Rand Paul's Dream: Can Libertarianism Break Through?

WHEN pondering a run for national office, it must be bittersweet to hear fans gush that your strong suit is being less of a crank than your dad. But that is the view of many Republicans who admire Rand Paul, a senator from Kentucky and star of the shrink-the-government right. They call him a worthy heir to his father, Ron Paul—a cult figure among libertarians, longtime congressman and serial contender for the White House—but with the added gifts of knowing how to talk to ordinary voters, and when to shut up. The elder Mr Paul inspired devotion among a slice of the electorate, but was ultimately confined to the fringes by his radicalism and mad-uncle manner. The younger Mr Paul is different, boosters say: a more political animal altogether.