Rand Paul: We’re in 2016 race for the long haul

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said Thursday that he’s in the 2016 presidential race for the long haul, downplaying reports on his third-quarter fundraising total of $2.5 million.

“We’re in it for the long haul,” Mr. Paul said on CNN. “We have planned and we have organized in all 50 states. I wouldn’t waste two years of my life trying to put this message out if I did not plan on being there when they voted, so we plan on being there when they vote.”

The $2.5 million sum is down from about $7 million in the second quarter, but Mr. Paul said fundraising has ticked up since the last debate and that he has $2 million on hand.

He said the campaign and a super PAC supporting his candidacy have cumulatively raised about $20 million for the cycle.

“Raising 20 million is not an insignificant amount of money,” Mr. Paul said. “Also we have about 150,000 donors, so this is a significant movement.”

He said he has chairmen for all 99 counties in Iowa and 600 precinct chairmen.

“So we do get a little bit prickly and annoyed when people are saying, ’well, [he] only raised two and a half [million] — why is he in the race?’ ” Mr. Paul said. “Well really, to put it in perspective, we’ve raised 20 million, have 150,000 donors.”

“We also have something significant to add,” he said. “Right now, everybody’s talking about [a] no-fly zone over Syria and Iraq. Hillary Clinton’s for it, most of the Republicans are for it. I think it’s the world’s dumbest idea and a recipe for disaster, a recipe for war.”

“If I’m not in the race, that voice doesn’t get heard,” Mr. Paul said. “A lot of Americans are with me and think we need a more prudent foreign policy.”

Reminded that such a position puts him on the same side as President Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Mr. Paul pointed out that he’s a “fiscal conservative.”

“But I think you can be a fiscal conservative and also one who thinks less intervention is a good idea,” he said.