Paul Ends Presidential Bid
Rand Paul will drop out of the race for president, according to sources close to the campaign. This follows a fifth-place finish in Iowa.
The Junior Senator from Kentucky will now focus on taking his libertarian following back to his home state, where he will campaign for reelection to the Senate. Paul is set to face very nominal opposition from Democratic Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and is a heavy favorite to win the seat.
Paul’s campaign of substance failed to gain strong traction at the start of the presidential race. Instead, extreme authoritarianism (most notably espoused by Donald Trump) received large populist support, overpowering the sensible voice of reason that began with former Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s presidential bid.
A number of factors hurt Paul’s campaign, including the rise of ISIS, which dampened the GOP’s once-dovish attitudes and the emergence of Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders, all of whom took a significant chunk from the coalition which Paul had planned to use to accomplish victory.
It is difficult to tell if the Senator will, like his father, plan future attempts at the presidency, but there is no doubt that today is a sad day for lovers of liberty. Nonetheless, his campaign has had a significant impact on campaigns, and introduced many previously untapped resources, including using social media and livestreaming to promote his message.