GOP Candidates Have Varied Records on Liberty
Across the country, students are gearing up for summer and completing their final exams. In addition, the 2016 presidential field is beginning to take shape, as new contenders are getting involved every day. With so many choices on the GOP side and the race in flux, it is important that primary voters know how these presidential aspirants measure up to one another. In the spirit of academia, let’s view the “report cards” for the some of the top candidates in the 2016 race in four key categories: economic liberty, personal liberty, foreign policy and honesty. Also, in the spirit of going “back to school,” these candidates’ report cards will be accompanied by pictures of them from their younger days.
1. Rand Paul: A
Economic Liberty: A
Personal Liberty: A-
Foreign Policy: A-
Honesty: A
At the top of the GOP class is Senator Rand Paul, who is easily one of the most principled candidates in the entire 2016 race. Paul has consistently opposed increases in the size of government, and he was the only person in the US Senate who proposed a budget amendment which would have resulted in a net cut in spending, even while giving neo-conservatives the increase in defense spending which they so desired.
He has also carved out a niche in speaking out against the negative effects of the Drug War and NSA spying. Paul has been markedly more “traditionally conservative” than his father on foreign policy, but he still remains the most staunch non-interventionist in the GOP primary field.
