Some Advice for Dr. Rand Paul

Shortly after winning the Republican Party nomination for the U.S. Senate, Republican nominee Dr. Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, stirred up some unnecessary controversy when he appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Anyone who knows anything about MSNBC knows that it's one of the most liberal news networks in the country. There's probably not a major news media network that is as much pro-Obama as MSNBC. However, on May 20, Rand Paul made an appearance on Rachel Maddow and the topic for discussion was the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Paul stated that he disagreed with the provision of the 1964 Civil Rights Act which states that private businesses can't discriminate against minorities. Paul, the son of Texas Congressman Ron Paul and a Libertarian states that he believes the federal government doesn't have the right to intrude on private businesses. That was Paul's argument. As a result, Paul's already been facing a storm of protest because of his statements. The national Democrats are focusing on Paul's statement about the 1964 Civil Rights Act and will undoubtedly use that against him in the upcoming November election. Jack Conway, the Democratic nominee who will be facing Paul in November, will probably be using those sound bites in campaign ads. Paul's already placed himself in hot water.

I was reading a blog called "The Hill" and it had a post on there which said that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had some advice for Paul. The post read that McConnell stated Paul needs to stay out of the national spotlight and focus his attention on campaigning to the voters in Kentucky. I'm not a McConnell fan, but he's exactly on target. What was the purpose of Dr. Rand Paul appearing on the Rachel Maddow show on May 20 to discuss an issue that he's very unlikely going to visit if he win's Jim Bunning's Senate seat this fall? That is an irrelevant issue as far as I'm concerned. Does Paul intend on revising that one provision in the 1964 Civil Rights Act? I highly doubt it. Paul needs to spend his time trying to make his appeal to those that are going to elect him to the Senate. Fox news, CNN, MSNBC, etc. aren't going to elect him. It doesn't serve much purpose for him to appear on those networks.

Since I am a voter in Kentucky, I have a little advice for Dr. Rand Paul that I feel would be helpful concerning his fall campaign. I'm certain he's not going to pay much attention to me, but I do have a few words of advice. First of all, stay out of the national spotlight. I'm reiterating what Senator Mitch McConnell said. You need to devote your time campaigning across the Bluegrass state. You need to make appearances at rallies, forums, debates, and the list continues. It's not necessary for you to make appearances on Fox, MSNBC, and CNN, but you do need to make appearances on local television in Kentucky. You also should use the medium of radio to broadcast your message as well. The Kentucky voters are the only ones you need to concern yourself with. We're the ones that will be voting for you. The major networks aren't going to vote for you.

Secondly, you should devote your time campaigning on issues that are relevant to Kentuckians and America nationwide. Don't waste your time elaborating about past issues such as civil rights when you're aren't going to revisit those issues. Are you planning on revisiting the 1964 Civil Rights Act to modify the provision about government intruding in on private businesses? I doubt it. Leave it alone. There are numerous race baiters out there that will take you to task over that such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Remeber last fall when President Obama was speaking before Congress about his healthcare proposal and Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) yelled "You lie!" Jimmy Carter later twisted Wilson's statement trying to insinuate that Wilson said it because he had the belief a black man shouldn't be in the White House. You will be called racist and all sorts of names for the statement you made about government and private business. You didn't help your cause. Don't waste your time speaking of past issues that you don't intend using your influence as Senator to change. Also, there was a statement you made last Saturday about President Obama when you criticized him for criticizing BP because it gave the appearance of being un-American or anti-business. That was not a carefully constructed statement. A better statement would've been, "Mr. President, I know you've been critical of BP's response in regards to the massive oil spill in the Gulf, and they do deserve blame where blame is due. However, what has the federal government done to try to contain the oil spill? How come the Department of Homeland Security, the Navy, the Coast Guard, FEMA, or othe agencies stepped in to help contain this massive oil spill? This is an emergency that requires teamwork. This effects our economy, wildlife, the fishing industry, etc. You haven't done your part either in dealing with this oil spill." That would've been a much stronger statement. While you're at it, why don't you take time to criticize the cozy relationship between the government and the oil industry? Anytime government and corporations are in bed together, there's always the potential for something crooked to take place.

In your campaign, you make much about the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, your campaign slogan should revolve around God, country, and the Constitution. That's my slogan. I'm going to suggest you adopt it. What do I mean by that? First of all, you should recognize God created the world and He's in charge. Secondly, this country was founded by people that wanted the freedom to worship God as they chose. They also founded this country on Judeo Christian principles. Everything revolves around the Lord. Secondly your purpose as a Senator is to respect this great country's sovereignty and its borders. You should also recognize English is our official language and anyone that migrates to this country should learn English if he/she intends to live here. Do you respect our immigration laws and what would you do to enforce border security? Are you in favor of building a border fence? What would be your plan for those that live in this country illegally? Those are important questions. What's your view on trade agreements with other countries? Thirdly, as a Senator you are to uphold, protect, and defend the Constitution. Are you supportive of any legislation that is in opposition to the Constitution? Would you make attempts as Senator to repeal the recently passed healthcare bill? What's your view about the Federal Reserve? Would you support America leaving the Federal Reserve and come back to the constitutional principle of Congress coining our money? Your campaign should revolve around those three words I just mentioned: God, country, and the Constitution.

Lastly, you need to address the issue concerning energy in America. Do you believe America needs to stop importing foreign oil? What's your view about drilling for oil in general? How about offshore drilling in the face of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizons rig? How can we ensure that we can prevent another explosion like the Deepwater Horizons? What should the federal response be in a crisis of this magnitude? What forms of alternate energy would you be in favor of? The energy issue is very critical. It's not only critical in the sense of conservation but also in terms of national security. Given the warlike atmosphere in the Middle East, we don't need to continue importing oil from the Middle East. This issue is urgent.

In summation, you need to focus on the issues that matter to Kentuckians and America as a whole. Don't focus on past issues that are irrelevant for today. Also, devote your time to campaigning in Kentucky and don't concern yourself with making guest appearances on these major networks such as MSNBC, Fox, and CNN. If you will focus on those two things you will increase your chances for a victory in November. You already are in trouble for bringing up a past issue. The Democrats will exploit your statement about the 1964 Civil Rights bill from now until November. It would be wise for you to focus on the important issues that affect us today instead of issues from the past you have no intention of changing .