Ever since he began running for office, Rand Paul has been publicly contrasted with his former congressman father. Below are 8 ways Rand Paul is different from Ron Paul:
1. Rand Paul is More Compromising and Pragmatic
Ron Paul often won acclaim for never voting for a tax increase or for any bill not specifically authorized by the Constitution. Rand Paul has indicated an interest in compromising on matters from immigration reform to health care. He has also made efforts to compromise within his own party by working with AIPAC and allowing some foreign aid to countries considered pro-American.
For our country’s sake, certainly for our soldiers’ sake, America’s mission should always be to keep the peace not police the world #VFW
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) July 22, 2013
2. Statewide Elections – Rand Paul Has More Appeal Across an Entire State
In his first race, Rand Paul won the primary and general elections by 23 and 12 points, respectively, and has already won more statewide elections than his father. The only time Ron Paul ever won a popular vote was the US Virgin Islands caucus in 2012.
3. Party Politics
Rand Paul endorsed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2012 in a sign of party loyalty and pragmatism. Ron Paul has not publicly endorsed a major party candidate candidate since Ronald Reagan. In 2008, the elder Paul, a GOP officeholder, endorsed Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin for president.
4. Sanctions
The real isolationists are those who choose to use force overseas to promote democracy, rather than seek change through diplomacy, engagement, and by setting a positive example. – Ron Paul
5. Iran
During his campaign for Senate, Rand Paul said it was “reckless” to take “nuclear weapons off the table in certain circumstances” regarding Iran.
I think it equally unwise to say we will never contain a nuclear Iran.Rand Paul
Ron Paul has said there was no evidence Iran was building a weapon with its nuclear program. The elder Paul also rhetorically asked, “Why wouldn’t Iran want a nuclear weapon” when so many of its neighbors have them. It was an indication that, although Ron Paul opposes nuclear weapons, he does not consider a nuclear Iran a threat to the US.
6. Rand Paul is More Likely to Talk About Religion
While Ron Paul has always identified himself as a Christian, he has doesn’t talk about his faith very often. He has also said activities like the Prayer Breakfast seem more about publicity than faith.
Rand Paul has spoken to numerous faith-based groups, often as a way of spreading his views about Just War. The younger Paul also expressed his antipathy to a strike on Syria by making a deliberate point about how it would affect Middle-Eastern Christians.
7. War on Drugs
Ron Paul has said the war on drugs has been a “failure” comparable to the prohibition of alcohol. He has also supported a general de-criminalization of narcotics on a federal level.
During his 2010 campaign, Rand Paul favored states rights regarding drug prohibition while also telling an evangelical Christian group in Iowa earlier this year that he “does not support the legalization of drugs like marijuana.”
More recently, the younger Paul came out against mandatory minimum sentencing for drug possession. He also called for the restoration of voting rights for felons, an important issue in the drug war.
8. Income Tax
Since at least his 2008 run for president, Ron Paul famously said that the national income tax should be “repealed and replaced with nothing.” Rand Paul as recently as this summer advocated for the “Fair Tax” with a rate of 17 percent for individuals and supports eliminating “most” of the Internal Revenue Service.