Some Kentucky Republicans are in a bit of a tight spot. They believe in Rand Paul — just not that he can actually be president. According to a report in the Associated Press, some members of the GOP are hoping Paul will give up on his White House ambitions and focus on retaining his seat in the Senate. Rand Paul’s name was floated as a potential front-runner when he launched his much-hyped bid, but weak polling and anemic fundraising — his camp only raised about $2.5 million in the third quarter, toward the bottom of the GOP pack — has had some souring on the idea of “Rand Paul for President.”
Now they’re hinting that maybe he should set his sights on a more realistic goal. “I can’t see what he’s holding out for,” the Republican Party Chairman of Casey County told the AP. “If I were in his position, I think, looking at the numbers, I think I would focus more on my Senate seat.” It’s hard to imagine Paul’s seat is under threat right now, as he doesn’t have a Democratic opponent — but that could change after state elections next month. Others are hoping a little flattery might work, and are bragging about what an “effective” senator he is, as if that’s totally cooler than being president. But for now Paul seems to be digging in, as his campaign shot down rumors this week that he was dropping out of the 2016 race, saying the candidate is “here to stay.”
