Election 2016 Handicapping -- Early Miscellany Note #1

Since he's futzing around with his hat and giving every impression of throwing it into the ring, this is one that it's probably best to address as early as possible.

Q: Is Rand Paul a libertarian?

A: "They thought all along that they could call me a libertarian and hang that label around my neck like an albatross, but I'm not a libertarian." -- Rand Paul

Now, does that necessarily mean that Rand Paul isn't a libertarian?

No.

It just means either that

1. He's not a libertarian; or
2. Nobody should believe anything he says, because he's a brazen liar.

In future analyses of the 2016 GOP presidential nomination contest, I will probably spill some (metaphorical) ink trying to help my readers figure out which of these is the case.