Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul may have little chance of winning the South Carolina primary, but that is not stopping him from seeking a third place finish.
The Texas Republican — who is trailing Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House — in recent polls, has spent the past several days taking direct aim at his Republican opponent, Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania U.S. senator.
Mr. Paul, who took third place in the Iowa caucus, remains a force to be reckoned with. The Texas Republican announced the second largest fundraising haul from the fourth quarter of 2011, announcing a sum well above the $10 million mark. Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul did not seem to mind Friday that he has campaigned less aggressively in South Carolina than he did in other early voting states.
Speaking to a group of supporters in South Carolina, Mr. Paul explained that he had returned to Washington to cast his vote against President Obama’s officials request to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. Mr. Paul, a vocal opponent of government spending and federal power, has repeatedly called for reduced spending, vowing to vote against any measure that expands the power of the federal government or increases the nation’s debt.
“I took a day off of the campaign trail,” said Mr. Paul. “I wanted to make sure I was recorded voting against the national debt limit.”
Still, Mr. Paul’s path to the Republican presidential nomination remains unclear. The Texas Republican finished a distant second to Mr. Romney in New Hampshire, and recent polls show him trailing in Florida, where he will not campaign.
Asked Friday whether he remains confident that he pull off a third place finish, the Texas Republican said recent campaign events had left him feeling optimistic.
“I’m feeling really good,” said Mr. Paul. “I don’t make any predictions, but I think we’re going to do well. It’s going to be enough to keep us encouraged and on to the next battle.”
“I think we should stay optimistic,” Mr. Paul added. “Do whatever you can to get some voters out for tomorrow night.”
The congressman said he does not plan to drop out of the race after Saturday’s primary, regardless of the election results. On Friday his campaign announced a “substantial” purchase of advertising in Nevada and Minnesota to air its 30-second “Big Dog” ad, according to the campaign. These will be the first Paul ads to air in Minnesota, which holds its primary on February 7.
