Sen. Rand Paul appears to be warning former Florida Gov . Jeb Bush and other potential 2016 candidates that support for Common Core would be a losing position in the GOP presidential contest . `` If there 's a Republican candidate out there -- let 's just say there 's a hypothetical one that 's for Common Core . I 'm saying that that hypothetical candidate that 's for Common Core probably does n't have much chance of winning in a Republican primary , '' the Kentucky Republican told Breitbart.com . His comments , published Monday , come from an interview last week while Paul was in North Carolina campaigning for Senate hopeful Thom Tillis and Rep. Walter Jones . Paul did n't mention Bush or any other potential 2016 candidate by name , but the former Florida governor has been a vocal backer of Common Core , a set of national education standards for English and math . `` The danger of having one central governmental authority deciding curriculum is , what if we get some people who decide we really need to treat Karl Marx fairly , we need to make sure he gets a good writeup in the history , and Adam Smith , oh gosh , he was terrible , '' Paul said . `` You can see how once it 's nationalized , one person can insert a bias into the curriculum , and it goes everywhere , and then you have to fight it . '' While conservatives accuse the program of interfering with local government control , the standards were developed by the bipartisan National Governors Association , state governments and nonprofit groups . But if states want a share of President Barack Obama 's Race to the Top education grants , one of the ways to get it is by adopting Common Core . In that sense , the government created incentives for states to embrace the standards . Bush , who was campaigning for Tillis in North Carolina the week before Paul was there , reiterated his support for Common Core , according to The New York Times . Tillis did not express the same support and attacked the Department of Education . Bush says the standards help prepare students for college and the workforce . New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie has also offered support for Common Core , though he created a panel to review and improve the program 's implementation in the Garden State . Republican Govs . Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Rick Perry of Texas have been fiercely opposed . Jindal sued the Obama administration over the issue this year and announced plans to take Louisiana out of the program , while Texas was one of five states that did n't adopt the standards at all . In the Senate , Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida are two potential presidential candidates who have also been highly critical of Common Core . Paul has previously weighed in on his disdain for the program , saying in August that he believes education standards `` should be developed locally '' and reiterating his wish to eliminate the Department of Education . `` The kids are tested to death , I think , and not necessarily any smarter , '' he said at a Republican event in Urbandale , Iowa . `` Is testing good ? Yes , but I would let local people figure that out . '' `` I also think we make a mistake as Republicans blaming teachers for everything , you know , because frankly some of the fault ... we need to look in the mirror ; it 's parents ' fault as well , '' he continued .
Sen. Rand Paul is strongly opposed to Common Core . He thinks Republicans who support it in 2016 will fail in the primaries . Comment: Jeb Bush has been a staunch advocate . Common Core is a set of national standards for math and English .