Rand Paul: 'People are ready for new leadership'

Paul: 'People are ready for new leadership'
By Bernie Becker - 11-02-14 09:27 AM EST

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Sunday that American voters might be tiring of the sort of leadership provided by President Obama and Hillary Clinton 

Paul, appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” said he was disappointed that both the president and the former secretary of State had spent recent weeks attacking businesses on the campaign trail. Democrats have employed an economic populist message calling for a higher minimum wage and other policies.

“I think there’s a fundamental philosophical debate,” Paul said. “I think people are ready for new leadership.”

Both Paul and Clinton are expected to run for president in 2016, though Paul told CNN that he hadn’t made a final decision.

“I won’t deny that it would help me, if I do decide to run for president, to have traveled to 32 states and to be part of helping the Republican team,” Paul said.

The Kentucky Republican added that he expected the GOP to win the Senate majority on Tuesday, but that Republicans’ inability to put away incumbents in red states merely underscored the close political divisions in the country.

Looking forward to 2016, Paul expanded on his comments that the GOP needs to change its brand so that historically Democratic voters like minorities or young people will give Republican policies to battle poverty a chance.

“Our brand is so broken that we can’t even break through that wall that’s out there,” Paul said.

"Evolve, adapt or die. I think the party has to change,” he added.

He also brushed aside the idea that he might have to distance himself from his father, former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.). “It’s never in my mind a contrast with my father,” the younger Paul said.