WASHINGTON — Invoking the historic affinity African-Americans had for the Republican Party between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., told a packed audience at Howard University that the party today offers Americans a path toward unencumbered opportunity. The Democratic Party approach to governance, instead, has led to greater poverty, increased national debt, and high unemployment, he said.
“If you are struggling to get ahead, if you have school loans and personal debt, you should choose a political party that wants to leave more money in the private sector so you will get a job when the time comes,” Paul said Wednesday during his speech at the Howard University School of Business.
“I would argue that the objective evidence shows that big government is not a friend to African-Americans. Big government relies on the Federal Reserve, our central bank, to print money out of thin air. Printing money out of thin air leads to higher prices,” he noted.
Just weeks after Republican Party leaders identified historically Black colleges and universities as institutions at which the party can reach African-Americans “with the goal of educating the [Black] community on Republican ideals and the Party’s history,” Paul delivered a timely appeal to an audience consisting largely of Howard students. Last month, the Republican National Committee unveiled the 97-page “Growth and Opportunity Project” report that had been commissioned to outline a new strategy for the party, including urging the party to conduct outreach efforts at HBCUs.
“I hope that some of you will be open to the Republican message that favors choice in education, a less aggressive foreign policy, more compassion regarding non-violent crime and encourages opportunity in employment,” Paul told the students.
With the Republican Party struggling to attract Black voters, Paul pitched the idea that the party’s free-market economic policies have more to provide than federal assistance offered by Democrats. “The Democrats promised equalizing outcomes through unlimited federal assistance while Republicans offered something that seemed less tangible—the promise of equalizing opportunity through free markets,” he said.
“Now, Republicans face a daunting task. Several generations of Black voters have never voted Republican and are not very open to even considering the option. The Democrat promise is tangible and puts food on the table, but too often doesn’t lead to jobs or meaningful success,” Paul contended.
