By: Russell Dye
Ron Paul has endorsed Paul Broun for Georgia’s 2014 U.S. Senate race. If that turned your head, you are not alone. Should Georgians be excited for such an endorsement from a high-powered political actor such as Paul? Will this endorsement impact the Georgia Senate race in 2014? Broun surely hopes so. His opponents do not.
Broun and Paul have shared what Broun likes to call a “longtime friendship” for some time now. Their politics are similar. Both have called for audits of the Federal Reserve and constantly pushed the envelope on non-partisan voting against fellow Republicans in Congress. Neither man is scared to push the limit against the establishment or fight for what he believes in. That is not to say that Broun and Paul are different candidates. They have different views regarding various policies. Broun will not likely govern like Paul in the future, but one has to admit that their against-the-grain styles of politics are somewhat similar.
Paul was an interesting actor in the 2012 election. He had a very loyal following and fought the good fight in the election process up until the almost bitter end. His Libertarian mindset, down-to-earth sense of humor, and sometimes-controversial beliefs created one of the strongest fan bases in the election; however, it was not enough to secure him the nomination. In Georgia’s Republican presidential primary, Paul received a mere 60 thousand votes – only 6 percent of the total votes cast. He was not able to win the establishment vote in the primaries. He did not excite the true Republican base with his Libertarian ideas. His push-the-limit attitude was not admired by some and thus exiled him within his own party. His anti-party tactics did not work in Georgia or the rest of the country and caused his campaign to fail on Election Day, but will his endorsement help Broun?
Paul’s endorsement of Broun may have done nothing but hurt Broun even more. We all remember some of Paul’s attention-grabbing statements that caused great controversy. For example, he once said that Abraham Lincoln was not one of the country’s greatest presidents, 9/11 was the United States’ fault, and the United States should eliminate the FBI altogether. All these statements, along with many others, isolated Paul even more from voters. His controversial politics did not excite voters, and that was reflected in the ballot box. Both men hold some interesting beliefs on policy, and Georgia Republican voters will not appreciate them combined or used in their party. Paul is seen almost as an outlaw in Republican politics, and Broun should not want to be associated with that idealist attitude in such a Red-Establishment state such as Georgia. Since Broun has now associated himself with Paul, it may be too late for the 2014 senate candidate, and Georgians may turn their backs on Broun like they did on Paul.
That’s not to say that Broun does not have a chance at winning Georgia’s U.S. Senate race simply because Paul endorsed him. Since it is so early in the election cycle, and many people simply are not paying attention to this election quite yet, Broun still may have time to think about how far he wants to take his Paul endorsement. Broun needs to be wise and use caution when flaunting his endorsement from Paul to such a state like Georgia. Georgia is not a hotbed of Libertarian ideas. As seen in the 2012 presidential primary, Georgia is very much a Republican establishment-based state, and should be campaigned for that way. Voters in this state do not get excited for Paul and may not get excited for Broun if they think he is a similar politician.
Broun should work on securing some more establishment-based endorsements before his fellow opponents take them away. Paul will only get a candidate so far in this state, maybe 60 thousand votes, but his endorsement will not be enough to win a seat; however, maybe Broun thinks it will. Maybe that is just the candidate Broun believes he should run as, one with anti-establishment beliefs and a fighting mentality. Broun must remember that he will have to face potential opponents such as Phil Gingrey, Jack Kingston, and Karen Handel who will do nothing but try to isolate him from the party, and if Broun clings to Paul, that is exactly what will happen.
This is a major endorsement early on in this election. It may be too early, but its effects will certainly be seen in the coming months. It will also be very interesting to see what Broun does from here on out. Will he try to lean on the establishment or will he continue to lean the other way? How will his opponents use this endorsement against him? It is early, but the race is on in Georgia. Buy your tickets now folks, its going to be a show.
