the name of accommodating foreigners. H1-B visas are a good target too. People can't get jobs so more "jobs Americans won't do" rhetoric will merely outrage them further.

 

[eleganz]

The people here who react to temporary stars are no better than the very Republicans we claim are low information voters.

So if Lindsey Graham was at the top of the polls tomorrow, Rand should attack him too?

Let's be real guys. The Donald is a dirty fighter, he knows how to use the news cycle to his advantage, he goes low, lower than Rand would ever go. These guys could never win in a media fight against Trump, Trump will be the downfall of himself.

Besides, it isn't Rands personality to get in dirty fights anyways, why would you want him to change just so you feel self-gratification?

 

[dude58677]

The people here who react to temporary stars are no better than the very Republicans we claim are low information voters.

So if Lindsey Graham was at the top of the polls tomorrow, Rand should attack him too?

Let's be real guys.

All right.

 

[hells_unicorn]

As I've watched Trump's campaign unfold, I've become more and more convinced that Trump is literally trying to goad every single person running in the GOP into a fight with him so they can look stupid, and I'd say in the cases of Graham, Perry, Rubio, Bush, Jindal and Santorum he has accomplished this. Rand Paul should neither attack him, nor be complementary of him, but should simply state his views and try to rope in Trump's supporters once he messes up and his campaign implodes.

The best thing Rand can do right now is to do what he is doing, namely introducing legislation to address all of the issues that Trump is agitating for, so that when it's time for these people to pick their second choice, Rand will look compelling. Trump's antics will also have the dual effect of keeping the Neo-cons busy so that they won't be going after Rand, which they are probably still itching to do.

 

[RJB]

Right now he is taking votes away from everyone... Just chillax. Let Trump shake the trees and Rand will rake the leaves.

This. The hasn't even been a debate yet. Pretty much every contender led the pack at one time in 2012.

 

[EBounding]

"Should Rand Paul attack Donald Trump when he asked what he thinks of him?"

No. He should ignore the questions or give neutral deference. Trump has gone after everyone except Rand, Cruz and maybe Carson? But Trump is trolling the campaign. Do not feed the trolls.

If Rand is asked anything about Trump it will probably be something like, "Do you agree with Mr. Trump that illegal Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug runners?"

He should then point out that it's a loaded question and go on to say HOW he will secure the border. The how is important to voters.

 

[William R]

Paul raised tens of thousands of dollars through various donors, including real estate magnate Donald Trump, to help cover the Moran Eye Center’s trip costs.


http://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...a-to-conduct-charity-eye-surgeries-for-needy/

Rand is not going to attack Trump

 

[Chieppa1]

No. Ignore until he is engaged by Trump. Then just question his views, not him personally.

 

[dude58677]

No. Ignore until he is engaged by Trump. Then just question his views, not him personally.

This! Don't fire unless fired upon

 

[Jan2017]

Why ? To go along with Rubio or Muck Hickabee ?




Dr. Rand Paul with Sgt. Josh Yarbrough at Helping A Hero Golf Tournament http://www.helpingahero.org/



.

 

[r3volution 3.0]

As for the OP, no, Rand should not engage Trump. His entire candidacy - like reality TV - is built on nonsensical personal drama; it'd be foolish to add fuel to that fire. Gotta let it burn itself out; eventually his fickle fans will get bored and find some new shiny object to marvel at.

Both Trump and Paul thought the invasion of Iraq was a bad idea. They both don't like the Fed's manipulation of the money supply. You would think they would craft a temporary truce to take on Bush's goons.

Trump is for corporate bailouts, socialized medicine, eminent domain, confiscatory wealth taxes, gun control, and abortion - Rand isn't.

Rand's platform is about cutting $500 billion in spending, eliminating entire departments, Economic Freedom Zones, massive tax cuts, NSA reform, criminal justice reform, marijuana decriminalization - Trump's platform is "I'm like totally rich n awesome n stuff n Mexicans r scurry!!! (and I'm not going to change the status quo in any meaningful way)"

Trump's just the WWE-version of Bush.

He and Rand have nothing in common at all.

 

[aubonpain]

Rand chimed in a few days ago on The Donald.

“It could be the free billion dollars of publicity he has gotten by being on every channel all the time,” Paul said with a smirk. “This is going to happen throughout the campaign. It’s going to be a long year and a half, year process.”


He continued, “I think what you’re going to find is, is that many people will, once their ideas are put out to the public, are going to have a chance. Right now, one individual is getting that chance. But I think you’ll find that people are going to look at all of the candidates before making a decision.”

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/rand-paul-gets-pulled-the-trump-whirl

 

[Jan2017]

Trump. . . and Rand have nothing in common at all.

Well, Rand is of course a sitting United States Senator and Trump has never held office,
both are taking on the Washington Machine (Rand's language) and GOP establishment to a varying degree.
Trump is tapping into the immigration problem hard, Rand has said he'd want to enforce existing policy at least,
which would be enough certainly, but that apparently just is not hitting a nerve like The Donald who
definitely has drawn the largest crowds/media attention in either the GOP or Dimocrat (Bernie Sanders) campaigns.



Trump would have to do back somersault flip-flops on almost everything, an impossibility.
(That has already started, the jpg with a smiling Trump rifle in hand reminds me of Palin)
This youtube from 1999 in under 1½ minutes is gonna be hard to just explain away to GOP conservatives.



.

 

[r3volution 3.0]

Well, Rand is of course a sitting United States Senator and Trump has never held office,
both are taking on the Washington Machine (Rand's language) and GOP establishment to a varying degree.

I totally disagree.

Trump's supporters are mistaking his personal animosity towards some establishment figures for a rejection of establishment policies.

By way of analogy; if Lenin (in violation of party rules) called Trotsky an asshole in a public meeting, that wouldn't make Lenin an anti-communist., would it?

Trump is tapping into the immigration problem hard, Rand has said he'd want to enforce existing policy at least,
which would be enough certainly, but that apparently just is not hitting a nerve like The Donald who
definitely has drawn the largest crowds/media attention in either the GOP or Dimocrat (Bernie Sanders) campaigns.

There's no substantive difference between Trump's position on immigration (to the extent he even has a clear position) and most other GOPers'.

Build a fence? End sanctuary cities? That's old hat for most every GOPer.

So why is Trump having so much success if his actual policies are the same-old same-old?

It's his style; Mexicans are mostly criminals, I'm a tough guy and I'll push Mexico around, blah blah jingo jango.

That's all there is to the "Trump Phenomenon," IMO: dumb-dumb nationalism.

...put another way, Trump's base are the sort who wouldn't realize this is a spoof.

 

[69360]

No. Trump is not a serious candidate. You bring yourself down to his level by engaging him at all.

 

[FreedomProsperityPeace]

Rand needs to continue to make the case for himself as president. Keep putting out a positive message, detailed plans of action, and selling people on why he's the best choice. It's pretty early for everyone to be sniping at each other. The fact that it's happening reflects desperation by some to get on the debate stage.