Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul won last week’s primary in Kentucky with about 60 percent of the vote. A Libertarian running on the Republican ticket, Paul has recently come under fire for his stance on civil rights. In a now controversial interview with the Louisville Courier-Journal, Paul said he believes private businesses should be permitted to discriminate by race. (The interview resulted in the paper endorsing neither Republican candidate.)

Paul went on to take another controversial stand when he addressed the oil spill on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” The Obama administration, as well as the majority of Americans, has been very vocal that BP’s carelessness was the cause of the spill, and that the company should therefore be responsible for all damages. Paul, on the other hand, said “sometimes accidents happen” and that Obama’s criticism of the company is “un-American.”

I applaud Rand Paul. Do I agree with everything he says (in particular the above)? Not by a long shot. But I applaud anyone that has the guts to take a controversial position and stand by it.

The only problem here is that he hasn’t – he hasn’t stood by his positions. Rand Paul has come out several times now, guns blazing, spouting unpopular views on one issue or another, only to backpedal later by doing a complete 180. And then doing another 180. And then back again. It’s the classic political flip-flop. And that’s what I have no respect for.

I’ve built my entire life and my career on being controversial and often unpopular. I always speak my mind. And I stick to my guns. Always. Even in the face of criticism. Even if people don’t like it. Even if it makes me look like an asshole. What you see is what you get with me 110 percent of the time. Those are the kinds of people who earn my respect…even if I don’t agree with them. So enough with the seesaw, Rand Paul. Figure out what you really stand for, and stick to it. Unpopular is better than unauthentic.