Ron Paul on his chances in Nevada: I think we’ll end up coming in second
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer talks to Ron Paul as the results from the Nevada caucuses come in. A full transcript is after the jump.
Please credit all usage of the interview to CNN
VIDEO – Ron Paul on dropping out of the race
Transcript from Full Interview
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: But let’s talk to Congressman Ron Paul right now the Republican presidential candidate. He’s joining us from Arden Hills, Minnesota.
Congressman Paul, thanks very much for coming in. Would you be satisfied with a third place, a second place? It doesn’t look like you are going to win but we haven’t got any official results yet.
PAUL: Yes, I think we’ll end up coming in second, but it’s still pretty early to make any declarations. But we have a few other numbers and they are looking pretty good. But we have to be a little bit patient and find out what the final number is later on in the evening.
BLITZER: There’s a lot of people thought Nevada was well-positioned for you, the libertarian element out there west. You are from Texas. It looks — it looks like Mitt Romney is going to have a very strong night, though.
PAUL: Yes, I think so. But I think that everybody does recognize that the Mormon vote is significant and that there — he picks up a lot of votes and they’re good turnouts. So that would — that would play a role in it, too. But I still think it is a very libertarian state and a very friendly state. And we had, you know, good reception there. But I think we just have to wait and just see how these numbers come in and see if we do have a good second place coming up.
BLITZER: Well, give us your feeling looking ahead to Tuesday. You’re already in Minnesota, though. There will be caucuses in Minnesota on Tuesday, caucuses in Colorado on Tuesday, also a primary, although it is not binding, in Missouri. What is your assessment?
PAUL: Well, I’m feeling pretty good about it. We have some good reports on what is happening in Maine and the Colorado reception was fantastic. And we hit really good support here, you know, in Minnesota. So I think we’re going to come out pretty good on this. But I don’t usually make wild predictions or claim anything. But I have felt very good about it. The reception has been excellent.
BLITZER: Because I know you’ve been in Maine, too. Maine is a week from today. They wrap up their caucuses, which continues over several days. So you are watching what is going on. But I just want to make sure, get you on the record. You’re in this contest at least through Super Tuesday if not much further, right?
PAUL: Yes, certainly. I mean, it would be pretty difficult, even if I had a personal desire not to continue, there would be a strong rebellion with my friends. But I think we are doing so well that there is no reason to think about that.
And we are starting to see the accumulation of delegates. And after tonight we’re going to have more delegates. And after next Tuesday we’re going to have a significant number more. And then I think other people will be starting to think about it’s actually our position and we may well, by that time, be in second place.
BLITZER: But at some point you have to win a state, right, Congressman? You have to win one state. Give us your prediction. Which state will you win in first?
PAUL: Well, I — I’m probably not the best person, because I don’t look at those numbers carefully. I see myself as responsible for delivering a message and trying to motivate people. So I don’t think I’d be very good at saying that the very best state is going to be this state and this is the one we’re going to win. So I’m going to defer because I don’t have the numbers in front of me to make that prediction.
BLITZER: And I just want to clarify your reaction to the controversial comments that Mitt Romney made earlier in the week when he was on CNN. He spoke with our own Soledad O’Brien, and he made those awkwardly phrased comments about he’s not really concerned about poor people because they have a safety net, maybe you need to tweak that. He says he misspoke. He later said it was a misstatement. What was your reaction when you heard that?
PAUL: Well, I’ve been asked about that, and I kept thinking about the last time he had a statement and I think it was taken out of context. And, you know, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. And I know Governor Romney well enough, he just doesn’t come across like the person — “I don’t care about poor people.” And I thought maybe that was a distortion of what his real beliefs are. And, actually, when I listened to his statement, I mean, he — it wasn’t like he was saying that. So — but my contention is people say, well, what is your concern? Well, see, I think he’s a victim of his own economic policy.
So when people ask me about that, I’m really a strong defender of the poor and the middle class and see how monetary policy destroys the middle class and how all these programs backfire on the middle class, how they use their jobs and their houses. So in many way, I have deep concern about the middle class and the poor. And I think Mitt and others are, you know, speaking in terms, well, if we have a program in place, an entitlement system and a welfare system, we’ve done our job. Well, I just look at this a little bit differently. We can only do our job to maximize the wealth for the middle class and the poor is by having a better economic system, balancing our budget and having a sound monetary program.
BLITZER: One final question before I let you go, Congressman. The Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, was reported this week, he believes there’s a strong chance Israel might launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities either in April, May or June. If you were President of the United States, what would you do in a scenario like that?
PAUL: You mean if they did it?
BLITZER: Well, and what would you try to do? If you were president right now and your intelligence people said to you, it looks like Israel is about to preemptively destroy — try to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, what would you do as president?
Well, you know, there’s a healthy debate in Israel right now, so the fact that they’re, you know, in a consensus over there, I think there’s more debate over there on what to do than sometimes in our own country. Now If I had any say or if they asked me opinion, I would try to discourage them doing it. Why start a war?
You know, besides, I’ve heard, you know, the head of the massaud say that even if the Iranians get a nuclear weapon, it’s not — they would not be an existential threat, and I heard Brzezinski, you know, just the other day, making comments similar to this, that you don’t go to war over these kind of things. So I would try to use the ad — foreign policy and the military experts who say that this would be a fallacy, and use the people who are saying these things as well, to show that people should stop and think before they start a war.
BLITZER: There is a healthy debate, and it’s well underway on this very subject, you correctly point. All right, thanks very much, Congressman. Appreciate your coming in.
PAUL: Thank you.