Rand Paul walks tightrope to expand GOP’s appeal

Rand Paul cracks jokes about smoking pot. He says the GOP needs to bring minorities and people with ponytails into the fold. The Kentucky senator doesnt back gay marriage, but hes not out beating the drums against it, either. And hes advocated cutting defense spending.

Not exactly the typical profile of a Republican standard-bearer. But that appears to be precisely Pauls gambit for a possible presidential bid in 2016: that he can remake the partys traditional coalition, engaging younger and minority voters without alienating the older, whiter and more conservative demographics that typically decide the Republican nomination.

Its a narrow tightrope for Paul to walk. Every break with his party on national security and foreign policy and there have been several threatens to make it that much harder for him to shed the isolationist tag in the eyes of the Republican establishment. Every entreaty to libertarian-leaning college students who adored his father, former Rep. Ron Paul, could complicate the task of creating some space from an element of the GOP regarded in some quarters as radical, even kooky.

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But Pauls success or failure could have big implications for a party thats been watching young, urban and minority voters flock to the Democratic Party with no apparent counterstrategy. If he can make a dent in that Democratic coalition by using his libertarianism to woo young voters and others who dont traditionally fall in the GOP camp, Paul could help his party forge a path back to the White House.

He has a particular appeal to young people with libertarian views, about keeping government out of our lives even in a Republican primary he might get a strong share of that vote, said longtime GOP strategist Charlie Black, who has worked on presidential campaigns for Republicans including Sen. John McCain and President George W. Bush. At the same time, Black added that Pauls views are out of step on foreign policy and national security with the mainstream Republican Party.

Even as the national mood swings away from interventionist approaches, Pauls emphasis on privacy in national security debates, coupled with his inward-looking approach to foreign policy, gives pause to some party stalwarts.

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Clearly, everybody is tired of wars that seem to drag on and on, said GOP strategist Whit Ayres. On the other hand, a strong element of the Republican coalition believes America has both a moral and a self-defense obligation to lead in the world.

Yet Pauls more libertarian approach to those issues makes him stand out to young voters, an overwhelmingly Democratic demographic despite a recent poll showing President Barack Obamas approval rating floundering with that group.

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Rand Paul walks tightrope to expand GOP's appeal