Rand Paul appeals to young voters

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Because so many are predicting Hillary Rodham Clinton, should she choose to run, to be the dominant choice for the Democrats in 2016, much of the focus so far has been on the Republican frontrunners.

Among these potential presidents is Sen. Rand Paul. The Kentucky Republican, who identifies as a Libertarian, was elected to the U.S Senate in 2010 and has been a very important member of the Tea Party movement within the Republican party. He is also the son of former U.S. congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Rand Paul is probably best known for his nearly 13-hour filibuster in which he criticized the use of drone strikes on American soil against American citizens. His unique ability to draw love and hate from both the right and the left is precisely why he has become so popular in recent years and why his chances are as good as any Republicans’ at this point.

What is really playing to Paul’s advantage is his popularity among young Americans, including David Fish, a business management major at UK.

“I’m a fan of his stance on American’s right to privacy and the moves he’s taken to back that,” said Fish, who also noted that many people his age seem to feel the same way.

Many college-aged Americans are starting to resent the extreme polarity of the two major political parties, and the libertarian philosophy of personal freedom and limited intervention sounds appealing to a generation that cares about marriage equality rather than having their phone conversations monitored.

“It’s hard to find a middle ground between parties,” Fish said. “I think the idea that (Paul is) willing to be critical of both sides gives people something more that they can identify with.”

Evidence of his popularity among the nation’s youth was seen in his recent visit to the University of California at Berkeley, which is notoriously liberal. He focused his speech on the issue of NSA surveillance and also noted that the Republican party is in dire need of change.

The Republicans could really use this to their advantage, since the youth vote hasn’t exactly been their strong suit in recent elections.

President Obama won in 2008 and in 2012 because he appealed to young Americans as well as minorities, women and immigrants – which are also voter demographics the Republicans have been gradually losing.

If there was ever a time for Paul to start seizing the attention of potential voters, it’s now. Until recently, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie seemed to be the ideal choice of the Republican party. Recent weeks have been troubling for the governor, however, as the Washington bridge scandal has tainted his once immaculate image.

Christie has also never been able to shake the criticism that he is “not right wing enough” for the Republican party, a criticism leveled at both former presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain in the last two elections.

Recent polls show that Jeb Bush, brother of former President George W. Bush, is also a highly favored choice for the Republicans. Unfortunately he is cursed by his last name, and is often criticized as being too centrist, much like Christie.

That’s why Paul truly is the candidate for the GOP in 2016 if they sincerely want to shake things up and appeal to younger generations.

The next presidential election is still a long way away, so young voters will have plenty of time to decide if Paul stands for the principles in which they believe.