http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=8CA94AAA-06BE-40AA-B7E8-F95389B9F9AA Rand Paul needs ‘new Republican party’
By: Tal Kopan
February 14, 2014 07:39 AM EST
Sen. Rand Paul is warning his party that Republicans will not take the White House again unless the party changes.
“I think Republicans will not win again in my lifetime for the presidency unless they become a new GOP, a new Republican Party,” Paul said on Glenn Beck’s show on TheBlaze in an interview that aired Thursday. “And it has to be a transformation, not a little tweaking at the edges.”
The Kentucky Republican said the GOP needs to have a “better message” and one that appeals to people “in a way they can understand it.” He said when he appears before young people, for example, he talks about civil liberties instead of taxes.
“Republicans haven’t gone to African-Americans or to Hispanics and said, ‘You know what? The war on drugs, Big Government, has had a racial outcome. It’s disproportionately affected the poor and the black and brown among us,’” Paul said.
The rumored 2016 presidential candidate said it’s “too early” to make a decision on whether he will be the Republican that takes back the White House, but he repeated his frequent message that Republicans need to appeal to more Americans.
“There is a struggle going on within the Republican Party,” Paul said. “It’s not new, and I’m not ashamed of it. I’m proud of the fact that there is a struggle. And I will struggle to make the Republican Party a different party, a bigger party, a more diverse party, and a party that can win national elections again.”
One thing Paul said is not a likely answer to the GOP struggles, however, is a third party.
“I think that also you can transform a party, there have been transformations. The parties have switched places many times throughout history,” Paul said. “I’ve been there, and [have] worked for a third party candidate, a guy that was my dad. It’s very difficult. The laws are set against you.”
