Rand Paul doing well.

Rand Paul.

The recent wave of tea parties have thrown a totally new dynamic into the midterm elections in the US with a dramatic groundswell of anti big government sentiment rising. Millions of people attended rallies all over the country to demand smaller, more representative, financially responsible government, culminating in a massive gathering in Washington.

This appears to be ongoing with Rasmussen Reports recently reporting that if the Tea Party were to stand candidates the Republicans would be pushed into 3rd place. Worse for them is the fact that 33% of Republicans would vote Tea Party. This is consistent with the finding that 41% of all voters’ nationwide say Republicans and Democrats are so much alike that a new party is needed to represent the American people.

The next election looks set to become a slaughterhouse for incumbents on both sides of the aisle, with even Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi looking shaky. It is doubtful if the Obama factor will play much of a part except negatively as today’s tracking poll shows him at –19%; his lowest so far after a long and consistent slide.


One of the beneficiaries of this groundswell is Rand Paul, son of Ron, who is standing for the Senate from Kentucky, and despite being a political novice hit the lead over a GOP backed competitor, and has rapidly raised over $1.4 million in campaign funds. A smear campaign is starting on him from both the left and the right.

The Republican establishment has criticized him for refusing to back McConnell for Senate Leader, even though McConnell is actively fundraising for his opponent. One of the more bizarre claims is that Paul is not a true Republican like his opponent Trey Grayson. Liberty Maven points out:

Trey Grayson used to be a Democrat and campaigned for Bill Clinton in the 90’s. At that time Rand Paul was busy founding an anti-tax group in Kentucky.

Paul has just gained the support of the Downsize DC group, making a very favorable impression on them. He has promised to support the following bills they have proposed (Video here):

The Read the Bills Act, which demands that every bill must be read out in its entirety before a quorum in both House and Senate, and other provisions to prevent bills being voted on in ignorance.

The One Subject at a Time act, to prevent unpopular legislation being piggybacked through on other legislation, as Real ID was.

The write the laws act, which is to prevent Congress delegating this responsibility to bureaucrats.

The Enumerated Powers Act, requiring each bill to include reference to which section of the enumerated powers under the Constitution it claims validity, and …

The fiscal responsibility act, which will trigger an automatic congressional pay cut for every year the budget is in deficit.

Wow; can we get those in Australia?