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There is more at stake today than who controls the Senate. Theres also the question of who controls the argument heading into 2016.

Ted Cruz wants to push the Republican brand to the right. Rand Paul wants to completely revamp the brand.

The contrast between these two freshmen senators, both of whom can envision themselves in the Oval Office, is a microcosm of a simmering debate within the GOP. And how its resolved will also affect the partys strategy for the last two years of Barack Obamas term.

Lets start with Rand Paul.While other Republicans have been talking up the party's prospects on the eve of what look like a successful midterm election, the Kentucky senator has a very different message.

"Our brand is broken," he said on "Face the Nation." "I dont think what we stand for is bad. We have a wall, or a barrier, between us and African-American voters."

A couple of days earlier, Paul referred to the GOP with a word you once couldn't use in polite company:

Remember Dominos Pizza? They admitted, Hey, our pizza crust sucks. The Republican Party brand sucks and so people dont want to be a Republican and for 80 years, African-Americans have had nothing to do with Republicans.

Why? Because of a perception. The problem is the perception is that no one in the Republican Party cares.

So Paul wants to throw out the pizza recipe and bake a new pie. Thats not what you expect someones party is poised to take over the Senate.

And he isnt afraid to throw a few punches. In the CBS interview, Paul took a whack at potential rival Chris Christie for yelling at a heckler:

Continue reading here:
Collision Course: How Rand Paul and Ted Cruz would remake the Republicans