Mediaboss Marketing

Rand Paul seized the national stage on Wednesday with his second Mr. Smith-style speech on the Senate floor, linking his presidential hopes to an effort to halt the National Security Agencys data collection program.

The 10 1/2-hour speech was the big, attention-grabbing moment that presidential campaigns crave, and Pauls advisers saw it as a huge opportunity, even as rivals insisted the move was out of step with the Republican Partys hawkish mood.

Story Continued Below

It re-establishes him as the candidate that is willing to buck the Washington establishment for something he thinks is important: to protect individual rights, said Steve Munisteri, a senior adviser to Pauls campaign and the former chairman of the Texas Republican Party. He added, Sen. Paul is the only Republican candidate on the forefront of protecting individual privacy.

A Republican strategist close to the Paul camp put it more bluntly: In a multicandidate field like this, how do you distinguish yourself? How do you break out of the pack? This is one way of doing it: Every other candidate disagrees with [you].

People in Pauls orbit believe that the decision to take to the floor to fight the NSA via a long, filibuster-like speech will galvanize the libertarian base that supported his father, Ron Paul, without turning off more mainstream Republicans. The Paul forces wasted no time fundraising off the event, something sources say will continue, and the campaign revived the #StandwithRand hashtag that Paul made popular with his 2013 filibuster of John Brennans nomination to lead the CIA in order to dramatize his skepticism about the administrations use of drones. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Paul supporters attempted to stage a small, impromptu rally at the Capitol.

But big moves carry big risks, as supporters of Pauls GOP competitors pointed out. Rival campaigns and other Republicans note that times have changed since Paul burst onto the national scene with his filibuster. Now, they say, with the Islamic State on the march, Pauls efforts to restrict the NSA could jeopardize national security. Some predicted the filibuster would backfire, serving mainly to show early-state voters just how out of step Paul can be with the Republican mainstream.

I just dont know if itll generate the same level of energy or enthusiasm, said Robert C. OBrien, a foreign policy adviser to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Were in a different security situation with the fall of Ramadi. While there are people rightly concerned about the NSA following the law and appropriate rules and regulations, I think people realize we face a very, very serious security threat.

Indeed, the move comes as Paul attempts to moderate his image on defense and foreign policy. For years, Republicans have sought to paint him as an isolationist who excessively prioritizes privacy over security. And on many issues, Paul has backed off or de-emphasized some of the harder-line libertarian views he espoused when he entered the Senate as a tea party insurgent.

But on this one, people in Pauls orbit believe that the public is with him. They note polls that suggest voters prefer a balance between civil liberties and national security and believe that the issue will resonate with young people and voters from the technology sector two groups Paul has been courting. That was reflected on his Twitter feed and Instagram accounts, both of which offered up steady streams of content tied to the senators speech, in keeping with the campaigns digital-first mentality. Paul and his allies also had no problem taking swipes at other candidates Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for example who dont go as far as he does in taking on the PATRIOT Act.

See original here:
Rand Paul bets the campaign on filibuster - Katie Glueck ...