WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The Republican "old guard" has been losing national elections for the party, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Friday.
Paul said he agrees with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who said Thursday the rise of Paul and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is making the party establishment "more hysterical," Politico reported.
"I think there's some truth to that and I think the other thing about it is that the old guard needs to realize they're the ones that have been losing the last couple of elections," Paul said in an interview on Laura Ingraham's radio show. "If we want to win for presidency we have to compete in the states where we're not competing. Precisely, up in the Northeast and on the West Coast where Republicans are basically on life support. We need to reach out with issues that may attract new people to the party."
Paul said young people are not especially worried about the issues that have become the signature of the Republican Party.
"Young people, they don't really associate with Republicans on taxes and regulations. Not that they oppose us, they just don't have any money so they don't care much about those issues," Paul said. "But they've all got a cellphone, they're all on the Internet, they're all concerned about Internet freedom and they're concerned about privacy. And these are precisely issues where we can grow our youth vote."
