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Ron Paul says GOP opponents have failed in attempts to write him off

Steven K. Paulson
The Associated Press
Aspen, CO Colorado

DENVER ” Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said Friday his three remaining GOP opponents are making a mistake trying to write him off while he continues to draw huge crowds and raise millions of dollars on the campaign trail.

Paul was in Denver at the same time as Mitt Romney, who tried to frame the race as a two-candidate contest between himself and John McCain.

“We’ll have to wait and see. First, the elections haven’t occurred yet and we’ll see how we’ll do in our rally here. We’ve had a tremendous reception here in Colorado and I think we’re going to do quite well. That would be an easy goal if all of a sudden he thought it was a two-man race,” he said.



Colorado is one of 22 states holding primaries or caucuses on Tuesday, and Paul has only polled in single digits.

Paul said he expects to do well in Colorado’s caucus because his message appeals to people in the West who believe in less government and states’ rights.




“I can sense this is a good state for the philosophy I talk about ” a philosophy of freedom, limited government, state’s rights, sound money. I think this is a great state for the message of the Constitution,” he said.

About 1,600 supporters packed the Colorado Convention Center, some of them running to get seats.

Daniel Pierce, a 19-year-old college student in computer science who plans to register as a Republican so he can vote for Paul, said he supports Paul because he’s worried about his future. He’s not sure there will be any Social Security program left by the time he’s ready to retire.

“It’s about the federal government. They shouldn’t try to run everything, it should be state’s rights,” he said.

Janet Lee Meisinger, a 67-year-old office manager from Dacono, said two of her sons served in the military in Iraq, Turkey and the Middle East, and she believes it’s time for troops to come home from Afghanistan and Iraq.

“I’d rather they protect our borders than their borders,” she said.

Michael Norton, campaign spokesman for McCain in Colorado, said Paul is “quirky” but has a loyal, enthusiastic following here.

“He’s helping shape the debate, and in some respects, that’s good, but in some respects, he gets in the way,” Norton said.