MATTHEWS: Let‘s go down to Rand Paul, on the other side where you
have another establishment candidate defeated, Trey Grayson, who was
sort of anointed by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. Here‘s
Rand Paul, the upstart, the hero, I must say, of the tea party people,
the son of Ron Paul who ran for president last time. Here he is
delivering his message on behalf of the tea party. Here he is sort of
accepting the crown from them, let‘s listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAND PAUL, KENTUCKY SENATE CANDIDATE: I have a message, a
message from the tea party, a message that is loud and clear and does
not mince words. We‘ve come to take our government back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEWS: Can he win as a tea party guy per se, or is he going to move to the center?
TODD: Rand Paul did something Mitch McConnell has never down in the state of Kentucky,
Rand Paul has earned more votes in a Republican primary,
turned out more Republicans in a Republican primary in the history of Republican politics
in Kentucky.
This was Mitch McConnell‘s party, it‘s not Mitch McConnell‘s party,
it‘s Rand Paul‘s party as far as what you look like tonight.
TODD: Really quickly, who would have thought that Ron Paul would be the Republican presidential
candidate
with more influence on the Republican Party in 2010 than any of those other guys that
we covered in ‘08.
Not Fred Thompson, not Mitt Romney, not John McCain, but Ron Paul? Godfather of the tea
party movement?
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: Ron Paul, who Rudy Giuliani mocked in every debate.