CONCORD, N.H. -- Senator Rand Paul explained why he was "Sad Rand" at his father's concession speech on Iowa caucus night in an exclusive interview with BuzzFeed today.
The son's pained look undermined Ron Paul's cheerful attempt to cast a third-place finish as a victory.
"I was really tired," Rand Paul said. "I got up at 5 a.m. and did three interviews by 7 a.m. that day. I was just exhausted, and probably a little disappointed. I mean, you always want to win."
Paul noted that his father didn't take a big loss in terms of delegates, but that "you always want to come out on top."
"Also it’s hard – have you ever tried standing behind someone and smiling for 20 mins? I learned my lesson. Next time I’m not standing right behind him."
Paul criticized the other Republican candidates for their records, which he sees as not truly conservative.
"If you’ve taken a vote on something and you’re going around telling people another thing, you’ve got some ‘splaining to do," he said. He said that he sees the other candidates "as a group and not as individuals."