Rand Paul’s evolving Zionist non-interventionism
As he builds his national profile ahead of a potential run for the presidency in 2016, Sen. Rand Paul faces a central dilemma: How can he expand his appeal to a broader constituency without totally alienating his father’s energetic supporters? One issue that’s particularly difficult to bridge is America’s relationship with Israel. During his two runs for the White House, Ron Paul attracted passionate support for his foreign policy views. But those views – which included harsh criticism of Israel – also turned off a large portion of the staunchly pro-Israel GOP base. In 2011, I used the term “Zionist non-interventionism” to describe how Rand Paul was trying to thread the needle by making non-interventionist arguments and framing them as being beneficial to Israel. This approach continues to evolve. …
Though other non-interventionists might attack Israeli construction, arguing it endangers America’s interests abroad by provoking the Arab and Muslim world, Paul is arguing that his non-interventionist views mean that he doesn’t give a toss where or when Israeli Jews choose to build homes.
On the question of gradually phasing out aid to Israel, Paul argues, “It’s really the presumption of whether we should be dictating to other countries — even if they are our friends — whether we should dictate every minute aspect of them building in their country. I think that’s wrong. But I think it’s also a reason you should want to become more and more independent, and not dependent on aid from the United States. Because then you can develop your sovereignty and be more definitive in the things you want.”
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Make the necessary motions to appease the Jewish lobby and their unpaid advocates. Ask why the hell are we giving foreign aid to anywhere when we’re trillions past broke.
And gently point out once in a while to the…more energetic right-wingers…that their enemy is the guy trying to take their guns and let the gayfia run rampant.
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 9:49 AM
What it boils down to is that it IS possible to be non-interventionist without being a whiny child about it, or on the other end being so mild that the war lobby runs over you so often your shirt has tire tracks.
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 9:56 AM
He can’t. All the “Look at me!” stuff isn’t going to do it.
ddrintn on January 17, 2013 at 10:04 AM
Read the responses on the thread about him actually trying to stop Obama’s gun infringement, you doddering dino-sore-a$$. Look at all the conservatives who are cheering him for doing more than 3/4ths of the GOP.
Then go and throw a tantrum because your little brain can’t handle the facts.
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 10:09 AM
There were always lots of enthusiastic responses to whatever “Look at me!” stuff Michele Bachmann was engaging in. Guess where she ended up in the primary? Come on, take a guess.
ddrintn on January 17, 2013 at 10:10 AM
Doing more than you’ve ever done?
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 10:14 AM
Where was Rand Paul in 2011 and most of 2012, by the way? Didn’t hear much from either him or Rubio during that time.
ddrintn on January 17, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Or you. So friggin’ WHAT?
ddrintn on January 17, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Rand is having a hell of a time not being pinned down by the “Derp derp, evil Joo-h8ing isolationist” crowd. If I were to have lived under that shadow since childhood I’m not sure I’d still live in the same country, much less have entered politics!
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 10:16 AM
Poor widdle ting. It’s apparent that Rand Paul will probably get most of his father’s little sliver of kooks and not much else.
ddrintn on January 17, 2013 at 10:18 AM
Says the whiny child who’s father wasn’t a pariah of the right wing.
Only if he goes too far on kissing up to the Jewish and/or military lobbies.
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 10:20 AM
You’re the whiny one. Poor Rand had SUCH a rough childhood with Ron as his dad, who’s been the focal point of that kooky cult ever since 1950!!! ROFL
Keep it up. That “Jooo lobby” stuff oughtta really get Rand off and running.
ddrintn on January 17, 2013 at 10:24 AM
I don’t think he can thread that needle. The hard core Ron Paulnuts are paranoid anarchists who think Zionists want to turn the US into some kind of totalitarian hellhole. If Rand Paul thinks he can develop a serious agenda that still gets them on board, he’s been writing himself too many prescriptions. But that doesn’t mean his father’s legacy has to doom his prospects, any more than Joe Kennedy’s antics ruined JFK’s career. And old Joe had at least as tight a grip on Jack’s psyche as Paul the elder has on Paul the younger’s.
Seth Halpern on January 17, 2013 at 10:44 AM
By the way, that thread — which has been up since last night — is only now crawling over the 200-comment threshold. Wild enthusiasm.
ddrintn on January 17, 2013 at 11:19 AM
Gasp! Horror! A thread about someone I like didn’t turn into a massive 1000+ comment thread that spanned a week! Oh woe is me!
…not.
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 11:21 AM
I didn’t necessarily say I don’t “like” him. Heck, there’s a lot I like about Bachmann too. I’m just saying that you’re imagining a lot of this enthusiastic support for Rand Paul. It’s not really there at this point; hence the need for grandstanding.
ddrintn on January 17, 2013 at 11:27 AM
Kudos to Rand for atleast trying. Hes gonna have a hard time maintaining the balance between his pappys kooky supporters and the GOP base.
tommy71 on January 17, 2013 at 12:03 PM
The problem, for me, is not what Rand Paul believes – or even what his father believes – about Israel or anything else. The problem is that Rand Paul is reluctant to distance himself from the votes of people who have projected their kooky and/or pernicious ideas, first on his dad, and now on him.
Knott Buyinit on January 17, 2013 at 12:13 PM
Did you pick that username just for that one post? How clever…
Knott, here’s the problem: almost nothing he says or does can totally distance him from his father’s supporters without making him look like a suck-up to the right wing and the Jewish lobby.
If he came onstage carrying a Israeli flag, dressed like a Rabbi, and gave an entire speech in Yiddish, it STILL wouldn’t convince people like you that he wasn’t “distant” enough from the extreme libertarians. Plus, he’d look like a darn fool in the bargain.
About all he can do is what a politician should do in the first place (like visit our allies) and not repeat his father’s more extreme beliefs.
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 2:49 PM
Yes he is. He can help it by telling the GOP base something like this:
“Take an orderly withdrawal now, or get a Vietnam-style mess when we hit the fiscal cliff. I didn’t put us trillions in debt, liberals in general and Obama in particular did. Blame them.”
MelonCollie on January 17, 2013 at 2:50 PM