How is Rand Paul going to escape his dad?

[Maistre]

He seems to be near the top of all the polls, but I just don't see how Rand Paul is going to explain away a lot of kooky things his dad did/said, Rand's going to have to deal with a lot of weird stuff that he said already.

[Maxwell]

Because they're not the same person?

[GaussLaw]

Because they're not the same person?

This. 

Rand and his Dad endorse different people, have distinct styles, and have vastly different relationships with the establishment.

IMO,  the GOP establishment like Rove would not be the biggest enemies of Rand....that would be the war hawks.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Run away from home like the rest of us did.

[Maistre]

Because they're not the same person?

I'm not saying it's fair that he'll get saddled with Paul Sr.'s baggage, but to think it won't be an obstacle for him is naive.

["'Oeps!' De blunders van Rick Perry Indicted"]

IMO,  the GOP establishment like Rove would not be the biggest enemies of Rand....that would be the war hawks.

They're mostly the same people.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Rand appeals to a larger swath of voters than Ron did. Ron Paul, as much as I respect and love him, came across as a bit kooky and so wasn't taken as seriously.

Side note, Rand Paul has been doing a good bit of outreach lately. I heard him this morning on Black People Radio explaining his plan for prison reform.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Rand has been doing a great job at positioning himself as relatively sensible and moderate, particularly to young voters. His college tour has been pretty successful. If it wasn't Hillary going up in '16 he might actually have a pretty good shot at cutting into indies and youngs.

[Free Bird]

Rand is much more sensible than his father, and has an ability to a appeal to both Libertarians, Moderates, and Conservatives, not just college kids. You can tell in 2008 Ron kinda wanted it, but in 2012 his strategies implied he just wanted to spread a message, almost like setting groundwork for a Rand campaign. Rand clearly wants to be president, and his biggest challenge will be overcoming the Peter Kings and uniting his father's supporters who might be hesitant and his own, new supporters who viewed his father as too extreme. He is the John Kennedy to Ron's Joseph Sr.

[Likely Voter]

The key will be to keep dad under control during the campaign. It will be like with Hillary and Bill in 2008. Anything Bill said or did immediately reflected back on Hillary. So if Ron Paul gives a speech somewhere during the 2016 campaign and says something about how Russia has a right to Crimea or that Heroin should be legal or any other thing, Rand will have to spend a whole news cycle dealing with it.

[Rockefeller GOP]

IMO,  the GOP establishment like Rove would not be the biggest enemies of Rand....that would be the war hawks.

They're mostly the same people.

Both parties' "establishments" are war hawks unless the other party started a war ... Not sure how anyone can deny that.

[NHLiberal]

IMO,  the GOP establishment like Rove would not be the biggest enemies of Rand....that would be the war hawks.

They're mostly the same people.

Both parties' "establishments" are war hawks unless the other party started a war ... Not sure how anyone can deny that.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I wish Rand was more like Ron, but he's the best we can get.

[henster]

Someone is going to link the newsletters to his opposition to the Civil Rights Act and his relationship with the Southern Avenger. Ron Paul responded very badly to the newsletter story (walking off interviews) Rand still hasn't really been pressed on the Southern Avenger situation yet.

[GaussLaw]

IMO,  the GOP establishment like Rove would not be the biggest enemies of Rand....that would be the war hawks.

They're mostly the same people.

Both parties' "establishments" are war hawks unless the other party started a war ... Not sure how anyone can deny that.

All I was saying is that while the two groups overlap, people like Rove and McConnell do not consider foreign policy number 1 and have few problems with Paul.  It is people like Bolton, McCain, and Cheney, who are almost a distinct group, who consider these issues extremely high on their list. 

[Mister Mets]

It's a bludgeon that his political opponents can and should use. Rand Paul started his political career as a campaign surrogate for his dad in 2008, and they lived together briefly when both were in Congress.

But there are a few key differences. It helps that Rand Paul was elected in a different state, where he has a different relationship with the party's congressional leadership. He holds a traditionally more significant office (Senator VS House member) and has offered his support to serious candidates. Few political junkies could name anything specific Ron Paul has done in Congress. Rand Paul has the drones filibuster.