First, let me say I do not think Rand Paul is a bigoted racist moron. Quite the contrary, I think he's a brilliant politician, an honorable leader, and a good man with good values that for the most part I can agree with. I understand the argument he's posing, I understand this coming from a logical perspective.
Rand Paul comes from an ideology in which he believes most issues involving private businesses can be best solved by the free market system without government or societal intervention. Which I largely as a principle agree with and can understand.
However I respectfully disagree. Simply because I don't view the "race issue" (businesses denying certain races patronage simple based on the color of their skin rather than any merit) as an economic problem. Yes it is true the market can handle itself when it comes to issues that are purely economic. However this is a SOCIETAL problem. A problem that was created by a series of historic events that require a social or societal solution.
Do I believe that the economic solution to racism ("if the businesses deny black costumers they won't have any business) will work? No. In matter of fact I think that's a silly proposition, simply because I've lived in Meridian, Mississippi. Are there plenty of white business owners that would love to take advantage of a repeal of the civil rights act? Sure are. Are there plenty of white costumers that will still patronize such businesses? Yes there are. Proof is it wasn't too long ago that MOST white-owned southern small businesses DID have "whites-only" signs on them.
In the scheme of things history has proven the race issue in America to be the BIG exception to the rule of free market capitalism. Simply because the race issue in America is so unique to this nation and is woven so deep into the fabric of this nation and has so many dimensions that it's far from being self-correcting even more than 50 years after the Civil Rights Act was passed. Not that this is even an issue, because even if Rand Paul does win, one vote can't overturn the Civil Rights Act. So this really doesn't phase me much. Just my opinion.