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Rand Paul Purchases a Path Around an Inconvenient Kentucky Law
Source: The Atlantic
Rand Paul is giving new meaning to the term buying an election.
Over the weekend, the Kentucky senator said he gave $250,000 to his states Republican Party for the explicit purpose of funding its presidential caucus in March. He promised to pony up another $200,000 in the fall, enough to cover the entire cost of the nominating event. Put another way: Paul is paying the party to hold an election in which he is running.
Hes doing it neither to ensure a victory nor out of the simple goodness of his heart. No, Paul is making a rather blatant end-run around state law, and hes compensating the Kentucky GOP for going along with him. The law forbids someone from appearing on the same ballot as a candidate for two different offices, and Paul, who is up for reelection next year, doesnt want to give up his Senate seat to make his rather long-shot bid for the presidency.
Democrats in the Bluegrass Grass state blocked his allies attempt to repeal the law, so Paul has been trying to persuade the Republican Party to ditch its presidential primary in May in favor of a caucus in March. That way, the primaries for president and Senate wont be on the same day, and Paul wont have to appear twice on the same ballot. (The change wouldnt fix the problem in the general election, but for a candidate sitting around eighth in the polls, thats a bridge to cross another day.) Pauls idea won a crucial endorsement from Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader and preeminent power broker in Kentucky, and while members of the state party have generally been receptive, some have voiced concerns about paying for a separate election in a year when Republicans are desperately trying to wrest the governors mansion away from Democrats. That election is this November, and its expected to be close.
Over the weekend, the Kentucky senator said he gave $250,000 to his states Republican Party for the explicit purpose of funding its presidential caucus in March. He promised to pony up another $200,000 in the fall, enough to cover the entire cost of the nominating event. Put another way: Paul is paying the party to hold an election in which he is running.
Hes doing it neither to ensure a victory nor out of the simple goodness of his heart. No, Paul is making a rather blatant end-run around state law, and hes compensating the Kentucky GOP for going along with him. The law forbids someone from appearing on the same ballot as a candidate for two different offices, and Paul, who is up for reelection next year, doesnt want to give up his Senate seat to make his rather long-shot bid for the presidency.
Democrats in the Bluegrass Grass state blocked his allies attempt to repeal the law, so Paul has been trying to persuade the Republican Party to ditch its presidential primary in May in favor of a caucus in March. That way, the primaries for president and Senate wont be on the same day, and Paul wont have to appear twice on the same ballot. (The change wouldnt fix the problem in the general election, but for a candidate sitting around eighth in the polls, thats a bridge to cross another day.) Pauls idea won a crucial endorsement from Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader and preeminent power broker in Kentucky, and while members of the state party have generally been receptive, some have voiced concerns about paying for a separate election in a year when Republicans are desperately trying to wrest the governors mansion away from Democrats. That election is this November, and its expected to be close.
Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/rand-paul-will-pay-for-kentuckys-gop-election-by-himself/401711/
Personally, I don't think he has to worry. By the time the Primary rolls around, he'll be long gone from the Presidential race.
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Rand Paul Purchases a Path Around an Inconvenient Kentucky Law (Original Post)
brooklynite
Aug 2015
OP
I think the courts may shut this down. Even if the gop goes to a caucus the state
hrmjustin
Aug 2015
#2
underpants
(182,904 posts)1. This story has gotten almost no attention
Thanks for posting this.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)2. I think the courts may shut this down. Even if the gop goes to a caucus the state
still will hold a primary by law so his name would still be on the ballot twice if he continues his run for president.
brooklynite
(94,742 posts)5. No - not if he doesn't file for ballot access
...which would look silly, but it would be a legal workaround.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)6. Ah! It would look ridiculous but it could work.
riversedge
(70,310 posts)3. whow. this is the first I have heard of this. thanks
Javaman
(62,534 posts)4. oh ayn rand paul, that is money sooo well spent...
LOL
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)7. maybe he could lose twice .................
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)9. maybe he could lose twice .................
tanyev
(42,622 posts)8. I will laugh so hard if he ends up paying $450K for Kentucky to go for anyone but Rand.