{"id":29974,"date":"2015-04-07T06:10:20","date_gmt":"2015-04-07T14:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/?p=29974"},"modified":"2015-04-07T06:10:20","modified_gmt":"2015-04-07T14:10:20","slug":"rand-paul-enters-race-for-us-presidency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/prophecy\/rand-paul-enters-race-for-us-presidency\/","title":{"rendered":"Rand Paul enters race for US presidency"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nRand Paul, Official Senate Photo
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COGwriter<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/em>US Senator Rand Paul has announced his candidacy for the office of US President:<\/p>\n

April 7, 2015<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul officially joined the 2016 presidential race today, hoping to remake the Republican Party with a mix of libertarian and conservative ideals that can attract minorities and young people.<\/p>\n

On his campaign website, Paul announced, “I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government.” The announcement includes a video testimonial from his wife, Kelley Ashby Paul. …<\/p>\n

The GOP primary could pit Paul, Cruz and Rubio against each other as they vie for the votes of Tea Party supporters who backed them for the Senate. But the competition is viewed as healthy for Republicans eager to take back the White House.<\/p>\n

“It’s a positive thing that so many potential candidates do support our values,” said Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots. “It shows our values are once again front and center in the political discussion in America.”<\/p>\n

Since his Senate election in 2010, Paul has positioned himself to be a more relatable \u2014 and electable \u2014 politician than his father, Ron. \u00a0http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2015\/04\/07\/rand-paul-president-2016-announcement\/25041783\/<\/a><\/p>\n

April 7, 2015<\/p>\n

So far, Paul joins only Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as a declared candidate for the GOP presidential nomination. But the field is certain to grow in the months ahead with Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, Lindsey Graham and others eyeing a campaign. Marco Rubio, a Florida GOP senator, is expected to launch his campaign next week.<\/p>\n

For now, the nomination is up for grabs with no clear front-runner. Paul came in third place at 12% in a CNN\/ORC International Poll of Republicans. Bush led the pack at 16% while Walker came in second at 13%. …<\/p>\n

He’s steered clear of such hot-button issues more recently. Last week, for example, he was one of the few Republicans who didn’t weigh in on religious freedom laws in Indiana and Arkansas that critics argued would allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians.<\/p>\n

Paul has also worked to maintain a following that includes a large swath of young voters who he partly inherited from his father. Heavy on tech and social media, his political team has opened an office in Austin, Texas, and will soon establish one in the heart of Silicon Valley. Like clockwork, Paul frequently holds up his phone during his stump speech and declares that what people do on their smartphones is “none of the government’s damn business.”<\/p>\n

His nontraditional style is complemented by Paul’s wardrobe. The senator is known for wearing blue jeans with boots and a blazer when he’s on the trail, and during the winter, he opts for a turtleneck and sport coat rather than a tie.<\/p>\n

But in his quest to become a national figure, Paul’s comments have come under scrutiny and some of his statements have led critics to question whether he’s ready for prime time. \u00a0http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2015\/04\/07\/politics\/rand-paul-president-2016\/<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While I am in favor of the principles of liberty and limited government, perhaps I should point out that Mother Jones<\/em> accuses Rand Paul, basically, of hypocrisy:<\/p>\n

April 7, 2015<\/p>\n