Is Ron Paul a political liability for his son?
Rand Paul could be a Republican contender in 2016. Until then, he might want to tell his dad to tone it down.
Earlier this week, former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) posted a message on Facebook that caused a bit of a ruckus in conservative circles.
"We're supposed to believe that the perpetrators of 9/11 hated us for our freedom and goodness," he wrote. "In fact, that crime was blowback for decades of U.S. intervention in the Middle East."
That required Ron's son, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), to do some damage control in the press, though he didn't exactly discredit his father's views:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Many conservatives, including Washington Post writer Jennifer Rubin, were not placated by Rand's comment:
This isn't the first time Ron Paul has been criticized over his views on U.S. foreign policy. During the 2012 Republican primary debates, a crowd in South Carolina repeatedly booed him after he recommend making cuts to the U.S. "military industrial complex."
And that was when he had something to lose. Now, out of office, he has had little reason to watch what he says.
Since his retirement from the House, Paul has offered a puzzling critique of a murdered Navy SEAL, slammed the police in Boston for shutting down the city to find bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and, most recently, gave a speech to a Catholic organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center called "the single largest group of hard-core anti-Semites in America."
Then there is the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. Launched in April, its advisory board includes a 9/11 truther, an apologist for the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, and Lew Rockwell, who has been accused of writing Paul's newsletters in the '90s, which one critic has called a "toxic stew of racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, sympathy for right-wing militia movements, and support for a litany of conspiracy theories."
"It might be unfair that Rand has to answer for the sins of his father," wrote The Daily Caller's Jamie Weinstein several weeks ago, "but this is politics and it isn't always fair."
Not that Rand can, or even wants to, sever the political connection to his father. A big reason that Rand has a strong libertarian-leaning base is that Ron has been building it since entering Congress in 1976.
Plus, Rand Paul occasionally "channels his father's views," argued Rubin, "questioning the need for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, pushing containment for Iran, cozying up to the pro-Confederate crowd."
Those views might not fly if Rand is serious about running for president.
"Ron Paul was never really damaged by these issues because he was always a marginal presidential candidate," argued Commentary's Jonathan S. Tobin. The situation is different for Rand. While Hillary Clinton looks like the clear front-runner for the Democrats in 2016, the Republican candidacy looks wide open, meaning he might actually have a chance in a way that his father didn't.
"If Rand wants to truly go mainstream, his father's baggage is going to have to be jettisoned," wrote Tobin. "Doubletalk may suffice for now, but as we get closer to 2016, the questions will get sharper and the danger that his father's big mouth represents to his presidential hopes will only get worse."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 16, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - pointed commentary, Haiti in trouble, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the RNC's MAGA takeover
Cartoons Artists take on RNC funding, Lara Trump, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump's presidential run: a bad bet for Republicans?
Talking Point The GOP is taking a 'big gamble' on former president's 2024 White House bid
By The Week UK Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will North Korea take advantage of Israel-Hamas conflict?
Today's Big Question Pyongyang's ties with Russia are 'growing and dangerous' amid reports it sent weapons to Gaza
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published