Rand Paul Has People Listening

New York Times: “Who is the Republican front-runner for 2016? It is often hard to tell. But there is little debate about who is the biggest curiosity in the race: Mr. Paul, the junior senator from Kentucky, who has been building the most unorthodox campaign for the Republican nomination, bringing his brand of libertarian conservatism to audiences that are more inclined to vote Democratic.”

“Being a political curiosity is far different from being politically credible, however. And Mr. Paul is facing a challenge that will be much more complex than attracting cameras and crowds: persuading voters to get behind him, not just hear him out. In trying to expand the Republican coalition, Mr. Paul is fighting political and demographic trends that are pushing more voters away from his party. His campaign, which he is expected to announce early next month, will be a test of whether the kind of Republican rebranding he is attempting can happen in the next year, or whether it will take until 2020 or beyond.”