Americans want to vote for “someone like” Rand Paul in 2016, according to Rand Paul.
The Kentucky Republican paraded his own resume for a potential 2016 presidential run and trashed Gov. Chris Christie’s in an interview on Monday night.
Americans want an outsider for president, Paul said, but he believes that includes him, despite the fact he’s been in the Senate for nearly three years.
“I think they want someone outside of, you know, what’s been going on. So, for example, someone like myself who has been promoting term limits,” Paul said on Special Report with Bret Baier. “Someone who says we shouldn’t have, you know, decade after decade longevity up here. And I think I’m, enough, new here to still be perceived as an outsider, should that be the choice at sometime in 2016.”
He also responded to those who have suggested Paul and other senators are too in the thick of things to be elected.
“I don’t know that a governor is necessarily an outsider. A governor can be an insider as much as anybody else,” Paul said.
On Sunday, Scott Walker raised eyebrows when he suggested that the ideal candidate should be a governor and crossed candidates like Paul off his 2016 fantasy ticket.
“I think it’s got to be an outsider,” he said on ABC’s This Week. “I think both the presidential and the vice presidential nominee should either be a former or current governor — people who have done successful things in their states, who have taken on big reforms, who are ready to move America forward.”
Walker ruled out Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas and Paul by name saying they’re “all good guys, but… it’s got to be somebody who’s viewed as being exceptionally removed from Washington.”
During his Fox apperance, Paul also got into it yet again with his longitme sparring partner, Christie.
When asked if Christie was a true conservative, Paul said it “depends on how you define” conservatism.
“If you have a very loose definition, probably,” he said, pointing to Christie’s acceptance of a federally-funded Medicaid expansion. “But I think we have room for moderates in our party.”
Christie doesn’t seem too worried about Paul criticisms.
On Sunday, Christie said he doesn’t feel obligated “to do any fence mending” with those who have questioned his conservatism.
“I’m going be me and if I ever decide to run for anything again and being me isn’t good enough then fine I’ll go home. This isn’t my whole life,” he said.
Jane Timm