ARRA News Service
News Blog for social, fiscal & national security conservatives who believe in God, family & the USA. Upholding the rights granted by God & guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, traditional family values, "republican" principles / ideals, transparent & limited "smaller" government, free markets, lower taxes, due process of law, liberty & individual freedom. Content approval rests with the ARRA News Service Editor. Opinions are those of the authors. While varied positions are reported, beliefs & principles remain fixed. No revenue is generated for or by this "Blog" - no paid ads - no payments for articles. Fair Use Doctrine is posted & used.
Blogger/Editor/Founder: Bill Smith, Ph.D. [aka: OzarkGuru & 2010 AFP National Blogger of the Year]
Contact: editor@arranewsservice.com (Pub. Since July, 2006)
    Home Page
   

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato (429-347 BC)

Sunday, April 19, 2015

How Rand Paul Thinks Different

Sen. Rand Paul
by Ralph Benko, Contributing Author: From Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Senator Rand Paul declared his candidacy for the presidency. The run-up had all the pageantry now associated with such affairs: prayers, recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance, a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, and well-produced campaign videos galore.

There also was something distinctly different.

In making his official declaration of candidacy it was clear that Paul stands a little apart from the rest of the field. Paul is not “A Man with a Plan.” He just brings a healthy skepticism toward the overrated abilities of government. He has a healthy passion for unleashing the American dream and will work through opportunities and challenges on a case by case basis. Also, Paul is the candidate of “Peace Through Strength,” nobody’s patsy but not an adventurer either. Finally, Paul makes the most interesting, useful, mistakes of any of the candidates before the electorate today.

The first distinction: Paul presents himself, and (by all accounts) is more about connecting with people and people with one another, than as “A Man With A Plan.” Most politicians, after setting their patriotic theme, have a litany of what they will do to put American back on track. Rand Paul was short on specifics. This implies something interesting. It implies a non-doctrinaire populist disposition toward politics, trusting the people to fashion, rather than simply demand, solutions.

Paul is a doctor, not, as most politicos, a lawyer. Doctors internalize high technical proficiency but do not operate by rote. Doctors may be opinionated (future-first-lady-designate-Kelly Paul assured us in her introduction that Paul is opinionated). But doctors are not, because in life and death matters they cannot afford to be, either dogmatic or doctrinaire.

Good doctors are governed by feedback loops. Paul presents as someone with an abundance of healthy skepticism about the proficiency of government to do much good. From that stance Dr. Paul will, well, operate as the situation dictates.

The second distinction: Paul presents as what the late Rep. Jack Kemp once called himself: “a heavily armed dove.” Rand Paul’s political competitors have attempted to paint him as an isolationist and, almost, as a dangerous unilateral disarmament kind of guy. Nonsense, of course, but as an old political saw has it, “in Washington, perception is reality.”

Paul, by supporting some defense spending increases and by embracing the symbolism of appearing on the deck of the WWII vintage aircraft carrier on his campaign kickoff tour, is attempting to blunt these charges. He thereby will regain control of his own narrative.

Paul presents as the least bellicose of the Republican contenders, one who is committed to military strength–and extremely judicious use of that strength. To Paul, a quick draw and an itchy trigger finger isn't proof of manhood.

I have argued, repeatedly, the electorate is war-weary, yearns for peace, and is eager for a commander-in-chief who will continue the process of moving America toward a peacetime footing as a superpower but not a hegemonic hyperpower. If that is the case, Paul’s judiciousness toward use of force will be a voter magnet both in the primaries and in the general election. This especially will prove true in the general if the Democrats nominate the hawkish Hillary Clinton.

The third distinction: Rand Paul makes the most interesting mistakes of anyone now in the field. This is striking. Most elected officials, and candidates, are deeply risk averse. They know that they are flanked by rivals and adversaries who will misrepresent their every ambiguity, magnify their every mistake, and trip them up. When Rand Paul first started the unconventional overtures to the African American community with a speech at Howard University, he stumbled, as reported in the Washington Post:Paul said it was his first visit to a historically black college and he has learned from the experience. The senator added that he plans to continue to reach out to the African American community.

Paul acknowledged that he did stumble a couple of times at Howard — in asking the audience whether they knew that the NAACP was founded by Republicans and in botching the name of Edward Brooke, the first black senator elected since Reconstruction.

It turned out that the audience knew the NAACP’s history, something Paul said he didn't know would be the case. ‘This is my first time to go to a historically black college,’ Paul said. ‘In retrospect, it sounds like it is a dumb question but it’s like, Republicans haven’t been going to Howard for 20 years.’
Yet Paul, undaunted, persisted in his courtship, eventually getting it right. The official Paul presidential announcement was a multi-racial, multi-cultural event. The contributions by African-Americans, by an Hispanic, and others from marginalized groups, sounded, and felt, intimate and authentic–not an exercise in symbolic tokenism.

The upshot? Paul was willing to take risks, take some hits, learn, and continue forward into finally getting his footing in a high integrity effort to bring the historically Republican African-American community back into the GOP fold.

America is traversing uncharted territories–in monetary and financial policy, in foreign policy and in social policy. It might be good to nominate a candidate with a strong moral compass, discernment, and an ability to learn from his mistakes rather than one with a roadmap outdated by a decade or even a generation.

This quality – the ability to make interesting mistakes–provides Rand Paul with an unusual degree of nimbleness. It implies the will to take calculated (rather than no, or reckless) risks. It implies resilience. It implies a healthy optimism. And it implies a kind of human action in the context of feedback loops rather than a dogmatic stand.

In the formal announcement of someone who Time Magazine has called “the most interesting man in politics,” Rand Paul differentiated himself from the rest of the field in three ways. So, how does Rand Paul, to appropriate Apple’s old slogan, “Think Different”?

Rand Paul is more about connections than Big Plans.

Rand Paul is a responsible peace candidate.

Rand Paul makes the most interesting mistakes of anyone in the field.
-----------------
Ralph Benko is senior advisor, economics, to American Principles in Action’s Gold Standard 2012 Initiative, and a contributor to he ARRA News Service. The article which first appeared in Forbes was submitted for reprint by the author.

Tags: Ralph Benko, Rand Paul, thinks different, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 4:45 PM - Post Link

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home


View U.S. National Debt

Don't miss anything!
Subscribe to the
ARRA News Service
It's FREE & No Ads!

You will receive a verification email
& must validate you subscribed!

You Then Receive One Email Each AM
With Prior Days Articles / Toons / More


Also, Join & leave conservative posts & comments on
Facebook.com/ARRANewsService


Recent Posts:
Personal Tweets by the editor:
Dr. Bill - OzarkGuru - @arra
#Christian Conservative; Retired USAF & Grad Professor. Constitution NRA ProLife schoolchoice fairtax - Editor ARRA NEWS SERVICE. THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!

Action Links!
State Upper & Lower House Members
State Attorney Generals
State Governors
The White House
US House of Representatives
US Senators
GrassFire
NumbersUSA
Ballotpedia

Facebook Accts - Dr. Bill Smith
Pages:
ARRA News Service
Arkansans Against Big Government
Alley-White Am. Legion #52
Catholics & Protestants United Against Discrimination
End Taxpayer Funding of NPR
Overturn Roe V. Wade
Prolife Soldiers
Project Wildfire 4 Life
Republican Liberty Caucus of Arkansas
The Gold Standard
US Atty Gen Loretta Lynch, aka Eric Holder, Must Go
Veterans for Sarah Palin
Why Vote for Hillary (Satire)
FB Groups:
Arkansas For Sarah Palin
Arkansas Conservative Caucus
Arkansas County Tea Party
Arkansans' Discussion Group on National Issues
Blogs for Borders
Conservative Solutions
Conservative Voices
Defend Marriage -- Arkansas
FairTax
FairTax Nation
Arkansas for FairTax
Friends of the TEA Party in Arkansas
Freedom Roundtable
Pro-Life Rocks - Arkansas
Republican Network
Republican Liberty Caucus of AR
Reject the U.N.

Patriots
Exchange
Links

Request Via
Article Comment

Links to ARRA News
A Patriotic Nurse
Agora Associates
a12iggymom's Blog
America, You Asked For It!
America's Best Choice
ARRA News Twitter
As The Crackerhead Crumbles
Blogs For Borders
Blogs for Palin
Blow the Trumpet Ministry
Boot Berryism
Cap'n Bob & the Damsel
Chicago Ray Report - Obama Regime Report
Chuck Baldwin - links
Common Cents
Conservative Voices
Diana's Corner
Greater Fitchburg For Life
Lasting Liberty Blog
Liberal Isn't Amy
Marathon Pundit
Patriot's Corner
Right on Issues that Matter
Right Reason
Rocking on the Right Side
Saber Point
Saline Watchdog
Sultan Knish
The Blue Eye View
The Born Again Americans
TEA Party Cartoons
The Foxhole | Unapologetic Patriot
The Liberty Republican
The O Word
The Path to Tyranny Blog
The Real Polichick
The War on Guns
TOTUS
Twitter @ARRA
Underground Notes
Warning Signs
Women's Prayer & Action
WyBlog

Editor's Managed Twitter Accounts
Twitter Dr. Bill Smith @arra
Twitter Arkansas @GOPNetwork
Twitter @BootBerryism
Twitter @SovereignAllies
Twitter @FairTaxNation

Editor's Recommended Orgs
Accuracy in Media (AIM)
American Action Forum (AAF)
American Committment
American Culture & Faith Institute
American Enterprise Institute
American Family Business Institute
Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Reform
American Security Council Fdn
AR Faith & Ethics Council
Arkansas Policy Foundation
Ayn Rand Institute
Bill of Rights Institute
Campaign for Working Families
CATO Institute
Center for Individual Freedom
Center for Immigration Studies
Center for Just Society
Center for Freedom & Prosperity
Citizens Against Gov't Waste
Citizens in Charge Foundstion
Coalition for the Future American Worker
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Concerned Veterans for America
Concerned Women for America
Declaration of Am. Renewal
Eagle Forum
FairTax
Family Research Council
Family Security Matters
Franklin Center for Gov't & Public Integrity
Freedom Works
Gingrich Productions
Global Incident Map
Great Americans
Gold Standard 2012 Project
Gun Owners of America (GOA)
Heritage Action for America
David Horowitz Freedom Center
Institute For Justice
Institute for Truth in Accounting
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Judicial Watch
Less Government
Media Reseach Center
National Center for Policy Analysis
National Right To Work Foundation
National Rifle Association (NRA)
National Rifle Association (NRA-ILA)
News Busters
O'Bluejacket's Patriotic Flicks
OathKeepers
Open Secrets
Presidential Prayer Team
Religious Freedom Coalition
Renew America
Ron Paul Institute
State Policy Network
Tax Foundation
Tax Policy Center
The Club for Growth
The Federalist
The Gold Standard Now
The Heritage Foundation
The Leadership Institute
Truth in Accounting
Union Facts



Blogs For Borders

Reject the United Nations

Presidential Prayer Team

Thousands of Deadly Islamic Terror Attacks Since 9/11


FairTax Nation on FaceBook
Friends of Israel - Stand with Israel
Blog Feeds
Syndicated - Get the ARRA News Service feed Syndicated!
ARRA Blog Feed

Add to Google Reader or Homepage

Add to The Free Dictionary

Powered by Blogger


  • To Exchange Links - Email: editor@arranewsservice.com!
  • Comments by contributing authors or other sources do not necessarily reflect the position the editor, other contributing authors, sources, readers, or commenters. No contributors, or editors are paid for articles, images, cartoons, etc. While having reported on and promoting principles & beleifs beliefs of other organizations, this blog/site is soley controlled and supported by the editor. This site/blog does not advertise for money or services nor does it solicit funding for its support.
  • Fair Use: This site/blog may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of political, human rights, economic, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as provided for in section Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Per said section, the material on this site/blog is distributed without profit to readers to view for the expressed purpose of viewing the included information for research, educational, or satirical purposes. Any person/entity seeking to use copyrighted material shared on this site/blog for purposes that go beyond "fair use," must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
  • © 2006 - 2020 ARRA News Service
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.