Paul Balances Defense and Peace in Palmetto State
Rand Paul took his presidential announcement tour to South Carolina today. The state that will play an important role in choosing the GOP nominee, but is seen as one of Paul’s biggest obstacles to the nomination. The considerably hawkish electorate in that state was not very kind to Rand’s father, former Congressman Ron Paul, either time he ran for president.
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Paul’s biggest critics have sought to paint him with with the broad brush of isolationism that they tarred his father, Ron Paul, with. It’s an image Rand has been battling for some time, even though his positions often differ from his father’s on foreign affairs.
Staging his speech in front of the U.S.S. Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Paul carefully laid out his vision for leadership strong enough to defeat its enemies, but wise enough to pursue peace.
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“As commander in chief, the world will know that our objective is peace. But the world will not mistake our desire for peace for passivity. The world should not mistake our reluctance for war for inaction. And if war should prove unavoidable, America will fight with overwhelming force and we will not relent until victory is ours,” Paul told the crowd.
It may be an unconventional line to walk in the Republican Party, but Paul’s foreign policy is smart. America needs to be able to defend itself, and the right will never support someone who they believe is hesitant to do that. But America must not rush into costly wars, or promote chaos abroad.
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“I think there is no greater responsibility for any legislator or leader than to determine when we go to war,” said Paul.
It’s too early to tell whether Paul’s message will resonate in South Carolina, but the senator did an excellent job communicating the nuances of his foreign policy. America needs a leader strong enough to go to war if necessary, wise enough to not when it isn’t, and humble enough to understand the weight of that decision.
Paul also brought his message of criminal justice equality to the Palmetto state. Tensions are still high there after the shooting of an unarmed black man by a white police officer. Paul took the opportunity to speak on criminal justice reform.
“This message of liberty is for people of all walks of life — the message of liberty, opportunity and justice,” he said. “We shouldn’t let the liberals take the word justice, we need to be party of justice. We need to be for all Americans, whether you wear a suit, a uniform, overalls, whether you’re rich or poor white or black. We need to be the party of all Americans.”
It’s a powerful populist message of equality. One which could grow and transform the GOP into a much more relevant part, as Paul said; “one that could stand for all Americans.”
