Rand Paul suggests he could win 33 percent of the black vote
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), widely presumed to be considering a 2016 presidential run, claims that the the GOP could easily improve its dismal reputation among black voters, going so far as to claim that the right ticket — presumably led by Paul himself — would win 33 percent of the black vote.
Sen. Rand Paul tells Politico that the Republican presidential candidate in 2016 could capture one-third or more of the African-American vote by pushing criminal-justice reform, school choice, and economic empowerment.
"If Republicans have a clue and do this and go out and ask every African-American for their vote, I think we can transform an election in one cycle," the Kentucky Republican said in a phone interview Thursday as he was driven through New Hampshire in a rental car. [Politico]
There is certainly lots of room for improvement. In 2012, Mitt Romney won 6 percent of the African American vote.
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.
