During a campaign event in Iowa on Monday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who is looking at a Presidential run in 2016, got up and left a table when two DREAMers came over to start talking to him and Rep. Steve King (R-IA). A Paul aide claimed that the Senator had to head over to another event at that moment and it had nothing to do with the potential confrontation over immigration policy that was sure to erupt. Paul jetted from the table while leaving behind a half-eaten hamburger as the two DREAMers were speaking to King, who is well-known for his bigoted rhetoric regarding immigration and Hispanics.
Below is video from the event courtesy of Matt Hildreth of America’s Voice:
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Obviously, Paul didn’t want to be around King, or be asked any questions about immigration or DACA, and then get caught on the record saying anything that could be used against him later. He knew that these two people were going to confront King about his racist comments about Hispanic immigrants, such as them having “calves the size of cantaloupes” or comparing them directly to dogs. When watching the video, you can see Paul look over to his aide with a look of desperation as if to say, “We have to go…NOW!”
It is bad enough that Paul even decided to appear at an event with King. Lately, Paul has been pushing a message that the GOP needs to be more inclusive and make better efforts to address issues within certain minority communities. He has spoken at length about the inequities in the nation’s drug laws which have caused a disproportionate number of minorities to be imprisoned. However, at the same time, Paul wants to continue to appeal to the most conservative base of the GOP, especially ahead of 2016. It is a tough balancing act that will likely come back to bite him ahead of the GOP primary.
Ari Melber and Amy Walter spoke about this tale of two Pauls on Tuesday’s broadcast of Morning Joe. Below is video of the segment, courtesy of MSNBC.
Basically, Paul has to deal with statements he has made in his past, such as his assertion that the Civil Rights Act is unconstitutional. While he has tried to walk back that particular statement numerous times, it continues to hang over his head. On the other hand, that type of rhetoric plays well with the extreme base of the GOP. That base is who shows up during the primaries, especially in the early states like Iowa. Therefore, we will see Paul continue to talk out of both sides of his mouth over the next year or so as he tries to capture the GOP nomination.
Paul will point to his extremely conservative Senatorial voting record and Tea Party credentials while hitting the stump. However, when speaking to a larger, more diverse audience, he’ll try to appear as if he has more progressive ideals and a broader viewpoint. I am not sure this will work, though. This Iowa event already showed cracks in that plan. Beside him fleeing the scene when a couple of DREAMers came over to talk, Paul was also challenged by the press on his position on Israel. When asked about his past comments about cutting off aid to Israel, he claimed that he never said that and pointed to his vote to increase funding for the Iron Dome. However, his on-the-record statements were thrown back in his face. Instances like this will happen more frequently as the Presidential campaign starts heating up.
Paul’s duplicity will catch up with him. He has tried to play too many sides and eventually voters on both ends of the spectrum will realize he is as phony as it comes.
Justin Baragona is the Managing Editor at Politicus Sports as well as Senior Editor at PoliticusUSA. He was a political writer for 411Mania.com before joining PoliticusUSA. Politically, Justin considers himself a liberal but also a realist and pragmatist. Currently, Justin lives in St. Louis, MO and is married. Besides writing, he also runs his own business after spending a number of years in the corporate world. You can follow Justin on Twitter either with his personal handle (@justinbaragona) or the Sports site’s (@PoliticusSports).
