To say the least, I have a lot of honest disagreements with Rand Paul, such as his latest statement that hawks in our party created ISIS.  His opposition to the Patriot Act sounds a bit theoretical to me.

On the other hand, I like his ideas on the economy and his willingness to make us think about this or that.

I am not opposed to having such a figure on our stage.

Frankly, the Democrats could use someone like Rand Paul, or a candidate who challenges the party elites and positions.  You have to go back to Senator Lieberman in 2004 to find a major Democrat who was willing to disagree with the party on major issues, such as the Iraq War back then.

What if we had a Democrat presidential candidate who would say stuff like this?

Hey guys, the intentions were good, but the welfare state is not working.  Just look around!

Hey guys, Baltimore is about lawlessness, not racism.

Hey guys, it's the absence of fathers, not the presence of police officers.

Hey guys, President Obama blew it by leaving Iraq without a military force to secure the gains made by our wonderful troops.

Hey guys, do we really think that Americans who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman are bigots?  Or that their businesses have to be shut down?  

Hey guys, didn't we hate it when President Nixon allegedly used the IRS against his enemies?  So why aren't we screaming now about allegations that President Obama did the same thing?

Hey guys, have you checked the state of the party in year 7 of the Obama administration?  How many governorships and state legislatures do we hold these days?

Hey guys, is it really that bad to let voters decide what the definition of marriage is?  It worked in Ireland.

Like businesses or groups, parties need intense internal debates about direction and ideas.

We are having it on the GOP side.  They are not having it on the Democrat side.  The Democrats need a Rand Paul.

P.S. You can hear my show (CantoTalk) or follow me on Twitter.