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I’m Rand Paul and I’m running for President of the United States of America. Ask me anything!

Posted by RandPaul 9 years, 2 months ago to Politics
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I'm Dr. Rand Paul, devoted husband and father, senator from Kentucky, and 2016 United States presidential candidate.

I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government. I am an advocate of a balanced budget amendment, term limits, and privacy reform. I’m proud to be here in Galt’s Gulch with you today and will be back at 4PM ET to provide answers to your questions.

Ask me anything.

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EDIT 3: Radio Interrupted post-show with the Atlas Society: http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts...

EDIT 2: A full summary of questions and answers by Dr. Paul can be found here: http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts...

EDIT 1: 09.22.15 4:50PM ET: The Senator had to cut it short to keep a date with Wolf Blitzer (CNN). Check out his farewell comment here: http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts...

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PROOF: https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/6...

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FROM SCOTT: Dr. Paul will be here at 4PM ET. Post your questions here now as comments below. IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE QUESTIONS, PLEASE POST THEM AS INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS. Try and keep the questions brief so the senator can get through as many as possible. Also, make sure to vote on the questions (and this post) as the best will rise to the the top of the list.

At 4PM ET, refresh this page with your browser to see the Rand’s replies as they come in.

Also, make sure to join us at 4:30PM today for a special edition of GULCH LIVE: RADIO INTERRUPTED ( http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/g/the... ) for exclusive live commentary from the Atlas Society's David Kelly, Aaron Day, Will Thomas, and Ed Hudgins.

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DONATE TO RAND’S CAMPAIGN: https://secure.randpaul.com/

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DONATE TO FREEDOMWORKS: https://donate.freedomworks.org/contr...
DONATE TO THE ATLAS SOCIETY: http://atlassociety.org/donate

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NOT YET A GULCH PRODUCER?
- Create a new Galt's Gulch Account: https://galtsgulchonline.appspot.com/...
- Upgrade an existing Galt's Gulch Account: http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/accou...

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  • Posted by grahamalondis 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr. Paul, what is your stance on education reform? Is there something that can be done about student debt? Do you think our public schools need to have a greater focus on technology and teaching students real world skills in high demand such as coding?
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  • Posted by Natalie 9 years, 2 months ago
    Hi Dr. Paul, I would like to see the DEFICIT become the #1 issue in this campaign. Why are voters not interested in this subject when we're facing bankruptcy as a nation? Is there a way to get this message across to voters who don't seem to have a clue (or if they do, don't care) how much money we owe. Thank you and you have my vote!
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  • Posted by erisalawyer 9 years, 2 months ago
    Senator, you didn't get much of a chance to offer your broad themes on smaller government/expanding the party in either debate. How do you do that in the face of a hostile media?
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  • Posted by Olga 9 years, 2 months ago
    Senator, other than donating money (which I am doing to the best of my ability) what can we do that would be most effective in helping your campaign?
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  • Posted by JoeE 9 years, 2 months ago
    I know you have sponsored legislation to Audit The Federal Reserve. If elected President, would you work to also end the Federal Reserve? If not, why not? If so, what do you think will happen once it is abolished? What comes after the Fed?
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  • Posted by Munce 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr. Paul,

    Before 9/11, President Bush W. was trying to shrink the size of the government. The Service Employees International Union, was fighting him with lawsuits and delaying tactics. How would you shrink the government and defeat their tactics?
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  • Posted by rx1620 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr. Paul, I am a supporter and am glad you are taking the time to defend the Constitution like no other candidate will. Do you have a plan that will set you aside from the pack, and the media will have no choice but to give you the time and coverage you deserve?
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  • Posted by GrandmaJustice 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr. Paul - You have argued against net neutrality in the past. You have a very good point that allowing the government to control the internet can be extremely dangerous. If it gets deregulated, then you hand control over to the ISPs. The problem I see with that is that in the current state of things, there is very little competition between them. Is there anything that would encourage service providers to not try to slow down or block certain websites, without the government motivating them to do so anymore?
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  • Posted by JusticePrevails 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr. Paul,

    In 2006 the UIGEA, legislation regulating online gambling, was passed after it was attached to a Safe Port Act.

    Now, billions of dollars worth of taxable revenue are going to companies operating outside the United States.

    Would you be in favor of, and actively pursue, the repeal of the UIGEA to allow reputable companies to operate within the borders?

    Thank you for your response. Have a great day!
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  • Posted by tbeard4 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr. Paul,
    If elected, what is your plan to better regulate the Federal Reserve and defend the dollar from future hyperinflation? (assuming petrodollar trade comes to an end)
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  • Posted by Mitch 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr. Paul, Given the rise of ISIS, Russia encroachment into Ukraine and Georgia, Iranian nuclear ambitions, Syria crisis, North Korea nuclear taunting and China building of islands to claim seaways and airspace, our lack of leadership has arguably caused an insurgence of events counterproductive to our own self-interest throughout the world. The libertarian ideology tends to place ideological beliefs higher than one’s own self-interest especially with regards to foreign affairs. If elected president, how would you handle our role as leader of the free world? Can you give some examples of how you would have handled these situations differently? Do you share your father’s isolationist beliefs?
    Mitch
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  • Posted by JHM100 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr. Paul,
    I think you are by far the best candidate but you say things that are hard for both Republicans and Democrats to hear. So how do you believe you can win if neither party wants to accept you?
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  • Posted by bigL 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr Paul,
    How would you address the former supporters of your father that are no longer supporting you stating that you are nothing like your father?
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  • Posted by jrbirdman 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr Paul, Considering your campaign's recent Planned-Parenthood-Should-Be-Defunded email blitz, why should libertarians or neoconservatives support your campaign? Was this just "hopping on the bandwagon because if I don't I'll loose whatever social conservative support I have" or something even more convoluted?
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  • Posted by $ WilliamShipley 9 years, 2 months ago
    It seems that every day we hear of another project stopped because of some endangered species. Given that extinction is a natural part of evolution, is there any case that can be made for limiting or repealing the Endangered Species Act?
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  • Posted by MrNickYack 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr Paul,
    As an advocate of the free market would you say the government ever has the right to intervene? Especially pertaining to incidents conflicting with consumer rights, monopolies, and environmental regulations?
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  • Posted by shaftjohnson 9 years, 2 months ago
    When will you be back in N.KY? I have a 14yr old son that gets slammed all day long with political opinions from teachers and classmates and he is excited to attend your next rally and I see this as a last chance to save him from the left.
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  • Posted by ekr990011 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr Paul,
    I can't believe my misfortune in not knowing about your appearance on this very insightful forum!
    ( I understand he isn't here to answer questions anymore, just let me keep a little hope! )

    I am a millennial wondering one main question in today's society.
    What plan or action could even reverse the juggernaut of tyrannical imposition of restriction upon the people and the states given no government in history has ever been able to retract back from what control it already has without revolution?

    To clarify a little bit upon that, there are times in history when restrictions seem to be imposed back on the government however if you watch a nation's government in the long run throughout history even despite what seems like a major pushback by the people, the government always violates pledges or oaths and ends up continuing to grow its power over the people of its nation. For example the Magna Carta and having to have the Petition of Right later on because it was not being honored.

    It seems like only revolution leads to more restriction of government's power over the people. I don't think advocating for revolution is a good solution but if revolution is the only meaningful time that the power struggle changes could not pushing for the expedited dissolution of a government be one of the only proven ways to get more rights back to the people? Some of our founding father's like Thomas Jefferson pushed for "little" revolutions every generation and considered it essentially a necessity in the political realm.
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  • Posted by $ sjatkins 9 years, 2 months ago
    Why are you focusing so much on Planned Parenthood? The organization does a lot more in my understanding than supporting abortion. I have even seen claims that they some how sell aborted fetus parts put forth by associated voices. This type of thing is quite divisive for your constituency when you have so many important pro-liberty positions that are the core that all of your constituency agrees upon. At best it seems politically poor timing.
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  • Posted by LibertyBelle 9 years, 2 months ago
    If a balanced budget amendment were passed,
    wouldn't that just give the government a handle
    to raise taxes to pay for its excesses?
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    • Posted by Technocracy 9 years, 2 months ago
      If it was a blanket amendment on how the balance was achieved.

      I would hope that any group going through all the effort to get an amendment passed, would include some limitations on increasing taxes rather than reducing expenses. It would be pointless otherwise.
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  • Posted by term2 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dr Paul- how about doing a series of YouTube videos talking about your ideas and plans. Forget these stupid "non-debates" put on by the news media to sell advertising time. I want to hear what YOU have to say, not some politically correct answer to a dumb question posed by the moderator.
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  • Posted by Canthonyvidal 9 years, 2 months ago
    I've asked these questions to Ben Carson. He has yet to answer. I would love for you to give one of these questions your time and response.

    1. I've heard Obama refer indirectly to the Constitution as a charter for negative liberties, yet the majority of laws and programs today are focused on positive liberties. Does that need to be corrected? If so, how would you do that?

    2. Aside from secession (which no longer is lawful after the civil war) and nullification (which has never been legally upheld by federal courts) what incentive is there for our government, who writes its own laws, enforces its own laws, and defines and upholds its own laws, to ever find that their law is anything other than in its own best interest?

    3. Are people wrong when they malign followers of Islam publicly (on social media) and dehumanize them into a category of subhuman barbarians? There are 1.6 billion people that fit into that category and they are being judged by the actions of 200,000 radicalized ISIS members. How much of that narrative is based on intentional atrocity propaganda and deflecting our role that caused the "blowback"?

    4. I am a Christian and am focused on preserving our right to choose good from evil. Preserving that agency, to allow individuals to be persuaded through reason instead of compelled by force. When some people ask me why I enjoy Ayn Rand (among other liberty focused individuals and writers) being that she was an atheist, I respond "I don't like her because of her answers, I like her for her questions. I already know the source where I can find the answers." During the debates all the candidates appeared to claim to have all the answers. I want to know, what is the one question that voters need to ask? What question, that if they truly searched for the answer, it would empower them to take responsibility and embrace their stewardship over this country.
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  • Posted by MarkHunter 9 years, 1 month ago
    Rand Paul, you’re now polling dead last at about 2% (the first Republican contender, Donald Trump, is at about 25%). This is what you get for trying to be all things to all people.
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