The truth about Rand's meetings with neocons McConnell and Bill Kristol

[Matt Collins]

Now that this is public I can discuss such things as Jack Hunter has just written about.....

Rand’s professorial nature comes through at surprising times. When a major donor requested that Rand visit a few contacts in Washington, D.C.—including Weekly Standard editor William Kristol—some of his libertarian supporters shrieked that the candidate had crossed over to the dark side. In fact, as one campaign staffer told me, most of the conversation centered on Rand trying to explain to Kristol why the neoconservative policy toward Israel was irrational. Kristol tolerated Rand for a bit but eventually left the candidate with an assistant. Rand then visited the Cato Institute and made a few other stops that day, never thinking his meeting with Kristol was particularly controversial until worried supporters said otherwise.

Although Rand’s primary campaign had been a war on the Republican establishment as much as on the Democrats, partisanship can sometimes be useful. After the primary, Senator McConnell made peace with the Paul camp, and one campaign staffer relates the story that McConnell told Rand he could cause as much trouble as he liked once he got to the Senate—but he’d better get there. As minority leader, Kentucky’s senior senator had a personal stake in seeing as many GOP Senate nominees as possible succeed.


Rand would occasionally talk to McConnell by phone on the campaign trail, always politely thanking the senator for his electoral advice, which would typically be followed. But that was where their alliance ended. Even so, many of Paul’s libertarian and Tea Party supporters cringed at the very thought of their candidate receiving help from—or worse, making public appearances with—arguably the most establishment Republican of them all.



Rand took help wherever he could get it. Tactical advice certainly couldn’t hurt, and as Rand would admit, he’s simply not a natural campaigner. He does it well, and obviously successfully, but he is a thinker more than a strategist, not unlike his father. His demeanor is overtly rational and says much about who he is and how he campaigns: he starts conversations with the intention of having a civil discussion.

SOURCE:
http://www.amconmag.com/blog/senator-tea-party/


I wish I could've shared all of this earlier but all of this was told to me in confidence. Those that trusted myself, other Rand supporters, and especially Rand himself, during the campaign hopefully realize that Rand is indeed the real deal and we were not supporting him for non-philosophical reasons. I would not support someone whom I didn't agree with, even if their last name was Paul. During campaigns though one cannot share everything that one knows, especially in a public forum.


Jack is also the guy who told me that he had analyzed both Ron and Rand's writings, speeches, and platforms, and there isn't really a dimes worth of difference between them.

 

[BamaFanNKy]

Matt, Thanks for giving us a glimpse from the inside. Your work with the help of a 'few of your friends' has given me such pride in my new Senator. I don't know how to repay you for you planning and strategy in getting him elected.

#
Matt Collins writes
November 30th, 2010 12:27 pm

The plan to defeat the Senator known as “Bailout Bob” Corker has already been drawn up and is in fact in the works. If I can get Rand Paul elected in KY (with the help of a few friends) then I can also ensure that Senator Corker is defeated.

2011 is going to be a pivotal year.
Source: http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2010/11/30/still-a-12-tea-target/

 

[Matt Collins]

This part is important too:

Despite his characteristically blunt logic, Rand has a knack for customizing sophisticated libertarian and conservative ideas for mainstream audiences accustomed to more conventional Republican rhetoric. His talent in this regard served him particularly well in foreign-policy discussions. At one campaign stop, a man asked the candidate about his views on Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Rand answered: “I think the most important thing we do with the federal government is our national defense, bar none, but then I think it’s open to debate what is in our national defense. The problem with Afghanistan is that we’ve now been there ten years, and the question is, ‘is ten years long enough?’”


This didn’t seem controversial to the questioner, and Rand would strike much the same tone throughout the campaign. Where his father might denounce American empire, Rand asks whether the U.S. really needs hundreds of military bases around the globe. Where Ron might have called for immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan, Rand says that we need to have a national debate on the war and questions whether nation-building is truly conservative. Ron liked to comment on the immorality of U.S. foreign policy. Rand prefers to say we can’t afford it.

 

[Matt Collins]

Matt, Thanks for giving us a glimpse from the inside. Your work with the help of a 'few of your friends' has given me such pride in my new Senator. I don't know how to repay you for you planning and strategy in getting him elected.

Anytime man, anytime

 

[Sola_Fide]

You are the legend Collins.

Thanks for the post.

 

[MRoCkEd]

Amazing, amazing.

 

[FSP-Rebel]

I think it was the purists among us that had the most problem with Rand going into stealth mode and refusing to accept how he had to repackage his liberty rhetoric to pull through in the primary, and subsequently the general. Politics is politics and I want to add to the hi5s aimed at the Collins and his hard work to make modern history as well as everyone else here and on the ground in KY.

 

[NewRightLibertarian]

It was pretty obvious from how he was attacked from every conceivable angle after he won the nomination that he was the real deal, in my opinion. I cannot wait until he makes it to the senate!

 

[Aratus]

we've got roughly a month and a half until november's newbie freshmen are january sworn in!!!

 

[sailingaway]

major donor?

nevermind....

 

[BamaFanNKy]

Matt, Thanks for giving us a glimpse from the inside. Your work with the help of a 'few of your friends' has given me such pride in my new Senator. I don't know how to repay you for you planning and strategy in getting him elected.

 

[bobbyw24]

So, Allison Gibbs was wrong when she yelled that "Rand is a Warmonger" at the Liberty Summit in Orlando in August???

 

[Matt Collins]

I think it was the purists among us that had the most problem with Rand going into stealth mode and refusing to accept how he had to repackage his liberty rhetoric to pull through in the primary, and subsequently the general.

Well, I admit, if I didn't know Rand personally, and if I had not known him prior to his run, I too probably would've been very leery and skeptical, if not outright cynical about him. I would like to think I would've eventually come around to realizing what is now obvious, that Rand indeed is one of us. But trust me when I tell you there were some very serious and well known heavyweights in the movement that shared their concerns with me about Rand's perceived stances, Jack being one of them (he mentions that briefly in the article).

But the honest truth is that it's largely dumb luck that I happen to live about an hour away from Rand. If I was still living full time in Florida, I would not have been as involved for sure, and thus my thoughts about Rand, at least as the campaign progressed, may not have been as strong. So I don't fault anyone for being skeptical about Rand's liberty credentials because he couldn't speak like his father could and still win the election. But for those who were willing to read between the lines, and do an honest comparison, it became increasingly obvious that Rand and Ron are virtually the same.

Just because someone is related to Ron should not give them a free pass to avoid inspection and philosophical scrutiny however. In fact I'm trying to groom Duncan to run for President in a few decades. Duncan and I have similar tastes in music


And thanks for your kind words BTW.

 

[Matt Collins]

So, Allison Gibbs was wrong when she yelled that "Rand is a Warmonger" at the Liberty Summit in Orlando in August???

I don't remember that. Of course my attention was elsewhere that evening

and LOL at BamaFan replying to his own post trying to get attention at his poorly made and deconstructive point.

 

[RonPaulFanInGA]

So, Allison Gibbs was wrong when she yelled that "Rand is a Warmonger" at the Liberty Summit in Orlando in August???

Some peoples' delicate sensibilities are offended quite easily. I think the 'purists' wouldn't have liked Rand Paul unless he went on television and purposefully killed his chances with a screed about a "war for oil" and how methamphetamine should be legal.

 

[acptulsa]

Well, anyone who says the new junior Senator from Kentucky shouldn't even talk to the senior Senator from Kentucky is not only unrealistic, but much too worried about their ability to rub off on others. After all, Rand's dad has been up there in the House for a couple of decades, and he has managed to walk right through the valley of the shadow of death without any evil rubbing off on him.

 

[sailingaway]

From Jack's article:

Although Rand’s primary campaign had been a war on the Republican establishment as much as on the Democrats, partisanship can sometimes be useful. After the primary, Senator McConnell made peace with the Paul camp, and one campaign staffer relates the story that McConnell told Rand he could cause as much trouble as he liked once he got to the Senate—but he’d better get there. As minority leader, Kentucky’s senior senator had a personal stake in seeing as many GOP Senate nominees as possible succeed.

There you go, Mitch!

Rand's done his part!

 

[BamaFanNKy]

and LOL at BamaFan replying to his own post trying to get attention at his poorly made and deconstructive point.

LOL at "The Collins" being a "Look at me" persona on this board. Dude, you never were on staff or in the inner circle and neither was I. Stop trying (as you did on a Nashville website) to make it look like you were on staff. It's hard to take you seriously when you do crap like that.

#
Matt Collins writes
November 30th, 2010 1:52 pm

@Mark – I no longer speak directly for Rand and haven’t since the primary back in May, but this issue does not involve him, it’s just that simple.

As for everything else, give it a little bit of time, and see what happens.

YOU NEVER SPOKE FOR RAND! Stop it man. Just stop. It's embarrassing.

 

[Matt Collins]

LOL at "The Collins" being a "Look at me" persona on this board. Dude, you never were on staff or in the inner circle and neither was I. Stop trying (as you did on a Nashville website) to make it look like you were on staff. It's hard to take you seriously when you do crap like that.

YOU NEVER SPOKE FOR RAND! Stop it man. Just stop. It's embarrassing.

Your ignorance is showing

 

[BamaFanNKy]

Your ignorance is showing

So you are saying you were hired by the campaign and they left you off FEC reports? Also, that you were in a role as a spokesperson? Seriously, Matt.... if so, correct me. If not, pretending you were a paid staffer on here is fine but, don't go to other sites and say you 'haven't spoke for Rand since the primary' if you never did.

Call me ignorant but, we both know that I'm not 'in the dark' when it came to who was on staff.