Rand Paul Republican Debate Exclusion: Recent Polls Suggest Differently, Non-Fox Media Attention, And Paul’s Alternate Stage

Rand Paul is at an impasse, but is it a Custard’s last stand, or a Washington crossing the Delaware? Either way, Senator Paul has managed to make himself one of the most interesting 2016 Republican presidential candidates in the race.

The recent Fox News 2016 Republican debate would not have him, so against political norms, Senator Rand Paul chose a different avenue. Unorthodox as his skipping a Republican debate was, recent polls that include one that was hours late to the Fox News debate party, actually show some validity to Dr. Paul’s complain about being relegated to the “undercard” debate.

Breitbart News reports that the Des Moines Register poll, which came out about a day late, but had Rand Paul at 5 percent ahead of both Jeb Bush at 4 percent, Chris Christie at 3 percent, and John Kasich at 2 percent. This is not the only poll that bodes in Rand Paul’s favor versus what much of the mainstream press.

PRNewswire reported that the 2016 Iowa straw poll has Senator Rand Paul in the No. 2 spot among candidates in the Republican presidential primary’s first state to vote. This Iowa poll is said to be a better barometer for just how the political winds are blowing in Iowa for Iowans this close to the Iowa primary that is just days away, as it samples the a “broader voter base,” and has been going on for months. PRNewswire points out that the traditional straw poll, which the Republican Party typically sponsors or is involved with, canceled the 2016 poll. It was picked up by America’s Term Limits Campaign.

There was quite a few sources, even a few that are typically Republican friendly, that were outright against Rand Paul’s decision to skip the undercard debate. Some were insinuating that it was childish or the alike, but Senator Paul’s media exposure exploded from non-Fox News sources. As CNN points out, the list included Hardball with Chris Mathews, The Daily Show, MSNBC, The Dr. Oz Show, CBS News, and many CNN shows as well. Paul found himself favorably on these stations and political shows that normally aren’t too friendly to Republican senators or other like-minded politicians.

As the Inquisitr reported, The Daily Show even put on a special for Dr. Paul called the “Republican Debate: Singles Night.” There was comedy, discussions on the economy and the second amendment, plus drinking games and bourbon rounding out Senator Paul’s debate special.

In spite of many calling it the Death Knell for Senator Rand Paul’s campaign, and Fox News excluding the Kentucky
senator from 2016 Republican campaign shots, his #RandRally trended higher than any other single candidate and had second highest additional amount of followers added on social media as well. US News reported that Senator Rand Paul won the undercard debate without evening being there with 95 percent in their polling. There was a “We want Rand” chant that interrupted the big kid’s table Republican debate on Fox News as well.

Many Rand Paul supporters believe it was deliberate, not dissimilar to what they feel also happened to his father Ron Paul during the Republican debates, and eventual snub during the convention where many issues arose regarding delegates. Even so, It would appear that those found Senator Rand Paul’s Republican debate snub foolhardy, have seen it go quite the opposite direction.

It remains to be seen if the Kentucky Senator will make it on the final Republican debate line up, but polls or no polls, the eye surgeon turned senator has already stated he will not take part in any undercard debates. Not to mention that Paul intends to continue to have “Rand Rallies,” with the next one coming up during the next Democrat debate.

[Image under CC BY-SA 2.0 Flickr| Courtesy Of Gage Skidmore| Resized|Cropped]