People keep trying to make Rand Paul answer for every idiotic and fringe action of his father. The latest is forming a new think tank called the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, which, in the words of Walter Russell Mead, has an advisory board full of "Putin shills, Serb genocide apologists, 9/11 truthers, and pro-Confederate loons." Mr. Mead then says "Ron Paul has come close to wrecking his son's presidential hopes, and there is no telling just how much more trouble he and his friends will be making."
First, who cares? Can you imagine the negative ad? "Lew Rockwell sits on an advisory board for a think tank run by his father. Rand Paul should have to answer for that". People's first reaction will be "Lew is a funny way to spell Lou". This is pure nitpicky inside the beltway stuff that nobody cares about except the chattering classes. In America, we generally don't judge people by who their parents are, judging people on their own individual merits. Let's just take a look at some recent Presidents (and wannabe Presidents) to see how their dads stack up. Obama's father was a drunk, a bigamist and a wife beater. Al Gore's father voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Clinton's stepfather was a drunk and wife beater and his biological father had 3 secret marriages before he married his Clinton's mother.
First, who cares? Can you imagine the negative ad? "Lew Rockwell sits on an advisory board for a think tank run by his father. Rand Paul should have to answer for that". People's first reaction will be "Lew is a funny way to spell Lou". This is pure nitpicky inside the beltway stuff that nobody cares about except the chattering classes. In America, we generally don't judge people by who their parents are, judging people on their own individual merits. Let's just take a look at some recent Presidents (and wannabe Presidents) to see how their dads stack up. Obama's father was a drunk, a bigamist and a wife beater. Al Gore's father voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Clinton's stepfather was a drunk and wife beater and his biological father had 3 secret marriages before he married his Clinton's mother.
What's much more important than what his father does is how he comes across to the American people. My guess is that a Senator who continues to do pro bono work as a doctor and famously stands up for what he believes in is going to come across pretty well.
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