# Rand Paul In 2015, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul ran a US presidential campaign that leaned hard into internet culture, posting image macros, mock audio and photoshops from his official Twitter account. The Washington Post labeled him an 'Internet troll,' and his short-lived run became a case study in a politician trying to meme his way to relevance before dropping out in February 2016. ## Origin Paul's move into an 'internet troll' politician identity started with the March 2013 filibuster against Brennan, which turned into a viral C-SPAN clip widely shared on YouTube[1]. The meme identity crystallized in January 2015 when the @RandPaul feed posted a series of image macros: a Condescending Wonka aimed at Obama on January 20 (about 3,200 retweets and 3,000 favorites), a Romney/Bush 'friendship' bracelet photoshop on January 22, and a satirical Clinton/Bush audio skit on January 29[4]. On April 7, 2015, The Washington Post ran a piece titled 'Can Rand Paul Troll His Way to the Whitehouse?' the same day he formally launched his presidential campaign[3]. - **Platform:** Twitter / YouTube (viral filibuster clips) - **Creator:** @RandPaul (official campaign account) - **Date:** 2013 ## Overview The Rand Paul meme persona centers on his 2015 presidential run, when his official @RandPaul account pushed image macros aimed at rivals like Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton. Posts included a Condescending Wonka macro directed at Obama, a photoshopped 'common core' friendship bracelet joke that misspelled 'friendship,' and a mock 'secret tape' audio bit voicing Clinton and Bush in conversation[4]. The campaign also pushed the #StandWithRand hashtag asking supporters to post sign selfies. Earlier viral moments came from Senate floor stunts, most notably a March 2013 filibuster against John Brennan's CIA nomination that opposed the Obama drone policy. Comedy Central host Jon Stewart praised the filibuster on The Daily Show, boosting Paul's profile with libertarian-leaning younger viewers[1]. In October 2013, Rachel Maddow flagged a Paul speech that quoted Wikipedia's article on the 1997 film Gattaca without attribution, kicking off a broader plagiarism story[2]. ## How to Use The Rand Paul meme is typically invoked when a politician posts an unusually online image macro, hashtag stunt or shitpost from an official account. Common references include the Condescending Wonka Obama tweet, the #StandWithRand supporter selfie hashtag, and the mock Clinton/Bush secret tape, all of which are cited as early examples of a Republican campaign trying to speak the native language of Twitter[4]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Rand Paul? Rand Paul is a US Senator from Kentucky whose 2015 presidential campaign became a meme thanks to image macros, hashtag stunts and mock audio clips posted from his official Twitter account[4]. ### Where did Rand Paul come from? The internet-facing side of Paul's political brand grew out of his March 2013 Senate filibuster against CIA nominee John Brennan[1], then exploded during a January 2015 tweet blitz aimed at Obama, Romney, Bush and Clinton[2]. ### What does Rand Paul mean? As a meme, 'Rand Paul' refers to the trolling-politician playbook his 2015 campaign popularized: shitposts, image macros and viral hashtag stunts run from a candidate's official account[4]. ### How do you use Rand Paul? The reference is used when a politician posts an unusually online image macro or hashtag stunt, echoing @RandPaul's 2015 Condescending Wonka tweet at Obama and the mock Clinton/Bush audio skit[4]. ### Is Rand Paul still popular? Not as a meme. Paul suspended his presidential campaign on February 3, 2016 after finishing fifth in the Iowa caucus, and the associated meme moments faded with it[5]. ## References 1. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxcfSAEi3Cs]() 2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYg7vSd7RBA]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/rand-paul]() 4. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-6KnMd8g8g]() 5. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul_2016_presidential_campaign]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/rand-paul Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library