Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is receiving some support from his son, Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul, who joined his father on the campaign trail over the weekend.
The younger Paul, who has campaigned for his father a number of times in Iowa, on Friday urged Tea Party voters and independent voters to support his father.
“Governor Romney does pretty well with independents, too, up here, but I think we can beat him with the independents if we get a big turnout,” said the Kentucky Republican.
The younger Paul said that crowds greeting his father’s campaign have increased in recent weeks. Recent polls show Mr. Paul gaining support in New Hampshire, however, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney still remains well ahead of the Republican field.
“We got off the plane in Nashua and 1,000 people, mostly young people, [were] at the airport. We were in Meredith yesterday, and they couldn’t fit everybody in the hotel — the manager in the hotel who has had every presidential candidate here in the recent years has never seen a crowd this big,” said Mr. Paul.
“So I think the energy is great. I think we’re surging. And I think we have a really good chance.”
Asked over the weekend whether his father can secure a victory in New Hampshire, Mr. Paul conceded that chances were slim of a Paul victory. Still, the Kentucky Republican said that the possibility of an upset remains.
“I think there’s a remote chance we could pull an upset here if there is a large independent turnout — if all of a sudden, in the last two days, independents said, ‘We want to send a message, and we want to get out and vote,’” said Mr. Paul.
