Tim Stanley

Rand Paul’s libertarian crusade will shake up the presidential race

Finally, the presidential race got interesting. The thought of Hillary Clinton vs Jeb Bush was too much of a rerun of the same old thing: big government liberal vs big government conservative arguing about how best to spend Americans’ money. And they both share a taste for military excursions – white boots marching in foreign lands. Well, now there’s a candidate officially in the race who stands for something completely different. Rand Paul’s libertarian crusade could be about the most exciting candidacy in my political lifetime.

It won’t star the most exciting candidate. Senator Paul (Kentucky) wears the standard uniform of the college Republican: blue blazer, red tie, grey slacks. The voice could send you to sleep; the face is forgettable. But he does stand for a philosophical break from the post-Nineties American political order which has seen both parties competing in various shades of the status quo.

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