Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky after speaking at CPAC on Friday.Credit Jabin Botsford/The New York Times
Best Applause Line: “It’s time for a new president.†This brought most of the crowd to its feet, including a boisterous section up near the front of the stage that started waving its red “Stand With Rand†signs and shouting “President Paul! President Paul!†The spontaneous eruption brought a big grin to the senator’s face.
Crickets: None, really. One of the best receptions at CPAC so far.
Entrance Song: “Frankenstein” by The Edgar Winter Group
Red Meat: His repeated references to the American military intervention in Libya as “Hillary’s war.†He used the phrase three times and said Mrs. Clinton’s “dereliction of duty†in Benghazi should forever preclude her from office.
Toughest Question: What do you say to Republicans who think you’re not tough enough on foreign policy? Mr. Paul offered that there were a range of beliefs on the subject inside the Republican Party, implying that he thinks conservatives ought to be more tolerant of those who share libertarian views like his. There are people who believe America should not go anywhere outside its own borders, he said. Then there are those “who think we should be everywhere all the time.” He didn’t need to say what he thought of the latter category.
Mood in the Room: Revved-up. The Pauls – Rand and his father Ron – have always done well at CPAC. In fact, they have won the straw poll in 2010 and 2011 (Ron), 2013 and 2014 (Rand). If the younger Mr. Paul doesn’t win the conference’s straw poll this year, it would be a big disappointment.
He played to the crowd, which has tended to skew younger and more libertarian. He made much about his belief that the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program is unlawful, and that the Central Intelligence Agency has lied to the American people about it – the red-meat equivalent for libertarians.
But his position on national defense – a source of concern for many conservatives who fear he is too soft – was the elephant in the room. Mr. Paul tried to address this by saying he favored a national defense “robust enough to defend against all attacks, modern enough to deter all enemies and nimble enough to defend our vital interests.â€
Then he offered a big caveat: “But as conservatives,†he said, “we should not succumb to the notion that a government inept at home will somehow become successful abroad.†The crowd seemed to agree.
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