A possible run for the White House in 2016 by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is a tempting topic for liberal commentators. The libertarian-leaning Republican has found himself a person of interest among liberals — even if their interest still runs short of true support.
Here are what five liberal pundits have to say about Rand Paul and his potential 2016 run for U.S. president.
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Paul Beinart, writing in The Atlantic in January 2014: "On issues from NSA surveillance to drug legalization to gay marriage, the GOP is moving in [Paul's] direction. For his part, Paul is gaining acceptance within the Republican mainstream. It’s just possible that 2016 could be another 1964 or 1980, years when the Republican establishment proved weak and pliable enough to allow a candidate previously considered extreme to come in from the cold."
Tim Donovan, Salon.com contributor: "Personally, I’d vote for Rand Paul for president faster than you can say 'libertarian wacko' if I thought he would actually end the drug war, slash corporate welfare and play the savings into student loan debt relief or a robust infrastructure bill."
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H.A. Goodman: "Only Rand Paul provides a voice for people disgusted by the fear peddlers on Fox, the tepid rebuttals to their madness by leading liberals like Hillary Clinton, and the media-driven paranoia that shapes public policy."
Andrew O’Hehir, Salon.com contributor: "There may yet be reason to hope that Paul can serve as a disruptive force within the Republican Party and within what looks to be the dreadful, stultifying totality of the 2016 electoral cycle."
Cenk Uygur: "If I was a betting man, and I am, right now I’d lay money on Rand Paul being the next president of the United States … The reality is, he now stands about 25 percent chance of winning."
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