Rand Paul Has An Alex Jones Problem

Impact

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says he is considering a run for president, the Republican senator from Kentucky, is considering running for president in 2016. Although Paul states that he will not make a final decision until 2014, the discussion of such a possibility comes at an interesting time. Like all possible presidential candidates, Paul has a tough road ahead, but his recent associations could make it even tougher.

On Monday the world witnessed another act of what the government has labeled ‘terrorism’ on U.S. soil. Two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, taking three lives and injuring around 176 others. Shortly after the incident, conspiracy theories spread across the web. Of course, a main source of these theories stemmed from the tweets and videos created posted radio host and 9/11 truther Alex Jones. 

Jones, is one of the most extreme conspiracy theorists to date, and argues that we have entered a “New World Order,” that can be defined as, “a corporatist, globalist conspiracy to suppress free people everywhere by taking away their guns, tracking their cell phones and poisoning them with psychoactive drugs in the drinking water, among other tactics.”

Jones used the bombings in Boston as evidence to further his worldview, claiming that the government was responsible for the incident, and that it chose to carry it out in order to seek approval from the public to restrict American’s liberties in exchange for their “safety.” Such accusations are quite severe and reflect Jones’ strong opposition to the U.S. government.

Although it may appear as if there is no connection between Rand Paul’s decision to consider candidacy for the presidency election and Alex Jones’ rants against the government, there is in fact a link. Paul has appeared on Jones’ radio station on multiple occasions, leading one to question if in this circumstance it is appropriate to judge a person based on the company he keeps. If so, such an association does not reflect well on Paul or his judgment.

If one takes into consideration the general reputation that Jones has cultivated, it is one far from one that a person of presidential material would affiliate with. Jones claims that the U.S. government is tyrannical and on the road to destroy what constitutes the founding of America, liberty for all. This, he says, will pave the way for the New World Order, which will be imposed by the Illuminati — a secret cabal of elites bent on world domination.

Given Jones' appetite for conspiracy theories, it is not entirely unreasonable to ask whether Rand Paul believes in any of them, and if not, why he continues to associate with America's foremost conspiracy theorist.