Voters lean libertarian

Kentucky senator secures third straw poll victory, Silicon Valley CEO shines

The good old boys in Washington, D.C.’s elite Republican club seem to have their hearts set on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to be the party’s 2016 nominee. But the voters’ eyes are looking elsewhere.

If last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is any indication, Bush — who received underwhelming applause from a sparse (and booing) crowd when he took the stage — is no contender in the more conservative minds of the Grand Old Party’s (GOP) base.

So to whom should the GOP be paying attention? Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the blue-collar conservative star, the less-known Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, rising Republican star and former California U.S. Senate candidate, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, the young gun libertarian favorite.

“President Paul,” supporters shouted repeatedly during the senator’s rousing CPAC speech.

At the close of the conference, Paul won the presidential straw poll with 25.7 percent of the vote, and Walker came in a close second at 21.4 percent, according to CNN. Bush trailed far behind at a lackluster 8 percent.

It is worth noting that Walker has made major strides, surging to second place from his 7 percent showing in 2014, according to The Washington Times.

Though the straw poll is not always a presidential predictor, Paul has won the contest for the last three years running. Historically, the poll has been referred to as “meaningless,” though, as CNN’s John King said, “winning is meaningless, if you win once.”

“But most repeat winners — Reagan, Kemp, Romney — do have better résumés,” King continued.

Additionally, Paul has already opened up an office in Silicon Valley — an emerging battleground area in the ever-evolving tech age, according to CNN. Already competing with Hillary Clinton, the GOP’s all-but-certain opponent, Paul carries some clout in the area for his unflinching defense of a free and open Internet, not to mention the techland’s libertarian leanings.

Though that may seem trivial, the technology industry and its coffers are a major political player, and you can bet the Silicon Valley visionaries have paid attention to Paul’s commitment to Internet liberty and privacy.

“You do have a right to privacy,” Paul said. “Your rights are who you are, your rights are what you are, your rights are in your DNA — and the government can, quite frankly, get over it.”

This is where Fiorina could come in handy.

Though the former Hewlett-Packard CEO — the company’s first female executive — has a somewhat tumultuous business history, Fiorina does wield influence in the industry Paul is after and could gather establishment, business-friendly Republican friends on Capitol Hill.

Even with less name recognition than many in the crowded field of GOP hopefuls, the West Coast executive garnered thunderous applause during her CPAC speech and is already being discussed as a possible No. 2 contender.

“(Hillary Clinton) tweets about equal pay for women but won’t answer basic questions about her own offices’ pay standards — and neither will our president,” Fiorina said at CPAC. “Unlike Mrs. Clinton, I know that flying is an activity, not an accomplishment.”

Fiorina’s advisers said that line has gotten under Clinton’s skin, according to the National Journal.

Whether or not she actually gets the nod from the eventual nominee, it would be wise for the Republican National Committee to put her on the campaign trail.

Fiorina affords the Republicans the possibility of bridging its female voter gap, she could assist Paul in his California efforts and, based on her performance at CPAC, she has a knack for motivating the conservative grassroots base.

In my mind, regardless of whether or not Fiorina is Paul’s running mate, the two could make a spectacular fundraising team in the march toward the nomination. And, this go ’round, the good old boys network in D.C. better pay attention to its core constituents.

Most candidates are expected to make their announcements and launch official campaigns within the next few months.

GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.