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During a wide-ranging interview prior to taking the stage at the Tea Party Patriot National Summit Conference in Phoenix this week, likely presidential candidate Ron Paul stated he "encouraged a write-in vote" as a protest against the existing corrupt "single party system" consisting of Democrats and Republicans.
Responding to questions from Voters Evolt!, Texas Congressman Paul said he would not "discourage" any votes cast for him. However, fearing it would "glorify the majority," Paul did not favor a National Policy Referendum.
Paul believed the Tea Party movement has worked to excite people and help define issues and that any Republican "would have trouble winning primaries" in 2012 without its support. Paul "assumes" he will have Tea Party support, "if he decides to run."
While agreeing with Tea Party Patriots that government and its debt was too big, Paul decried the rampant militarism of the right saying that it "does not produce defense." He believes that fighting wars overseas makes the U.S. more vulnerable and less secure. Congressman Paul faulted Democrats, such as Obama, for doing too little about militarism because "they have to prove they are not weak on defense."
Paul is opposed to "empire," the Military Industrial Complex, the Federal Reserve System and the PATRIOT Act, clearly stating, "We are living in a police state." According to Paul, "The sole purpose of government should be the protection of liberty," and "we want our privacy back."
Although Paul lost the presidential straw poll of the 2,000 "patriots" attending the conference to businessman Herman Cain and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, he was the favorite of almost half of the 2,300 who attended the "virtual summit" online.
He closed by saying, "remember an irate minority can accomplish a whole lot when you're determined to do it."
