RAND ANNOUNCES – AT 11:04 A.M. ET:  Rand formally announces.  He is now in the race formally.  From The New York Times:   

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky declared himself a candidate for the Republican nomination for president on Tuesday, aiming to upset the political order in Washington and disprove those in his own party who doubt that a fiercely libertarian conservative can be a serious contender.

“I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government,” Mr. Paul wrote in a post on his website on Tuesday.

Mr. Paul’s brand of politics could make him both an outlier and a target among his rivals. In a primary contest of candidates debating which of them is the most doctrinaire conservative, Mr. Paul is likely to be the only one arguing for reducing federal drug penalties, clamping down on the nation’s intelligence agencies and taking a more deliberative approach to military intervention.

On social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, however, he does not stray from the Republican Party line.

It will not remain a small field for long. Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, is expected to announce his candidacy next week. Also waiting in the wings are Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, who are expected to declare soon, rounding out what Republicans say is perhaps their most competitive and robust slate of candidates since 1980, when Ronald Reagan faced competition from party heavyweights like George Bush and Howard Baker.

COMMENT:  As noted here yesterday, my enthusiasm is limited.  Yes, Rand has been saying some of the right things on foreign policy, but I'm not convinced he's sincere.  Lindsey Graham claims that Paul's real attitudes on foreign affairs are to the left of Obama's, and he may be right.

But I'm willing to listen, and to watch Rand Paul debate.  If his opinions have truly evolved into a Reaganesque view of the world, we'll give him a serious look.

April 7, 2015