From: bjpershing@juno.com
Dear Chuck and all,
I have been reflecting on the disintegration of Rand Paul's presidential campaign, and am wondering how much it has to do with his public statement after the Charleston shooting that the Confederate flag ought to be taken down. Until that point, I had been, by and large, a Rand Paul supporter, albeit somewhat more cautious in his case than with his father, as he seems to have much more of the politician in him than Ron. But when Rand Paul decided that trying to win some fraction of the black vote by pandering to a politically correct cause was more important than maintaining the loyalty of people like himself, he lost my support for good. The moment I saw he had called for the Confederate flag to come down, I determined then and there he would not have my support in any way, shape, or form. Personally, I am inclining more and more to supporting Ted Cruz, who seems to have more character and intestinal fortitude than any other major player on the political scene today, but that's another story.
I am wondering how much Rand Paul's diss of the Confederate flag has cost him. I know that a large share of his supporters come from basically a States' Rights position, which is at its heart at Southern issue. I cannot help but think that he has alienated a great number of them by attacking the Confederate flag. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it seems to me the downfall of his campaign began about the time he called for our flag to come down. I would appreciate the thoughts of others on this, and if anyone has done any research on the subject would be very interested in learning what they have discovered. If indeed Rand's attack on the Confederate flag has helped lead to the demise of his political aspirations, then at least it shows that Southerners have not yet lost all their political punch.
Deo Vindice,
Pastor Samuel Ashwood
Muskogee, OK
www.samuelashwood.wordpress.com
