To be clear: Rand Paul is making the case that he is a new, different type of politician by using clips of TV pundits complimenting him.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) April 7, 2015
Not having a swift-off-the-blocks start, the Lesser Paul. Wonkette has a particularly fine review of the first-day lowlights:
Today was supposed to be Rand Paul’s Big Day, the one where he was able to say “look at me, DAD, I’m a big kid now, gonna be the president you never got to be!” Instead, he ended up just being Ron Paul’s pud-pulling fuck-up kid again. Let us count the ways Rand Paul is already a failure at running for president.
If Wonkette editors can proofread, so can Rand Paul
It is hard to words good on the internet! You have to measure twice and cut once, which in internet-land, is better described as reading the thing three times… [H]is website informed us that Paul “opposes a one-size-fits-all approach to eductation.” Apparently he likes a more creative solution, one that encourages Teaching The Controversy over whether correct spelling is even a thing. (In actuality, the HuffPost points out that Paul wants to get rid of the Department Of Education entirely, which would probably level the playing field for his staffers and website writers.)…
Although, per Buzzfeed, Rand did successfully change his twitter handle — “Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is now going by “doctor” on Twitter and has a new handle entirely… Removing the title of “senator” from his Twitter handle could be one step in a presidential campaign that is expected to use antiestablishment and anti-Washington themes.” Priorities!
The Rand Paul campaign store is everything pic.twitter.com/1Sw5qHypG1
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) April 7, 2015
Slate, of course, is ON IT:
… Webcams are known to be easily hackable, providing eyes and ears on your life to whomever infiltrates them. Be that as it may, a $15 “NSA Spy Cam Blocker” is extremely silly. This is mainly because alternative webcam covers, such as tape and bandaids, cost next to nothing. But even if you want to get something fancy, hilariously overpriced stickers are already available for $5. Or get a sticker from a toddler you know for free…
Darn, I was gonna say that RT @jonathanchait Rand promises to illegally trade weapons to Iran in return for hostages http://t.co/qhg2fKPVIg
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen) April 7, 2015
Olivia Nuzzi, reporting for the Daily Beast:
… The marketing of this campaign is that Paul is a “different” type of Republican, and a “different” sort of politician altogether.
“Too often when Republicans have won we have squandered our victory by becoming part of the Washington machine,” he said. “That’s not who I am.”…
Paul has never been involved in any form of government besides the federal government. He vaulted from eye doctor to the Senate in 2010 because his father was a well-known, libertarian congressman…
Paul detests the “Washington machine” or, in other words, the system that has permitted him to spend almost the entirety of his first term in office preparing and running for the Republican nomination…
Rand Paul advisors debate: should he sell himself to the fundies or the corporations?
http://t.co/nFhQUTPPYA
Problem: Neither one is buying.
— Billmon (@billmon1) April 7, 2015
Jeb Lund, ‘Merica-splaining for the Guardian:
… Paul has followed the Republican mainstream since his election to the US Senate and growing interest in the presidency, because that’s where the votes are. He gained notoriety for being a deficit hawk, but being one on all but the military isn’t a unique libertarian brand anymore: in the current Republican Party, it’s like wearing a tuxedo in a room full of penguins. Despite his branding, Rand is more of a Libertarian In Name Only, a fairly standard Republican adding performative LINO harrumphing on token issues…
Maybe these tokens of alternative thought are enough to bill him as someone capable of snatching votes from across the aisle: a few soft words about some legal marijuana, some criminal justice reform and some chaff about drones and the CIA might really win over millennials happy to hear that much and hope for the best. Paul’s campaign stops in the narcissistic “self-made” enclave of Silicon Valley suggests he’s betting as much. And maybe he’s right in assuming that Republican voters will want a hit of Only Superficially Lite Republican when they could mainline Uncut Pure Republican from someone like Ted Cruz. Probably not, but maybe!…
Given Rand Paul's background & worldview, it's tempting to ask, "President of what?" http://t.co/2FfWc8sMzv pic.twitter.com/jHVW0Lwq0y
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen) April 7, 2015
Steve Benen, at MSNBC:
… In some ways, Paul’s current political position is itself something of an accident. In 2010, Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race was supposed to go in a very different direction – the entire Republican establishment backed then-Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) as the obvious choice to replace retiring Sen. Jim Bunning (R). GOP leaders, at both the state and federal level, saw Rand Paul as a ridiculous and inexperienced crackpot, riding his father’s name to fringe notoriety. His campaign was dismissed as more of a vanity exercise than a legitimate attempt at statewide office.
Those assumptions were wrong. Tea Partiers bucked the party establishment, rallied behind Paul’s fringe agenda, and elevated him to the Senate. Kentucky voters didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the fact that Rand Paul knew “dangerously little” about Kentucky…
And since getting to the Senate, Paul has made quite a name for himself. Though much of the Beltway media takes him quite seriously, the senator has nevertheless positioned himself as a bizarre conspiracy theorist with unsettling ties to the nation’s crackpot fringe. His budget plan would dismantle much of the U.S. government. His approach to the federal courts would undo much of the 20th century. His beliefs about monetary policy are genuinely terrifying. He’s adopted several signature issues, none of which he seems to understand in any meaningful way.
So often, we hear the phrase, “That guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about” in politics, but in the case of Rand Paul, it’s meant quite literally…
Mr. Charles P. Pierce, at Esquire, with the perfect summary:
… I’m sorry. I know this was a serious event and all. The gang at liberal MSNBC was all a’quiver with anticipation. Chris Cillizza laughed off the fact that Aqua Buddha is polling in single digits at the moment by cautioning us that he stands to inherit Crazy Uncle Liberty(!)’s massive field organizations, the ones that propelled the latter to one third-place finish after another. Chris Matthews called Aqua Buddha a “philosopher.” Not to be too much of a contrarian here, but these people have to be kidding…
The elite political press has one particular tic that gets stronger on days like this one — that is, the willingness to believe that the narrative a politician creates for himself is prima facie connected to reality. You can say almost anything in your announcement speech, and most of the elite political press at least will pretend to buy it. Ah, what the hell. At least there’s somebody out there besides Ted Cruz.
jibeaux
If there’s a fucking use for a so-called libertarian who doesn’t believe in same sex marriage or abortion rights, I haven’t found it. Pot’s gonna be a state issue, slackers.
TaMara (BHF)
Hey if Mary G shows up, can she please email me ? I want to ask her a few questions about adopting a dog if Ginger doesn’t work out. I may have some connections near her to help. Just need more info.
Tommy
I will just say one thing here. The dude is not ready for “Prime Time.”
My grammar and spelling is terrible. But that is why when I worked at ad agencies and launched million dollar campaigns there were at the least four levels of people looking at the work before it went out.
I’ve done hundreds if not thousands of ads, direct mailers, you name it.
Not sure once, I mean once we didn’t spell words correctly.
Details matter. Paul can not spell his profession correctly.
Hunter Gathers
His first two days as a candidate have been cluster-fucks. What fresh entertainment will he provide tomorrow? Will he Not Pass Go, forgo the $200 and go strait into ‘Fucking Bitches. Am I right, Bro?’ stage of his campaign? Wax poetically about the NAFTA Superhighway, elusive Amero, freedom loving anti-vaxxers and the mutated, airborne Ebola virus? Or will he just continue doing what he does best – act like the Entitled Douchebag that he is?
srv
Well, Rand’s NSA Blocker is doing more to protect our junk than anything Obama has done.
Mike E
I blame Obama for Rand’s bungled roll out.
eta sorry srv
NotMax
The campaign rollout has been less than auspicatory.
pseudonymous in nc
Randy Pandy’s campaign managers hope that the cable networks only show him live for four minutes and fifty-nine seconds.
Suzanne
I love how it’s Rand Paul: The Presidentification: Day Two, and he’s already proven to be a huge dick. NBC had a headlines on their site all day that was something like “Rand Paul gets into fight with News Anchor”. He was described as “man-splain-y” by one of the major news sources today. NOT GOOD. To those of us who are more feminist-inclined, he comes off as a sexist douche, and to the traditionalists, he looks like a meanie to a lady.
DOOD. STOP.
He kind of reminds me of how I envision Tommy. Not sure why.
NotMax
FYWP seems to have nibbled away my comment, so a simpler version.
Rand Paul’s Announcement Video Pulled Over Copyright Issues
Mike G
It’s libertarian spelling. Feel the Freedumb!
Violet
His band name should be Rand Paul and the White Guys.
Exurban Mom
Thank you, Anne Laurie, for collecting all the lovely schadenfreude in one place for our enjoyment. So helpful of you…and you had to read about him so much…hope you’re giving your brain a nice rest.
The headline that kept popping up on my Facebook feed today was something like “Rand Paul Displays Bad Temper and Goes After the Insufferable Jerk Vote.” Nice job there, Rand.
NotMax
Magic 8-ball sez: What a maroon!
Hal
Reminds me of the episode of golden girls where Stanley Zbornak is explaining his wasting money on tie bibs. Little bibs that go over your tie while eating. Stanley can’t figure out why they weren’t a big hit.
Amir Khalid
@Mike G:
Mind you, “correct” spelling only became a thing in English in the past two or three centuries. There are a few extant Will Shakespeare signatures, and he spells his own name differently in each of them. That
never stopped him from beinghelped him become the greatest writer ever. Rand Paul is no doubt trying to eductate the people about the value of a libertarian approach to spelling.Hildebrand
Of course, the RW types on my Facebook feed think Rand is just swell – sticking it to the liebrul media and standing up to the mean Democrat Party! Seriously, I saw a whole collection of threads waxing eloquent about Rand’s demand that Debbie Wasserman Schultz explain her support for abortion. Unreal.
NotMax
@Amir Khalid
Remember “fuzzy math?” This is fuzzy spelling.
Or, as a certain paragon of intellect* from the tundra might say, “Paul refudiates spelling.”
*(not intended to be a true statement)
Amir Khalid
It seems clear: Rand Paul will be among the early casualties of the 2016 presidential cycle, a victim of being Not Ready for Prime Time. This other guy’s candidacy has been considered toast for some time now, but here’s a fun reminder of why he’s not really presidential material either.
Violet
@Tommy:
To be fair we don’t know for sure that he can’t spell “grifter. “
Villago Delenda Est
Our “elite polotical press” is worse than worthless. They’re all, as far as I am concerned, enemies of the Constitution.
Villago Delenda Est
@Amir Khalid: My family name (old Scottish clan) is spelled in a number of ways, and sometimes differently within the same document several centuries past.
Confusing as all getout to us moderns, but apparently didn’t bother my ancestors in the least.
David Koch
I’m sure Baby Doc will get the roll out right in his future campaigns of 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032, 2036, and 2040.
David Koch
Obama Calls for ‘Repairing’ of Gays to End.
divF
@Violet:
Definitely a below-average white band.
Tommy
@Villago Delenda Est: The Isle of Skye here. Or there about. 1870s my family came here from Scotland. I don’t know all the different spelling of a name. My last name is pretty specific and we are anal in its usage.
Tommy
@Violet: If I ever ran a campaign for a state-wide office much less a national office and I looked out to those in the audience and there were only white people I’d think I was doing something wrong.
NotMax
Tommy
The family that sh*ts together, fits together.
Or something. :)
(Never one to pass up such a juicy straight line.)
Tommy
@NotMax: I got a sense of humor. Make fun. Where I live my last name is almost all called into question. Where I now live I have to explain my name is Young with a Y and not Jung with a J. Germans founded where I live and well, Germans. My name is Young and as I said we like the darn name.
Tree With Water
“Paul’s campaign stops in the narcissistic “self-made” enclave of Silicon Valley..”?
That snotty fucking Brit. That observation is on par with calling California the land of fruits and nuts. The Bay Area is a great place to live, and draws talent. It’s about that simple.
Snarki, child of Loki
Rand’s not ready for “prime time”?
He’s not ready for 2AM infomercials.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Amir Khalid: I always tried to educate my teachers on the value of creative spelling. I was not at all successful.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Tommy: Jung could also be Korean.
Steeplejack (phone)
Went to bed too early last night and now I’m up too early. The housecat was clamoring for food, but when I gave her some she couldn’t decide what to do with it. So now we’ve gone back to bed to see if we can approach the day from a different angle.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Steeplejack (phone): Given my sleep patterns, it’s still Wednesday.
ETA: My girls never have a problem deciding what to do with food, then again they’re dogs.
Steeplejack (phone)
@BillinGlendaleCA:
The housecat likes multiple tiny feedings throughout the day (which I’m happy to cater if I’m home), but even then she often won’t eat it all. But usually she is pretty hungry for the first feeding of the day. Our circadian rhythm is disrupted.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Steeplejack (phone): I had a problem with the YorkiPom not finishing her dinner, I no longer have this problem. I let the Cocker finish it off a couple of time, after that no problem. Cocker Spaniels have an endless appetite.
Baud
Rand was a little more interesting than other GOPers because he had a small but vocal liberal fanbase for a while. I don’t know if those fools have gone away, but they have been quieter of late.
Tommy
@BillinGlendaleCA: I guess it could. I just know my town I live in is so German. In the high school I went to in the 80s we were taught German and not really Spanish.
I recall going to the local museum and wondering how my town was founded almost 250 years ago.
Business people rich. Sold everything they had and first went to New Orleans. Took a steamer up to St. Louis. They didn’t like St. Louis, felt the town was dirty, so they sold everything they had and walked east a little. About 25 miles. They fell to their knees in joy with all the open fields. Dirt the color of coal. Streams. Forests. Kind of a paradise.
They wrote home to their friends and family saying come to the “new world.” Come here. They came.
satby
The pompous douche vibe is strong in Paul the lesser. His old man came off as folksy to uninformed people, Rand comes off as an asshole. Chris Christie had the corner on that market, and Ted Cruz is in a stronger position to replace Christie there, leaving nothing but dudebros for Paul.
WereBear
One thing for Rand Paul: he knows how to build an honest Brand, at least :)
He’s firmly established it as the Jerk-Bro-Asinine niche.
WereBear
@Amir Khalid: Amir, I wanted to ask you something in your area of expertise. Right now my cat blog has Singapore in #6 and Malaysia in #8 on my list of country-popularity rankings.
Would I sell more of my cat care manuals (via PDF) if I translated them into another language? And would you be interested?
Kay
The sneering superiority is a real problem for Rand. Everyone saw it yesterday but it’s a big part of him.
I watched his debates in his senate race. His opponent was an earnest “happy warrior” type – there are lawyers who love to fight and Rand’s opponent was one of them. Rand’s response to this person was lazy hand-waving and smugness. He really exudes “entitled”. It’s central to him. He relies on it.
J.D. Rhoades
@Baud:
I saw the same phenomenon with Paul the Elder. You’d see stuff like some dude with long gray hair and a beard driving a Subaru Outback with a Deadhead sticker, a Visualize World Peace Sticker, and a Ron Paul Sticker. All they knew was he was against Dubbya’s Wacky Iraqi Adventure.
J.D. Rhoades
@Kay:
He’s an Ayn Rand/Ludwig von Mises disciple. I never met one of those who wasn’t a colossal dick to everyone. They substitute sneering contempt for intellectual rigor.
Baud
@J.D. Rhoades:
At least Ron was consistent in his isolationism. Not so with Rand, who is all over the place as he tries to broaden his base.
J.D. Rhoades
@Baud:
Yeah, it’s going to be fun watching him try to run away from saying we should cut all foreign aid– including aid to Israel. Netanyahu’s bootlickers on the right won’t like that a bit.
debbie
Just run that clip of him shushing the reporter. Shouldn’t take much more than that. On the other hand, Glenn Beck went all tingly over Rand yesterday, and with his gift for picking winners (Cliven Bundy, Ben Carson, etc.), the fat lady could already be singing.
debbie
@J.D. Rhoades:
My bet is either Sheldon Adelson or AIPAC was behind these anti-Paul ads:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2015/04/08/398224643/tv-ads-financed-with-secret-money-attack-paul-on-day-1-of-presidential-bid
Cervantes
@WereBear:
Regardless of country, I imagine that translating the web-site and monitoring that part of it would tell you if it would pay to translate the manuals. Whereas now, the people in Country X who are reading the site probably don’t need a translation of the manuals.
As for Singapore in particular, you don’t need to translate the manuals. Everyone there speaks a version of English that’s not problematically distant from yours.
Kay
@J.D. Rhoades:
I really do think it comes from “privilege” in the broadest definition of the word. He doesn’t have to explain because the clear superiority should be obvious to anyone.
I think one of the reasons people like brawlers, politicians or advocates who fight, is because that often comes from a place where those people assume they HAVE to fight for everything. They come into it knowing they’re getting nothing without fighting for it. I like them myself, as lawyers. I can’t help but pull for them and their combativeness is just part of their personality.
He is the opposite of that :)
WereBear
@Cervantes: Thanks, I know with the ubiquity of Google translate it’s far less of a factor than it used to be, online.
I’m very pleased with my Top Ten scope, actually.
Cervantes
@Kay:
Rand Paul versus the elite media?
To coin a phrase: I’m rooting for injuries.
Even when it’s the silliest people who are challenging so-called journalists, they sometimes have a point.
Dupe70
The Grift is strong with this one.
Kay
@Cervantes:
I know he’ll portray it like that, he just wants better questions, but what it comes down to is he doesn’t answer questions and I personally think that comes from a place that very few people are allowed to occupy. Most of us in the cheap seats have to answer questions. We’re accountable to people.
Rand Paul has to answer questions on abortion, particularly if Rand Paul is running on “liberty”. Turning it around to “you don’t ask congressional DEMOCRATS that!” is bullshit. Libertarians have problems with coherency on a whole host of issues. Will he whine if he’s asked about environmental issues too? They’re vulnerable there, too.
Mobile Grumpy Code Monkey
Wasn’t it Andrew Jackson who said something like “it’s a poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word”?
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Tree With Water:
I recall the Gaurdian lecturing us poor ignorant Californians on earthquake safety on the 100th anniversary of the 1906 ‘quake, so ya’, they are the experts on everything over there.
But I am curious how that Silicon Valley appeal is going for Rand – public education is a big priority for Valley conservatives.
Cervantes
@Kay:
I agree.
Plus, having to answer questions is almost always helpful.
Kay
@Cervantes:
I thought the Obama Administration made a big mistake in 2009 or so when they “went after” Fox News. The base loved it but it was useless as far as selling their agenda. I got sick of snarky Robert Gibbs in about 2 weeks, and I’m a partisan. Gibbs showing off how clever he is by battling reporters was a huge waste of time and “bully pulpit”. That’s insider stuff. It[s politicians providing media commentary. I cringe whenever Obama does it. Just answer the question.
Cervantes
@Kay:
I did not mind Gibbs as campaign aide or press secretary, and I think highlighting bad journalism is a useful thing to do — but I agree with you that they did it poorly, made it too personal, and pushed it for too long. The general point was made quickly; they should have left the details and the slogging to others.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
Yeah, maybe drones aren’t such a good idea for delivery services after all.
Also, job news. UNC-CH is looking for a University Archivist.
TriassicSands
Paul is probably using “Doctor” because he wants people to think he’s smart — in the absence of any other evidence supporting that contention. But there are plenty of doctors — well-trained perhaps in their various specialties — who are sociopaths or just plain socio-political idiots. (See Dr. Ben Carson.)
@Kay:
That’s because libertarianism is an incoherent set of moronic and childishly naive beliefs. But a Republican libertarian is doomed to utter incoherence, because trying to reconcile all the totalitarian instincts of Republicans with a supposed libertarian belief in a small, unobtrusive government is like trying to juggle invisible jellyfish.
the Conster
The problem with all these clown car Republicans is that they saw this half black guy with a funny name and big ears come out of nowhere to win in landslides, and they think it’s so easy because some random black guy did it (because ACORN for the RWNJs following along at home). What they will never ever get is that Obama is a once in a lifetime politician and personality who has intelligence, charm and humility which automatically disqualifies each of them, but they’re all going to have to learn it the hard way.
bemused
Rand definitely has a superiority attitude which has been quite noticeable when he has been interviewed by at least three female reporters, Guthrie, Rachel Maddow and another I can’t recall. I wonder if the smug sap shushes his wife.
the Conster
@bemused:
Anyone who sponsors a Personhood Amendment has a huge problem with women. End of story.
Tripod
There is a danger that if he starts giving the impression to Kentuckians he is NOT their Senator, they might start to believing him. It wouldn’t shock me if this knucklehead ends up fucking away his Senate seat.
I also wonder about the revenue cost dynamic. The old man ran this scam from a safe House district. Running statewide is way more expensive, and it may not cost out.
Chris
@TriassicSands:
Paul Krugman has a good post up on his blog about how nonsensical the idea of Rand Paul leading some kind of libertarian revolution is – “because there basically aren’t any libertarians.” http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/rand-paul-and-the-empty-box/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Opinion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body I agree with him, and his explanation of why that is.
bemused
@the Conster:
Hilarious. Meghan Kelly told him, those women are not yelling at you. The tell is that if he didn’t like the same questions from male reporters, he wouldn’t call it yelling.
Cervantes
@TriassicSands:
That’s actually easier than it looks.
the Conster
@bemused:
In a few more weeks of media exposure, he’ll be sticking his fingers in his ears yelling lalalalalala can’t hear you. He’s a clown.
Renie
@NotMax: It appears all Republicans seem to have a problem using unauthorized music starting with Zombie Reagan using Bruce’s Born in the USA. Of course Zombie’s minions had no idea what the song really meant.
Amir Khalid
@WereBear:
Only just got home. If you can spare the cash, you could certainly have your manuals translated into Bahasa Malaysia or Mandarin (for Singapore). But as Cervantes says, there is no real need to. We understand English just fine, as you may have noticed. And you probably wouldn’t pick up that many extra readers.
Grumpy Code Monkey
@TriassicSands:
Well, the core belief is coherent, if childish, being “I should be able to do what I want, when I want, to/with whom I want, and not be held responsible if any of that goes to shit.”