Bill Maher: If Hillary gets the 2016 nomination, I’ll vote for Rand Paul

[kpete]

Comic and Real Time host Bill Maher said that his support of the Democratic Party does not extend to highly favored 2016 Democratic nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In fact, Maher told The Hill’s Judy Kurtz in an interview published on Wednesday that he is more intrigued by Libertarian Republican Sen. Rand Paul (KY), saying, “Rand Paul is an interesting candidate to me. Rand Paul could possibly get my vote.”

“As I always used to say about his father, I love half of him,” Maher went on. “I love the half of him that has the guts to say we should end the American empire, pull the troops home, stop getting involved in every foreign entanglement…He’s way less of a hawk than Hillary, and that appeals to me a lot because I’m not crazy about how warlike she is.”

Talking Points Memo noted that Maher donated a million dollar to President Barack Obama’s campaign in 2012, but Maher said he won’t be donating to Clinton.

..............

These days, Maher said, he finds himself sympathizing more with the values espoused by Libertarianism, but not to extremes.


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/10/bill-maher-if-hillary-gets-the-2016-nomination-ill-vote-for-rand-paul/


Here is a clue Bill:

[MohRokTah]

1. Maher never learns.

He supported Ralph Nader in 2000.

[PeaceNikki]

4. I think he will come around. He has moments of crazy (or lucidity, not sure which).

He pretty strongly supported Obama in 2012

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/24/bill-maher-super-pac-obama-_n_1299250.html

[John1956PA]

2. In 2000, Maher supported Nader over Al Gore.

I'll take take my chances with the Democrat.

[factsarenotfair]

3. He needs to support a real Democrat in the Primary. n/t

[n2doc]

5. Paul won't be the GOP nominee

I feel fairly confident of this. He is just a bit too undependable on the big issues for the GOP establishment to support him. The T-baggers will be split with Cruz.

[Initech]

16. Ted Cruz will be the nomination? Isn't he Canadian?

If the republicans can play that stupid birther angle, there's no way Ted Cruz would get the nomination. Paul is too extremist, divisive, and drinks from the Koch Kool Aid. My money is on Paul Ryan (ugh) or Chris Christie (double ugh).

[n2doc]

18. Cruz will divide the t-bag vote with Paul

It will be someone other than Cruz or Paul. Still a ways to go before the power brokers figure out who will get the nomination on that side.

[cascadiance]

25. If Republicans run Cruz, then couldn't Democrats run Jennifer Granholm?...

and make it a battle of Canadians to run our government?

[MADem]

27. Ha ha ha ha!!!!

Obama can retroactively grant her parents US citizenship to seal the deal!

I think she's great.

[cascadiance]

40. Though I guess the tea partiers weren't wanting to make sure that McCain was born on a military base

... in "U.S. territory" in Panama, which it isn't really clear he was or was born in another part of Panama. Some discrepancies in his birth certificate too. Though the right of course doesn't care about that.

Might be harder to ignore Cruz's Canadian background though if they went after Granholm's!

[stevenleser]

6. Except that now Paul supports the war on ISIS. That blows that rationale out of the water

Anyone thinking Paul supports anything remotely progressive is in for a rude shock if he ever becomes President. He will throw any of those positions and the people in favor of them under the bus in half a heartbeat.

[BlueCaliDem]

11. Yep. Republicans (of all stripes) campaign as a moderate but rule as a RWer.

When will people like Maher learn you can't trust a Republican on what they say.

Someone needs to tell Maher about Rand Paul's change of heart regarding war.

[Faryn Balyncd]

23. Correct. Unlike his dad, Rand is a 100% phony. He flips to neocon positions in a hearbeat.

His dad, flawed as he is, nevertheless had principles, and several of those principles made him unacceptable to the great majority of Republicans as a national candidate (or in any capacity that would actually influence actual policy), who nevertheless tolerated his presence in the party solely for the cynical purpose of attracting libertarian votes for their neo-"conservative", authoritarian, anti-civil liberties, and constitution abusing "coalition".

Rand, on the other hand, has on multiple occasions demonstrated that his anti-empire rhetoric is pure window dressing.

[NorthCarolina]

7. I think many are tired of the corporate candidates being pushed on us

as if we have some "choice", when in reality our only allowed choices are Wall St. candidate #1(D), or Wall St. Candidate #2(R). While I am no fan of Ron Paul and would not vote for him, neither will I vote for Hillary. If Bernie Sanders does not run, then I likely will cast a write vote for him. I'm tired of the DLC "who else you gonna vote for" bullshit, and I will be strictly voting my principles from here on out. If the Dems want my vote, then they can try fielding candidates that reflect Democratic principles, and are not simply agents of the 1% with a false Liberal face implanted by a complicit media.

[Orrex]

8. Maher is a stopped asshole who shits right twice a day.

But most of the time he's just an asshole.

[mimi85]

22. You are SO right.

I really think that one night with Ann Coulter scrambled his brain. Vote for Paul? He'd have to write him in since he won't get the nomination. And Paul is anti-choice, a sexist, a racist, a homophobe among other things. Oh, he is for legalizing drugs. Great reason to vote for someone. What about that million dollar check Bill, that you wouldn't stop reminding your audience of your largesse? Some of Paul traits I know Maher has - you can figure out which ones on your own if you ever watch the show. It's REALLY annoying when he has to throw in that Obama is black in every fucking show. Bitter little man.

[Cartoonist]

9. I see the same thing

My peace friends love the Paulies for their anti-war stance. Completely ignoring that their positions on EVERYTHING else are WRONG. Okay, except marijuana. The real truth about their anti-warism has nothing to do with humanitarian ideals. They just don't want to pay for them. As Wimpy used to say, "let's you and him fight." Besides, hasn't Rand now gone monger?

[appal_jack]

10. K&R for the excellent cartoon.

The Slowpoke cartoon is spot-on regarding Rand Paul's ridiculous notions of freedom. But Hillary does not even give freedom lip-service. How is that better?

Hopefully, another Democratic candidate fields a good primary campaign, and we have someone who respects both individual freedom AND the common good (which Hillary also falls flat on) to vote for.

-app

[AtomicKitten]

12. To my reading, Maher is contemplating voting for Rand Paul.

Not that he will. I completely understand his conundrum, the difference being I am certain I won't vote for either of them.

[progressoid]

13. Bill Maher notwithstanding, this attitude will likely become more apparent in the near future.

[Scuba]

14. Another stupid statement by Bill.

Often funny, occasionally spot-on, sometimes stupid. Sadly this is a case of the latter.

[Orsino]

15. Money fucks with your soul.

Almost inevitably, you start believing its hype. It whispers to you that you are better than other people, and that other people just want to take it from you.

RIP Bill's soul.

[mimi85]

24. So does doing Ann Coulter. nt

[SomethingFishy]

34. Oh please.. the guy gave a million dollars to Obama...

I don't agree with his love of Rand Paul but claiming the guy lost his soul to the dollar is at best.. overly dramatic..

[Orsino]

48. According to the OP, Maher's done a bit of soul-searching since 2012.

Perhaps he's just engaging in hyperbole, but if not, are we not forgiven for suspecting that he's not immune to the call of money, either.

[joeybee12]

17. Maher has always been a sexist, homophobic asshole...

Why does anyone think he's actually a liberal?

[wryter2000]

33. +1000 eom

eom

[HuckleB]

19. Bill Maher: Anti-Science Knuckle Dragger?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/02/1191045/-Bill-Maher-Anti-Science-Knuckle-Dragger#

He's off on a lot of things.

[HuckleB]

20. More on Maher's anti-vaxer routines.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/oh-come-on-superman-bill-maher-and-western-medicine/

[pnwmom]

21. So the person who's said his views are closer to Libertarian than anything else

will vote for the Libertarian.

Surprise, surprise.

[MADem]

26. This is a guy with an awkward personal life, to put it kindly.

He frequently comes off as a sexist pig, while insisting that he's "all for equality" but treating women like commodities.

It's not surprising that he'd have a problem with a female candidate.

How many times here have I read that there's "no real difference" between HRC and POTUS? So why was he able to toss a million bucks at the Obama campaign, but he's got to vote for SquirrelHead Rand if "that woman" runs?

[MohRokTah]

28. Yep, a Hillary presidency will separate the sexists from the racists.

We've seen the blatant racism since Obama became president.

Prepare for eight years of blatant sexism.

[still_one]

31. No question about it. In fact I suspect Hillary will get even more hateful barbs thrown at her

[MohRokTah]

32. At least she won't be hounded over her birth certificate. eom

[still_one]

38. that is true, but never put anything past the tea baggers

[MADem]

47. They'll just hound her over her date of birth.

Only dudes are allowed to be late middle-aged!

Then she'll get raked over the coals re: her hairstyles and fashion choices! Like that matters!

[cascadiance]

35. But many of us would rather someone like Elizabeth Warren have to put up with the sexism!

Then she could sneak all of that good progressive legislation to restore accountability to Wall Street amongst other things through at times perhaps with the corporate lobbies not seeing her do it, if everything against her is described as sexist!

[NYC_SKP]

39. Warren will put the focus squarely on the working class and fairness for all.

And not on herself, which I find to be a habit of both Maher and Clinton.

[still_one]

29. who cares. maher is just a stupid entertainer who thinks more highly of himself than he is worth

[boomer55]

30. Kinda like voting for the worst of two choices

We need a none of the above choice on the ballots

[Blue Owl]

36. Hey Bill lay off the brown stuff

n/t

[conservaphobe]

37. After Teachout's performance in NY, I don't think 2016 is set in stone.

And I couldn't be happier about it.

[MFM008]

41. wrong wrong wrong

Any one on the planet who thinks RP would make a decent president is insane. period.

[Blue_In_AK]

42. I would never vote for Rand Paul

but I won't vote for Hillary either.

If she ends up being the Dem nominee, I'll be hiding out in the Photo Group during campaign season -- and the next four years, if she wins.

[Quantess]

43. Wow. What a traitor.

Not cool.

[TSIAS]

44. Inaccurate

He never said he's vote for Paul. Just that Clinton doesn't have his vote yet. And that's the way it should be. If Clinton knows she has 100 % of the liberals votes in the bag it will embolden her to become more and more conservative to woo the centrists. Without a contested primary Clinton has already realized she doesn't have to worry about liberals and is free to court the Kissinger crowd.

[Xyzse]

45. Not that I would, I'd choose his father before I go for Rand.

Rand is a soul-less shill who does not really have any convictions.

He's a mixture of Ron Paul's Libertarian leanings with a Sarah Palin like idiocity.

Maher is off his rocker on this one.

[Marr]

46. He can vote for whomever he likes.

I won't support Hillary Clinton either. Done with corporate Dems, sorry. But I vote for Rand Paul, period.