Rand Paul has few limits to winning at any cost and is unfit to govern: Opinion

Rand Paul is unfit to govern because he is committed to unethical argument strategies that impact any and all policy outcomes negatively.

As a Ph.D. in communication, I’ve taught a variety of classes with a conflict management component over the years. I see Rand Paul through that lens and he has few limits to “winning” at any cost, often divisive and dangerous. Paul seems committed to celebrating and exploiting misinformation as a personal and political strategy.

Misinformation as a tactic

Sen. Paul spoke at a UofL student event in 2013. He answered a question during a guest lecture, Paul told the students that misinformation is a great tactic against competitors. A Paul spokesperson would later say if one watches the video, they would know this was just a light-hearted joke.

So I watched the video.

Uh oh, I thought, the Paul campaign spokesperson doubled down on this “great tactic” of misinformation. At no point did Paul say it was a joke, tell students he never lied to his classmates, or actually take responsibility and admit he did it but it was a bad idea. Yes, there was some laughter, but Paul clearly justified an unethical action he took as an immature college kid.

Not discussed by Paul is how “great” the tactic is when others figure out the deception. Without question, conflict would escalate as Paul needlessly provoked his classmates.

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Provoking his neighbor

According to court records, Paul’s neighbor was provoked through conflict escalation via non-verbal actions by both sides around their common property line, and the resulting violence almost killed Paul. The neighbor cut branches leaning over the property line, then Paul responded by stacking brush so high that it impeded the neighbor’s sight line.

The neighbor paid to have the brush removed, and Paul responded with more stacked brush likely knowing the neighbor would be aggravated and repeatedly pay to remove it. Tensions grew, conflict escalated and then eventually, violence.

Story continues

See, although Paul’s provocation methods aren’t a crime, it can and did escalate the conflict that led to violence. Even though in this case, Paul was legally deemed the “victim.” Paul learned he can “provoke” others without consequence, and this only furthered his misguided misinformation is a great tactic belief.

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Feud with Dr. Fauci

Later violence, even death threats were the outcome of Paul’s provocation and conflict escalation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States, when again, accusations of misinformation as well as clear attempts to provoke not just Fauci, but the radical, violent right, by challenging Dr. Fauci’s qualifications and intellect.

These conflicts demonstrate some recurring themes for Paul’s leadership and decision-making generally and for conflict management specifically. Paul is highly privileged in how he engages the world. He randomly and needlessly provokes the violent bear, which escalates violent conflict by others, usually for power, then avoids all responsibility. He often demeans the credibility of others by always portraying himself as the smartest, the most reasonable, the injured and the victim. But yet, he is often correctly portrayed by others as an instigator, provoking mean-spirited outcomes, including his classroom joke.

Sen. Rand Paul spoke to members of the media after meeting with local pastors at the Galt House Thursday afternoon in downtown Louisville. July 7, 2022

What makes a mob?

When “yelled at” by a BLM crowd, Paul called the full extent of the law punishment for a “crazed mob.” But on Jan. 6th, his response was tempered, suggesting arrests for those found guilty, but no strong language about the rioters. He didn’t describe the instigators of violence as a mob and never talked about the clear racial dynamics of that mob: white nationalist groups, confederate flag-waving and their repeated use of racial slurs against Black officers. Crickets.

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Over time, Paul stopped talking about accountability and arrests, choosing to focus more on the “partisan committee.” Even now, he ignores the evidence lawfully uncovered tying criminal activity to the administration describing him as a “friend,” and is still silent about the growing evidence tying both the election fraud and incitement of a riot to Trump and those in his orbit.

Silence combined with diversionary misinformation seems to be Paul’s defensive strategy, a companion to his more aggressive conflict escalation offense strategy of provocation with misinformation.

If you put Paul’s language about the day he got yelled at versus his response to the insurrection, you would think the former was much worse. Paul either strategically makes himself the victim or marginalizes when others truly are injured through silence or misinformation deflection.

When yelled at by BLM supporters, Paul told Fox and Friends without any evidence that Democrats brought outsiders in to attack him (disinformation). He also asserted, again without any evidence, that Democrats could have stopped Jan. 6th (disinformation), and when evidence grows that this was a seditious conspiracy by Republican leadership. Paul has never admitted there is no evidence of his wild, unsubstantiated allegations.

On four different occasions, Paul was accused of plagiarism. While conceding he “borrowed” heavily from others, he concluded that he was a victim of “liberal haters”.

Paul is committed to deploying and exploiting misinformation. Paul is committed to strategies of provocation against others, often leading to violence. Paul is committed to unethical uses of silence. Paul is committed to “playing the victim.” i.e., finding slick ways to stoke division, even provoke and escalate violent conflict.

Rand Paul is unfil to govern.

With over twenty years as a University professor, and a dozen years as director of an award-winning University initiative, Ede Warner, Jr., Ph.D. is poised for a successful launch of Greater Decisions Consulting, LLC. GDC is built from a series of methods and exercises related to identity for improved critical thinking and decision making.

Chris Warner is Vice President of Greater Decisions Consulting, LLC. He cut his Ethical Leadership teeth in the sport I love. His receipts: https://lifebaseball.wordpress.com

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Rand Paul has few limits to winning at any cost and is unfit to govern