Ron Paul Takes Second in N.H., Saying: 'We Are Dangerous to the Status Quo'
Ron Paul’s anti-establishment message appears to be resonating with voters as he came in a strong second place in the New Hampshire primary.
Unlike other candidates, Ron Paul seemingly draws from vastly different kinds of voters such as those who don’t usually vote Republican, like independent voters and young people.
He dismissed claims that his views are dangerous, but said a Paul presidency would bring about major changes to policy.
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“I sort of chuckle when they describe me and you as dangerous,” Paul told a Manchester, N.H. crowd on Tuesday night. “That's one thing where they are telling the truth, because we are dangerous to the status quo.
“We have had a victory for the cause of liberty tonight,” he said, according to Reuters.
Ron Paul has separated himself from other Republican candidates by campaigning as an anti-military, small government candidate. He is outspoken against wars he has called “unnecessary,” such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
In his Manchester speech Tuesday night, while Paul emphasized how the Federal Reserve is too involved in the economy, the crowd began to chant “End the fed, end the fed,” reported Reuters. He replied, saying his libertarian views- which have attracted many young voters- will have an effect on the establishment.
Although former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is viewed as the most viable candidate of the Republican hopefuls thus far based purely on votes, the 76-year-old Texas congressman has steadily climbed the candidacy ladder, earning a fourth of the votes in New Hampshire.
In Iowa he finished in third place with 26,219 votes. Santorum came in a close second with 30,007 votes and Romney came in first place then too with 30,015 votes.
On Wednesday, Ron Paul spoke on Fox News the day after the primary results on reports that his young supporters are radicals who support Occupy Wall Street and engaged in violent riots during his campaign.
“They ought to just come and see the kind of young people who come and make tens if not hundreds of thousands of phone calls for us,” Paul said on Fox News. He said his supporters are “clean cut” youths.
He told Fox News that the Republican Party needs to do more to appeal to young people and the party cannot continue to succeed if they don’t reach out to the youth.
“I think Republicans fall short on this. They [seem] sometimes very critical of our supporters, they want to dismiss the young people, but how do you build a Republican Party if you don’t talk to young people?” he said to Fox News.
