Senator Rand Paul has known government all his life. He is the son the arguably most influential American libertarian of all time, Ron Paul. Many people who consider themselves libertarians love Ron Paul. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he graduated from Duke university of medicine. He was a specialist in obstetrics, helping to deliver over 4,000 children (“Who Is Ron Paul?”). However, he is most known for his role in government. Ron Paul is a classical libertarian and has opposed big government in both social and economic affairs. He ran for president three times but was never elected. Despite this, Ron Paul continues the fight against big government and has helped form a son who can follow in his footprints. Rand Paul was born in his …show more content…
He is a favorite of those who believe in libertarianism, defined as “The philosophy of personal and economic freedom” (“Introduction to Libertarianism”). Rand stances exemplify these beliefs. On energy issues, he believes in that the U.S should maintain energy independence, producing and distributing their own. He is very pro-life, respecting the rights of the child. He believes that the child is entitled to their God-given rights under the constitution and that they cannot have them legally taken away. The issue of the national debt is likely where he is the most libertarian. He believes the key to a lower national debt is lower government intervention in general. The less regulation, the greater the economic growth. He believes that a smaller simpler tax code will assist Americans in filling out their taxes accurately, and ensuring that no loopholes are formed. He believes in a judicial system that punishes only violent and dangerous people. He believes that the education board has grown too large, and education has been contaminated as a result. And most importantly, he believes in protecting the constitution line for line, and protecting the rights of the citizens. Both his senatorial and presidential campaign were based on these …show more content…
There are way too many to go in-depth on all of them, but two stand out as being his most important. One of the most important and talked about is his opposition to the U.S Patriot Act. The U.S Patriot act is an ironically unpatriotic statement that allows for the mass collection of phone numbers, conversations, and miscellaneous information on U.S citizens. As a libertarian, Rand Paul vehemently opposed this act. So much, that he was willing to filibuster the reauthorization of it and the election of CIA director John Brennen. For 13 hours he spoke, going over all key issues of why this reauthorization was a horrendous idea. Hilariously, Rand Paul wasn’t even supposed to filibuster that day, as he was under the impression the vote was the next day. After the lengthy speech, he stated that “My legs hurt, my feet hurt, everything hurts” (Louis Nelson). His filibuster managed to rally a ton of republicans behind his cause and even one democrat. In the end, he was unable to block the election of John Brennen. However, the legacy of his filibuster continues. He gained tens of thousands of supporters, notoriety in congress, and the opportunity to launch his presidential campaign with some