My post the other day urging libertarians, constitutionalists, and paleocons to forcefully disavow people holding certain unsavory views has somehow been turned — by a blogger arguing that “Kentucky isn’t exactly known for her sophistication and education” — into an assertion that “Rand Paul’s base is made up of ‘racists, kooks, and 9/11 nutters.'” Ooh, and “potheads” too. This is a misrepresentation of my views as this post and this column show.

What I did say is that this corner of the right should clean house of racists, anti-Semites, and 9/11 denialists both because they are profoundly wrong and because they are being used to bring discredit on the ideas of constitutionally limited government, sound money, and a restrained foreign policy. The latter set of views is accessible to and already held by a large group of people who are anything but potheads, racists or kooks. That includes a plurality of Kentucky Republicans, according to the latest Public Policy Polling survey. When gaining ground, why move back into the fever swamps?