Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Rand Numbers

Is it wrong for me to admit that I want to "friend" Rand Paul on Facebook?

Of course with me it's all about the Schadenfreude. You know I get a lot more energized when the other guys make with the crazy then my own guys do something worthwhile. I am a one-man party of no. And while I have superficially followed the career of Rand's famous dad, Ron, about the opthamologist-turned-Senate-candidate I know nothing. Still he has some awfully encouraging endorsements: Jim DeMint, James Dobson and Sarah Palin among them.

More importantly, Paul is considered the first test of the power of the Tea Party movement, a senate candidate who comes from within the ranks. And he's running in Kentucky. I also don't know that much about Kentucky (I haven't even touched their chicken in three years) but as the New York Times drily notes:

To win in November, Mr. Paul will also have to win over Democrats, who could not vote in the Republican primary but make up the bulk of Kentucky voters. Democrats are trying to portray Republicans who win with Tea Party support as being out of the mainstream.
So the way I see this playing out, Paul either has to make himself comfortable with the idea of alienating a big swath of voters by staying true to his base (and losing), or betraying that base by soft-pedaling (maybe even contradicting) the tea party talking points. Either way, that's entertainment! To me anyway, the one-man party of no.

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