Rand Paul has been considered by many to be a potential presidential candidate in 2016. On Saturday, the U.S. senator gave Nevadan's some insight on his possible campaign for presidency.
Saturday marked Paul's second stop in a series of campaign-style visits to Nevada this week. The first was Friday in Las Vegas and the second was Saturday at the Atlantis Casino in Reno.
According to the senator, he's in Reno because Nevada is a big part of the early primaries and he wants to see how his message resonates with the residents of the state.
“There is a republican point of view that is someone who believes that debt is bad for the country, that debt is an anchor, that debt is an albatross that's keeping us from creating jobs. Also that there can be a republican who believes that there are things that we can offer to those who live in poverty,” says Paul.
The country's finances were one of the many key issues Paul spoke of on Saturday. Also saying, the government should be forced to balance its budget.
As for foreign issues, Paul says the United States shouldn't be so eager to be involved in other countries civil wars. Saying war should be the last result, not the first.
In a release following the senator's speech, the Democratic National Convention released a statement criticizing Paul's stance saying that "ending all U.S. foreign aid, including to our allies like Israel, is disqualifying."
Criticism isn't new to Rand Paul. In 2014 politico.com named Senator Paul the most interesting man in politics. He believes it's because he is a little different than most republicans and he believes the American people are looking for just that.
“I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I think also because I'm a republican who will say things like you know what, we shouldn't put people in jail for 20 years for marijuana and that really we need to have a more compassionate and just criminal justice system,” says Paul.
As far as announcing his run for presidency, he says it is a big undertaking for him and his family. However, the announcement could come sometime in spring.
