Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is the man at the 40th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), as his favor with millennials has not wavered since his 13-hour filibuster last week protesting President Obama’s unconstitutional drone policy.
His old-school style filibuster sparked the phrase “Stand with Rand,” a slogan that Young Americans for Liberty passed out to eager young CPAC attendees.
The organization ran out of t-shirts by midday on Thursday, the very first day of CPAC 2013.
“He has a really bright future, and I think his filibuster kind of resonated with the people, the nation,” Helen Barnett, a CPAC attendee, told Red Alert Politics. “And I think he stood up to the bullying administration. I think it was kind of refreshing.”
While everyone may not agree with his politics, Paul seems to have found the secret to gaining the trust of young Americans, which could potentially translate into winning more of the demographic in 2016.
“He’s a more Constitutional conservative,” Bonnie Kristian, the Director of Communications for Young Americans for Liberty, told RAP. “A lot of people are coming in, and they’re very motivated by the filibuster. He is a driving force in the Republican Party, and I think young people are very much on his side and just standing with Rand.”
Paul penned an op-ed for Policy Mic yesterday, noting that he “filibustered to defend Millennials” and called on Republican colleagues in Congress to stand up for the generation as well.
“I believe a Republican Party that is more tolerant and dedicated to keeping the government out of people’s lives as much as possible would be more appealing to the rising generation,” Sen. Paul said.
These sentiments were echoed again during his CPAC speech earlier today, as he told those at the conference that Millennials want leadership who will fight for them and protect their futures.
“They can detect falseness and hypocrisy a mile away…they doubt that social security will be there for them,” he told the CPAC attendees. “They worry about jobs, and money, and rent, and student loans. They want leaders who won’t feed them a line of crap or sell them short.
Paul also went on the attack this week against his colleague from Arizona, John McCain, who called the junior senator from Kentucky a “wacko bird” last week for filibustering.
“The GOP of old has grown stale and moss-covered,” Paul said to a roaring applause at CPAC. “I don’t think we need to name any names, do we?”
