The Next President of the United States--Rand Paul

Dr. Rand Paul won in Kentucky for the U.S. Senate nomination on the Republican side, running against the Mitch McConnell-endorsed candidate (whose name escapes me, thank God).  I think we are seeing the rise of perhaps the next President of the US, in either '12 or '16.  Remember, you read it here first.

Sarah Palin is quaking in her beautiful boots, because her star is already setting while that of Rand Paul is rising.  Palin scares me to death in every way.  The thought of her as President (or as Vice-President under McCain) fills me with dread.

Rand Paul on the other hand...assuming that he has some resemblance to his father Ron Paul in his integrity and his principles!....may be the only answer America has to rescue this country from its own self-committed financial and imperial suicide.  I offer the caveat about resembling his Father because Franklin Graham and Billy Graham are far apart in ability and character, as are George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush.  So I never assume that the son is equal to the father.  But I have more hope that Rand may actually be like Ron.

My diagnosis of what ails America has little to do with Republicans and Democrats.  Our basic problem is that we have an Establishment, encompassing both political parties, that is firmly committed to the status quo of imperial interventionism abroad and corporatism and favoratism toward the wealthy at home.  The reign of Reagan--Bush Sr.--Clinton--Bush Jr.--Obama has differed very little actually in its foreign and domestic policies.  Yes, that's right.  The same national trajectory that we were on in 1981 has changed from little in 2010, except for superficialities and cosmetics. 

The only thing that will change our national trajectory--toward massive indebtedness everywhere, over-extended military intervention abroad, and economic and social decline and disintegration at  home--is a game-changing, fundamentally different kind of politics and ideological direction.

I think it is possible that Rand Paul embodies that kind of different politics.  I don't see anyone else who does.  Sarah--you betcha!--Palin certainly doesn't.  She is a personal and political fraud, through and through.  (I wrote about this previously here.)

I've been looking for a Washington, Lincoln, FDR kind of national leader, who will fundamentally change the nature of our country, or at least its direction.  I was hoping that Obama would be that kind of President.  I worked for and voted for Obama as a new kind of President, to take us in a wholly new direction nationally.  I was wrong.  Impressive, pleasant, very smart fellow, but the same policies as before, basically, with a few minor exceptions. 

Maybe Rand Paul is that person.  He probably isn't, but that is my hope this morning at any rate.  I'm probably delusional, given in my frequent despair about our public, national future. 

Okay, think about this, how about a Paul/Sestak bi-partisan, right/left, anti-Establishment national unity ticket?  Is such a thing possible?  If not, we're probably doomed to decline and fall, misery and poverty.  They say it builds character.