War in Ukraine may make GOP doves cry


Beginning sometime in 2013, there were a spate of headlines about the senator from Kentucky who was leading the Republican presidential field. "Rand Paul, 2016 Republican front-runner" was the Washington Post's version. Business Insider sought to explain "How Rand Paul became the GOP frontrunner for 2016." The Atlantic proclaimed in early 2014 "Rand Paul is the 2016 Republican frontrunner."
Paul declined in the polls not long afterward and dropped out following a distant fifth-place showing in the Iowa caucuses. Politico even ran a hall of shame of frontrunner Paul takes (including one by yours truly)
Some of Paul's failure to catch on as a presidential candidate had to do with peaking too soon — it happens. The libertarian moment that fueled Paul's rise had already passed by the time the primaries had rolled around. Much of it, like so much else in the 2016 Republican race, was about Donald Trump sucking all the oxygen out of the room.
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.
But a lot of it had to do with the rise of ISIS — and, to a lesser extent, the debate over the Iran nuclear deal — awakening dormant Republican hawkish tendencies in a way that made it difficult for Paul to adjust while clearly differentiating himself from non-libertarian GOP candidates.
There's a real risk for populist Republicans, who have also taken a more dovish foreign policy line than the Cold War era GOP, that Russia's invasion of Ukraine will create a similar dynamic threatening their influence over the party. Hawks like Liz Cheney certainly hope so. Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance has certainly taken a pounding over his comments about Ukraine being less important than certain domestic problems. Former President Trump has courted a similar backlash.
Trump managed to square the circle of intervention skepticism and "bombing the s--t" out of ISIS in 2016, beating multiple more hawkish candidates, including Hillary Clinton. He might be able to do it again on Russia. He has certainly marginalized the Cheney types who are most eager to make the populist moment as brief as the libertarian one.
On the other hand, there are a lot of people trying to turn national conservatism into a more blue-collar neoconservatism. Call it America First — to bomb foreign countries. The cable news chyrons about Russian President Vladimir Putin lend themselves well to Cold War 2.0 positioning.
They may not get a no-fly zone in Ukraine, but they could make the GOP a no-fly zone for doves.
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
W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.
-
Nashville dining: Far more than barbecue and hot chicken
Feature A modern approach to fine-dining, a daily-changing menu, and more
-
Music Reviews: Coco Jones and Viagra Boys
Feature "Why Not More?" and "Viagr Aboys"
-
Visa wants to let AI make credit card purchases for you
The Explainer The program will allow you to set a budget and let AI learn from your shopping preferences
-
Why is Crimea a sticking point between Russia and Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Questions over control of the Black Sea peninsula are stymying the peace process
-
Trump blames Zelenskyy for peace deal setbacks
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the US proposal, which includes Russia's takeover of Crimea
-
The anger fueling the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barnstorming tour
Talking Points The duo is drawing big anti-Trump crowds in red states
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate run
Today's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly
-
Ukraine nabs first Chinese troops in Russia war
Speed Read Ukraine claims to have f two Chinese men fighting for Russia
-
Why are Finland and other nations leaving the land mine treaty?
Today's Big Question Russia's neighbors beef up their defenses
-
Bombs or talks: What's next in the US-Iran showdown?
Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration