Paul looks past South Carolina to caucus states
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Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is already looking past the South Carolina primary with plans to make the most of a few states that could be more receptive to his libertarian, Internet-driven message.
Paul campaigned across seven South Carolina cities the day before Saturday's first-in-the-South primary, flying to a series of rallies in airports to tell voters he hopes his support for limited government and greater personal freedom will resonate in their state.
"We want a free society and a prosperous society, and we are on the verge of a victory for those issues today," Paul said in Greenville.
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His campaign announced that it had purchased a substantial ad buy in Nevada and Minnesota, two states holding caucuses next month. His advisers are crafting a strategy built on President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign model, urging supporters to organize themselves online and show up at caucuses to gain a significant number of delegates.
Paul planned to largely skip Florida, which holds its primary Jan. 31.
Paul had a limited presence in South Carolina compared to weeks of heavy face-to-face campaigning in Iowa, where he placed third behind Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney, and in New Hampshire, where he came in second to Romney.
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The Texas congressman participated in two nationally televised debates in South Carolina but hosted few campaign events. He even left the state for a full day Wednesday to fly back to Washington to cast a symbolic vote against raising the debt ceiling.
Paul's message found some traction in South Carolina, but his call to vastly cut military spending has its limits in a state home to many military bases and veterans. Still, his advisers believe Paul's loyal base of supporters could push him past Rick Santorum and into a solid third place finish behind Romney and Newt Gingrich.