Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
Rand Paul's defense of his
aggressive, interrupting response to the
Today show's Savannah Guthrie is that he's an
equal-opportunity asshole. He told Wolf Blitzer that "I've been universally short-tempered and testy to both male and female reporters."
To which I say: Prove it. It's simple, really. All the Paul campaign has to do to prove that Rand is just as short-tempered and testy with male reporters as he is with women is show us the video.
Where's the video of Rand Paul interrupting a male reporter's question, then complaining that the reporter he has interrupted is talking over him?
Where's the video of Rand Paul actually shushing a male reporter and telling him "calm down"?
Produce that video of the Republican presidential candidate not just being a little cranky with male reporters, but treating them as he has treated female reporters on the air, and there's a case to be made that there's something universal and equal opportunity about Paul's testy interactions with reporters. But as long as his worst behavior readily available on video is directed at women, it's going to look awfully sexist.
Of course, if Paul's campaign does release video of him being that aggressive and obnoxious to a man, it'll just firm up his reputation as a jerk. I'm not saying it's not a double-edged sword, here.