Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul said he had been traveling Monday and not watched his colleague from Texas, Sen. Ted Cruz, declare for the presidency. After watching a clip of the announcement during a
Fox News interview, Paul said that he and Cruz did not have many substantive disagreements.
"I guess what makes us different is probably our approach as to how we would make the party bigger."
Paul said: "This isn't just about rousing the base. It's about exciting the base by being for the principles of liberty, but it's then taking those principles of liberty, not diluting them, and taking them to new people and bringing them into the party." He added, "That's the way you win general elections."
Paul pledged to take this message to African-American audiences in particular and to left-leaning academic bastions such as Berkley in California. "I've spent the last couple years trying to go places Republicans haven't gone and maybe not just throwing out red meat but throwing out something intellectually exciting to people who haven't been listening to our message before."
He also took a dig at Cruz commenting that Liberty University "required" attendance at the Texan's announcement. He also said that he was delighted to see some students in the audience wearing "Stand with Rand" T-shirts.
Paul went on to say: "Ted Cruz is a conservative, but it also goes to winability. And people will have to make a decision, which is the Republican who cannot only excite the base but also bring new people into the party without giving up their principles," he told Fox News.
Paul has sought to distinguish himself from other GOP presidential contenders taking aim previously at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry mostly on foreign policy issues,
The Wall Street Journal reported.
Paul said he would "have some kind of announcement April 7" about his plans.
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