Senator Rand Paul has hired veteran Republican advisor Chris LaCivita as he prepares for a run for President in 2016. Dr. Paul sees LaCivita as someone who can help him to bridge the gap between Tea Party Republicans and establishment Republicans.[read_more]
Chris LaCivita has been on the winning side of campaigns and the losing side. He most recently helped Pat Roberts win his re-election bid for Senate in Kansas. LaCivita gained fame in 2004 when he organized the Swift Boat Veterans campaign against John Kerry.
“I never lost a wink of sleep over it,” Mr. LaCivita said. “I’d do it again tomorrow.”
LaCivita also advised on the losing campaigns of Allen West in Florida and Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon. In 2013 he ran and lost Ken Cuccinelli’s campaign for Governor of Virginia. Many Republicans blamed LaCivita for Cuccinelli’s loss because of his refusal to “let Ken be Ken”. LaCivita detractors criticized him for making Ken turn to the middle, running a milk toast campaign that was not Ken Cuccinelli. If LaCivita does the same thing with Dr. Paul the Senator will meet the same disastrous results in his bid for President..
“We have to nominate a conservative who can win,” Mr. LaCivita said. “Rand is first and foremost a conservative, but he’s not afraid to expand the party’s tent by competing for nontraditional GOP voters like young people and minorities.”
