Rand Paul tests appeal of libertarian message

Rand Paul, the libertarian Kentucky senator, unveiled his campaign for the White House on a platform that criticised Democrats and Republicans and vowed to be tough on radical Islam while not overreaching on foreign policy.

"I have a message that is loud and clear and does not mince words," Mr Paul told supporters. "We have come to take our country back from Washington."

An eye surgeon who rose to prominence after the Tea Party helped catapult him to the Senate in 2010, Mr Paul is the second Republican - after Texas senator Ted Cruz - to enter what will be a crowded GOP field. Marco Rubio, the Cuban-American Florida senator, is poised to unveil his bid on Monday.

In a speech in Louisville, Kentucky, Mr Paul tried to balance his libertarian message of less government with reassurances to those Republicans who worry that his foreign policy would be too isolationist, particularly given the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as Isis.

"Until we name the enemy, we can't win the war," Mr Paul said in a criticism of President Barack Obama, who has been attacked for not mentioning radical islam when discussing terrorism. "The enemy is radical Islam, you can't get around it. And not only will I name the enemy I will do whatever it takes to defend America from these haters of mankind."

Until his arrival in the senate, Mr Paul's main connection with politics was his father Ron Paul, who ran for president in 2008. Like his father, the senator hopes to appeal to a broader range of the population - including the young and minorities - than have traditionally been courted by Republicans.

While he hopes to generate broad support, Mr Paul faces the same problem as the more mainstream GOP candidates - how to please the conservative base that is instrumental in the Republican primaries without taking positions that prove too unpopular with the wider electorate in the general election.

Walking that fine line, Mr Paul said he was concerned that Mr Obama "may attempt to unilaterally and prematurely" lift sanctions on Iran as part of the deal announced last week, and saying he would "oppose any deal that does not end Iran's nuclear ambitions and have strong verification measures".

But Mr Paul also took a position that distanced him from hardliners, by taking a line out of Ronald Reagan's playbook. "Everyone needs to realise negotiations are not inherently bad, that 'trust but verify' is required in any negotiation, but that our goal always should be . . . peace and not war."

Tom Finch, incoming chairman of the college Republicans chapter at Bellarmine University in Kentucky, said Mr Paul hit the correct notes on foreign policy and did not lurch too far to the right to appease the conservative Republican base.

"He has to handle that very carefully with the Republican party and he did that very well," said Mr Finch. "I was worried that he might go too far to the right but he did not."

Mr Finch added that by using the phrase "trust but verify", Mr Paul was "trying to echo Ronald Reagan", an effort that he said would help him win votes with from more hardline and older Republicans.

Reflecting his more isolationist bent, however, Mr Paul said the US should stop spending money to help other countries, particularly those where people protested against America. "Let's quit building bridges in foreign countries and use that money to build bridges at home," he said. "Not one penny more to these haters of America."

Underscoring one area where Mr Paul remains at odds with the rest of the Republican field, he lambasted the government over its intelligence-gathering surveillance programmes, which have been exposed by Edward Snowden.

"The phone records of law abiding citizens are none of their damn business," said Mr Paul. "As president, on day one, I will immediately end this unconstitutional surveillance."

In his speech, Mr Paul did not mention the controversy over religious freedom and gay rights that emerged in Indiana and Arkansas last week. Here too he faces a delicate balancing act, because the vast majority of young people support same-sex relationships, a position that is very unpopular with evangelicals who play a crucial role in the Republican base.

Mr Paul will now embark on a tour of four states - New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Iowa - that will play key roles in the primaries as Republicans decide who will be their presidential candidate for 2016.

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With his focus on millennials, Mr Paul hopes to attract some voters who may more naturally lean towards Democrats. The Democratic National Committee said the "only thing a Paul presidential candidacy unleashes is a massive lurch backwards to failed policies and narrow-minded extremism".

In his speech, Mr Paul vowed to boost the economy and reduce inequality across the population. He called on voters to reject Democrats and other Republican candidates, saying, "if we nominate a candidate who is simply Democrat-lite, what is the point?"

Brittany Gaura, vice-chairwoman of the Iowa State University College Republicans, said that while many young Republicans liked Mr Paul, that would not necessarily translate into votes. She said party members were wary about electing someone that was a longer shot for the general election.

"The Republican party really needs to be careful who we put up in 2016," said Ms Gaura. "It may look like he has a tonne of support, but he really hasn't."

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