Over a month has passed since Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) record-breaking Congressional filibuster, yet his momentum is far from fading. Frequent public appearances and the recent threat of another filibuster on sweeping gun control legislation stand in contrast with the more subdued rhetoric characteristic of his first two years in office–a shift that has garnered him a national spotlight, thousands of new libertarian-leaning supporters, and potential to fulfill his promise of reforming the Republican Party from the inside out.
Doug Stafford, chief of staff of Paul’s administration, was especially confident in the Senator’s long-term political prospects immediately following the March filibuster: “Rand is one of the only people who can speak to libertarians, social conservatives, as well as your average mainstream Republican voter.” Paradoxically, Stafford seems to imply that a unifying movement in the GOP stems from fiery, persistent rhetoric that is divisive in nature. How, then, should we account for Paul’s recent surge in polls and increased popularity, especially among students and minorities?
The answer is simpler than it seems, and stems from the fact that the 2012 Presidential Election raised key issues that the GOP must address in order to broaden its base of support. Since November, the party has seen the shortcomings of a conservative movement that increasingly alienates sizable segments of the American population. As a new generation of GOP politicians emerges, important players have begun calling for paradigm shifts in how the party interacts with minorities, women, immigrants, and gay communities. Avoiding the mistakes of 2012 has become the name of the game for 2016 hopefuls.
This is where Rand Paul comes in. Grounded in ideas of personal liberty central to the GOP’s original message decades ago, his platform’s popularity has surged within groups that have been traditionally left out of the conversation–fiscally conservative yet socially progressive individuals unwilling to commit to the “left versus right” divide, moderate Republican and Democratic voters frustrated with the country’s non-compliant political system, and thousands of young supporters, many of whom will vote for the first time come 2016.
Senator Paul’s seemingly divisive disagreements with Republicans and Democrats alike are more than election-speak; they have allowed him to begin setting up a solid framework for revitalizing the GOP within the party itself while simultaneously challenging the Obama administration on issues that hurt the most — something his father was never able to accomplish. In doing so, Paul has emerged as a potential unifying agent amidst a political atmosphere mired by internal divisions and seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints.
More importantly, he has shown the American public that he is very capable of leading the GOP to a revitalized future — one in which it needs not be regarded as “grand” or “old.”