Ron Paul Balks At Supporting Romney, Vows To Take Campaign To RNC
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — "Count all the votes."
The mantra for longshot presidential candidate Ron Paul may seem simplistic in its approach, but the next-to-last man standing in the Republican presidential nomination race said his campaign is still focused on the big political picture.
Even as Newt Gingrich made plans to suspend his campaign on Wednesday, Paul's legion of dedicated supporters has shifted their tactics to strengthen their presence on state party committees and possibly nominate Paul from the floor at the Republican National Convention in August.
The Texas Congressman told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO he's well aware of the daunting task he faces in catching up to the overwhelming 847-80 delegate advantage enjoyed by Mitt Romney, according to an Associated Press count.
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"We're going through the delegate process, so we're going to have a lot more than 80, but obviously he's well ahead," said Paul. "We're very much involved in changing the Republican party to become a party of a little less government."
Paul — who has not won a single primary — may also be positioning himself for a more prominent role and possibly even a speaking role at the Republican National Convention with recent gains in several key campaign states like Iowa, Louisiana, and Minnesota.
But the 12-term Congressman was not yet ready to throw his support behind the party's presumptive nominee.
"Not under present circumstances," he said. "We don't know what his final positions will be, they do change on occasion."
Paul did acknowledge his "friendly" relationship with Romney and said he's willing to wait and see what happens at the convention.
