The Republican Party needs to broaden its appeal by softening its
edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always
seemingly "eager to go to war," U.S. Sen. Rand Paul told hundreds of Greater
Cincinnati Republicans Saturday.
"We do
need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't
always all agree on every issue," the Kentucky Republican said at the Northeast
Hamilton County Republican Club's annual pancake breakfast at the Sharonville
Convention Center.
To help the party rebound from two successive losses in presidential
races, Republicans must find new strategies and messages to reach voters who now
often look askance at the GOP, Paul told a crowd of more than 500.
Toward that end, the party needs to become more welcoming to
individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social
issues such as gay marriage, Paul said.
“We're going to have to be a little
hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party,” Paul
said.
Paul, a tea party favorite whose name is among those mentioned in the
early speculation over the 2016 presidential campaign, expanded on that theme in
a brief interview with The Enquirer after his speech.
“Even bigger to me than the social
issues is the idea of war,” Paul said.
Republicans, he said, might attract voters put off by the party's
hawkish image “if we had a less bellicose approach, if we were for a strong
defense but a little bit less aggressive defense around the world”.
“If we didn't have to be everywhere
all the time, if maybe we tried to reserve it for when our national interests
were impacted or a vital interest of ours was - and if Republicans didn't seem
so eager to go to war - I think we'd attract more young people”. wtsp.com
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