The New Hampshire Republican party drew seven presidential candidates to a town hall held two weeks ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Candidates participating included Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum, John Kasich, Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina and Jim Gilmore. Chris Christie cancelled, returning to New Jersey as a major snowstorm hit his state, with his wife Mary Pat Christie appearing on his behalf.
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It was a study in Republican contrasts.
Spending Friday attending separate New Hampshire town halls with Rand Paul and Chris Christie highlighted two of the most contrasting Republican presidential candidates. Although they share weak poll results, generally at the tail end of the top ten candidates, they differ markedly in style and substance.
On a personal level Paul is physically compact, appearing trim and fit, seemingly reserved and not very interested in talking about himself. Christie is none of those. Although they’ve held elective office for almost the same length of time (Paul was elected in 2010, Christie in 2009), Paul is a legislator and Christie an executive, each with disdain for the other’s current branch of government. Continue reading Contrasts
“I think you’ll get another big war in the Middle East.” Senator Rand Paul today dismissively described rival candidate Jeb Bush’s foreign policy as a retread of his brother’s and father’s. Saying “we’ve had a bunch of Bush’s” Paul asserted that “people are looking for something fresh, something new.”
Paul comments came as he briefly spoke with reporters following a town hall this afternoon in Salem, New Hampshire. Here’s what he had to say when asked about Jeb Bush’s decline in public polls:
“A step in the right direction” is how Republican presidential candidate and Senator Rand Paul characterized House Speaker John Boehner’s resignation announcement. Speaking at campaign town hall in Salem, New Hampshire, Senator Paul criticized Congressional Republicans for failing to change federal spending and characterized Boehner’s departure as a product of frustration on that by voters and some Congressional Republicans.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Paul disclaimed any interest in a specific candidate to replace Boehner.
Here are excerpts of Paul’s comments during the town hall and from a brief press Q&A: