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Opinions/Editorials Title: President Paul? Senator may be candidate in ’16 A year ago, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was navigating the halls of the U.S. Capitol in his first days as a freshman senator. Paul had ridden the momentum of the tea party during the 2010 campaign, joining a new wave of conservatives in Washington, D.C. A year later, Paul remains part of the national conversation, appearing on frequent television and radio interviews and sounding off on several national issues that arose during his first year in office. Most recently, he has campaigned for his father, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, as Ron Paul tries to claim the GOP's presidential nomination. And by many accounts, when the younger Paul takes the stage to stump for his father, the crowds are just as excited to hear Rand Paul speak as they are to hear Ron Paul, reigniting the notion that Rand Paul could be a viable Republican presidential candidate as soon as the 2016 or 2020 campaigns. That Rand Paul might one day seek the presidency is not a new concept. Last year, as candidates announced their intentions to run for the office, Rand Paul, a Bowling Green ophthalmologist, was often asked about his interest. Eventually Ron Paul decided to run, but Rand Paul hasn't exactly backed away from the national discourse. Scott Lasley, a political science professor at Western Kentucky University, believes voters might see Rand Paul as a highly visible candidate in 2016, and perhaps even as a legitimate contender. Lasley said Rand Paul has an opportunity to build on the platform and the organization his father has established both as a representative and as a presidential candidate in 1988, 2008 and 2012. Such a base would seem to give Rand Paul a leg up if and when he chooses to run for president, Lasley said. "Senator Paul can start a lot further ahead than when Ron started," Lasley said. Lasley added that Ron Paul's presidential campaign might be considered more of "a philosophical quest" than an achievable goal. "I believe Senator Paul sees (being president) as a possibility," Lasley said. The Pauls recently have been the subject of several articles out of both Iowa and New Hampshire, the states where early campaigning for the 2012 nomination has centered. Voters head to the polls today in New Hampshire for the first GOP presidential primary of the year. A Washington Post article published Jan. 2 profiled the men in Iowa, where Ron Paul finished third in last week's caucuses behind GOP front-runner Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. As Lasley suggested, several Iowa residents interviewed for the article said they view Rand Paul as a strong future candidate for president. The local tea party agrees. Paul Keith, chairman of the SOKY/Bowling Green Tea Party, said he doesn't sense that Rand Paul's popularity is diminishing. "He's a national leader now and I don't see that changing," Keith said. "When Senator Paul runs, if he runs, I have no doubt the tea party will be overjoyed." But Lasley points out that there are several factors beyond Rand Paul's control that must fall into place before running in 2016 becomes a legitimate option. First, Romney must not defeat President Barack Obama in this year's general election. If Romney wins, Rand Paul wouldn't be likely to seek the Republican nomination until 2020 at the earliest. Lasley also noted that there are several strong Republican candidates on the sidelines this year who will get a closer look in future campaigns. "I think you're going to find a stronger GOP field in 2016," Lasley said. As for the legwork Rand Paul needs to do between now and any presidential push, Lasley said the candidate must be perceived as a "workhorse" and not a "show horse." "He's going to have infrastructure in place, he has high visibility," Lasley said. "He's gotta keep making favorable impressions with his effort and hard work. You can't ignore Washington, and I don't think there's any indication he's doing that." Meanwhile, as far as this year's presidential election is concerned, Keith said the tea party's support is still up for grabs. "All of them can gain tea party support and there is no front-runner," Keith said. "From what I've seen, most tea party supporters are reserved in their opinion of who they'll support. They'll support the nominee in opposition of the president."
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#1. To: A K A Stone (#0)
Nice sentiment. I sincerely doubt we're gonna' make it that far, at the rate we're going... (((((sigh)))))
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