Boston (CNN) - A top adviser to Rand Paul fired back at Chris Christie on Thursday after the New Jersey governor urged Republicans to focus their energies on winning elections instead of squabbling over ideology.
"So if I translate Gov. Christie correctly, we shouldn't be the party of ideas," Paul adviser Doug Stafford told CNN in an email. "We shouldn't care what we stand for or even if we stand for anything. We reject that idea. Content-free so-called 'pragmatism' is the problem, not the solution."
While Christie did not refer to Paul by name in his speech to a Republican National Committee meeting in Boston, he chided members of his party who talk like "college professors" and "spout out ideas that nobody does anything about."
"We are not a debating society," Christie told the RNC luncheon. "We are a political operation that needs to win."
Christie's remarks called to mind his recent dismissals of Paul and his libertarian-leaning supporters as "intellectual" and "esoteric," and were interpreted by many Republicans here as his latest not-so-subtle criticism of the Kentucky senator, a potential rival for the 2016 presidential nomination.
Also see: Another Paul takes on Chris Christie
Ironically, Rand Paul's prospects would be so much brighter if he, in fact, had LESS content.
Doesn't matter which Republican/Tea Party/Libertarian candidate runs in 2016. Hillary Clinton will be the winner.
You go Rand, "purity" is a great thing! Keep slurpin' that Drudge sludge!
Also, please ignore the deranged ranting of that RINO Kinzinger as well!
When all you stand for is obstruction. He's right, you don't stand for anything.
He didn't say much, but he said it loud. Sound like anyone else we know, Randy. Pots should be careful what they call the kettle.
They are still self-destructing...even Newt is trying to warn them...
Rand Paul makes some Republicans, and Democrats, very nervous. You might not agree with everything he says, but his message is refreshingly different. Chris Christie is just another tired politician, offering the same old same old.
Paul! What all politicians should be!
"So if I translate Gov. Christie correctly, we shouldn't be the party of ideas,"
You have ideas alright and they're all deliberately crafted at keeping minorities down (in their place) and pumping Wall Street up. Your "ideas" haven't worked since Eisenhower. Please keep your 'ideas' out of our government and out of our lives.
Sincerely,
An Independent who would never vote for your party. Ever.
Chris Christie is correct. Rand Paul needs to do some real work. All he does is talk, talk, talk.
Did he ever have a job?
Is that the Southern Avenger advising Rand Paul
Sadly, it looks like the Republicans have decided that the correct response to two Presidential losses is to "double down".
The wins in 2010 were mostly gerrymandering. Eventually, like selling your home and renting it back, it doesn't end well unless you are very close to death. In this case, political death.
Meanwhile, the Democrats can't get their act together, and the independent remain (unsurprisingly) unorganized.
This won't end well.
This is when Republican politics becomes very entertaining. Team Paul thinks Christie is content free? Paul is at least as vacuous as Palin or the witch lady. Christie is still a Republican, but at least he works for his constituents.
Actually, the GOP should be the party of ideas; it's just that they need to be GOOD ideas in the first place. Their economic ideas come down to simple selfishness, their social programs come from the Christian Taliban, and their idea of outreach is Jim Crow redux. Other than all that, no problem!
This chinless, bagless, nutless excuse for a human being is doing more harm than good for the republicans. Keep going.
Rant and Christie can spout all they want; it will never change this fundamental fact about the GOP: all of their economic, military and foreign policies are proven failures.
Until that changes, the GOP will continue to lose at the national level – as they should.
A house divided cannot stand.
Well, I don't think that people really understand that neither is a good fit for the country. Neither one is fully understanding of what it takes and the needs to be president.
The entire country is a debating society that votes according to the ideas that you are debating over. What your talking about also shows if your serious, trustworthy etc... Everyone knows it's all political! If your running for president, you had better come in with some fresh new ideas that are worth debating over to see if they are even workable and that interests the people of the country, to make us all even want to vote for you. You need to be prepared with your own plans and ideas.. Do you seriously think that any campaign will ever be run without squabble, jabbing, and drama ect.?? That will never happen and plus it would make for a long drawn out process. The process is already to long as it is!
Hahaha!! Yes, GOPers, tear yourselves apart! This is such entertaining politics!! It's like watching a car crash in slow motion. The GOP are done!