Photo by Sarah Goodyear, on Rachel Maddow's Blog

In a conversation with Republican Senate candidate from Kentucky, Rand Paul, Rachel Maddow asked about recent comments he made regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Rather than give a direct answer, Mr. Paul danced around the question, leaving the impression that he was fine with the idea that a private businessman should have the right to discriminate against anyone he wants, and that the government didn’t have the right to tell him he could not.  Mr. Paul defended the law as it applies to government, but would not come right out and say either businesses had a right to discriminate against anyone they liked, or they do not.  He may have just handed the election to his Democratic rival.