Conservative Candidates Should Take a Lesson From Rand Paul

I won’t laud every interaction that U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has had with the press since launching his presidential campaign, but his response during a press conference in New Hampshire last week is something that conservative candidates should take note of.

Even though Brian Myers and I discussed this on the radio over the weekend, I wanted to write about this last week, but didn’t get the chance, so I want to give Paul kudos here.

Well done Senator, masterfully played.

In case you are not aware of what happened, here is the scenario:

Philip Elliott, a reporter with the Associated Press, earlier tried to seek “clarification” of Paul’s position on exceptions for abortion.  Paul stated that he has supported bills with and without exceptions in order to move the ball forward on life.

The thing is about abortion, and about a lot of things, is that I think people get tied up in all these details of, sort of, you’re this or this or that, or you’re hard and fast (on) one thing or the other.  I’ve supported both bills with and without (exceptions), you know. In general, I am pro-life. So I will support legislation that advances and shows that life is special and deserves protection.

After a speech in Milford, NH on Wednesday, Paul Steinhauser, a local New Hampshire reporter, tried to get further “clarification” from Paul. Should there be any exemptions or not?” he asked.

Paul’s response…

What’s the DNC say?

Here’s the deal: we always seen to have the debate way over here on what are the exact details of exemptions, or when it starts. (Paul waved his hands to the left)  Why don’t we ask the DNC – Is it okay to kill a seven-pound baby in the uterus? You go back and you ask Debbie Wasserman-Schultz if she’s OK with killing a seven-pound baby that is not born yet. Ask her when life begins, and you ask Debbie when it’s okay to protect life. When you get an answer from Debbie, get back to me.

Listen to the audio:

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Wasserman-Schultz responded in a statement from the DNC.

Here’s an answer I support letting women and their doctors make this decision without government getting involved. Period. End of story. Now your turn, Senator Paul. We know you want to allow government officials like yourself to make this decision for women — but do you stand by your opposition to any exceptions, even when it comes to rape, incest, or life of the mother? Or do we just have different definitions of ‘personal liberty’?

And I’d appreciate it if you could respond without ‘shushing’ me.

Paul replied on CNN.

It sounds like her answer is yes, that she’s OK with killing a 7-pound baby.

Debbie’s position, which I guess is the Democratic Party’s position, that an abortion all the way up until the day of birth would be fine, I really think most pro-choice people would be uncomfortable with that.

Looking at recent polling… A Marist College poll shows 84% of Americans want to see a late-term abortion ban.  A YouGov poll taken this month shows that 52% of Americans believe life begins at conception and that 66% believes that babies in the womb are people.

Paul turned the tables on Democrats.  When candidates get questions like these, instead of falling into the trap that liberal journalists want to set, to see if they can get their “Todd Akin” moment, they need to point out how extreme the liberal position is.  The official Democrat position on abortion is extreme and out-of-step with average Americans.  Period.