The Committee to Draft Judge Andrew Napolitano for President Stands With Rand and Urges Rand to Stand with Us in Urging The Judge to Throw His Hat in the Ring for 2016

March 18, 2013 Lawrence A. Hunter, Chairman of The Committee to Draft Judge Andrew Napolitano for President in 2016, released the following statement:

"It is virtually certain now after Rand Paul's heroic 13-hour filibuster in defense of Americans' constitutional rights and his straw-poll victory at CPAC last week that Senator Paul will run for president in 2016. Hurrah. We at the Committee to Draft Judge Andrew Napolitano for President stand with Rand in his fight against tyranny and government oppression. We believe America and the Liberty Movement need Rand in the ring and on the podium during the next 3½ years constantly wrestling with and challenging the Republican Old Bulls for the presidential nomination.

"We hope Rand will also stand with us in urging Judge Andrew Napolitano to throw his hat in the ring for president as well. America needs both Randy & Andy in the ring and on the stage together, not only to cover each other's backs so neither one gets gang banged by the GOP Establishment Old Bulls; but also to scrimmage and spar against each other in preparation for the big event in 2016.

"Libertarians believe in competition. Competition makes candidates stronger, especially those who have never run for president before; competition makes the Liberty Movement stronger and helps build consensus within the Movement on controversial issues where there is disagreement among the faithful.

"It takes two to tango on presidential tickets, and the Liberty Movement has two extraordinary candidates in Rand Paul and Judge Andrew Napolitano to run for president as Republicans under the Liberty banner. Give the people a choice, and let the people decide which Liberty candidate they want at the top of the ticket.

"The last thing the Liberty Movement needs at this early stage of the process is to narrow the field by adopting an attitude that anyone not with one pre-determined candidate is against the Liberty Movement. No candidate should fear competition; they should invite it, embrace it and thrive on it. Not only would prematurely limiting competition among potential Liberty candidates be bad for the Liberty Movement and exacerbate internal differences; it also would be the worst thing possible for Rand to deprive him of serious competition for the Liberty Movement scepter, to deny him a chance to spar with a contender to strengthen him as a candidate and provide a sounding board against which to test his ideas, and if necessary re-evaluate some of them.

"Remember how Establishment Republicans and the Media attempted to marginalize the Liberty Movement and discredit the Liberty message by pushing Ron Paul to the wings, ignoring him and doing everything possible to marginalize him? We can't let that happen again. The GOP Establishment doesn't get to have half-a-dozen clones on stage to gang up on a single Liberty Movement candidate.

"We stand with Rand and urge Rand to invite the Judge into the ring with him. It's win/win."

Dr. Lawrence A. Hunter