Democrats greeted the official entry of Rand Paul into the race for the White House with a concerted attack on his policies that showed the seriousness with which many are taking his threat.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee, held a conference call with reporters that dismissed Paul’s attempt to reach beyond traditional Republican voters.
“It doesn’t matter how many times he tries to reinvent himself, the fact remains that Rand Paul’s policies are way outside the mainstream,” she said.
“How can he broaden the Republican appeal to African Americans when he has voiced opposition to the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act?” added Schultz. “How can be broaden the appeal to millennials when he has called for the abolition of the Department of Education and opposed letting students refinance their student loans?”
And like many Republican rivals, Democratic party leaders are choosing to focus on Paul’s past foreign policy pronouncements, rather than his more hawkish recent comments.
“When it comes to being commander in chief, how can he claim [he is] an advocate for our allies when he calls foreign aid to Israel ‘welfare’ and insists that we completely eliminate it?” asked Schultz. “He can’t be trusted to lead on the global stage.”
But Democrats appeared torn whether to present the Kentucky senator as too extreme or too much like more mainstream Republicans – deciding ultimately to suggest both were true.
“Like most other major Republicans his views are outdated and way outside the mainstream,” Schultz said.
