Students at the University of New Hampshire cheer Ron Paul's arrival Thursday. | AP Photo Paul draws a New Hampshire crowd

DURHAM, N.H. — A standing-room-only crowd of more than 550 people at the University of New Hampshire on Thursday afternoon provided a stark display of how the Ron Paul Revolution lives on.

He spoke for more than 30 minutes without answering one key question: Will he run for president again?


Some seemed to think it's a foregone conclusion and were holding Ron Paul 2012 signs or wearing similar T-shirts, apparently made on their own.

Paul largely reiterated views he has espoused for years: abolish the Federal Reserve, severely cut government spending and pull troops out of foreign countries.

Those ideas appeared to resonate as much Thursday as they did during his 2008 presidential run, where he went from the Republican congressman from Texas to a household name on the back of an Internet-fueled following that yielded him millions of dollars in donations.

Paul said he thinks "people are starting to wake up" to his ideas. That could be a result of the powerful tea party movement, which pushes views on cutting government and spending that are similar to what he has said for some time.

Paul's views of reduced spending may gain more traction with budget crises looming nationwide, and he got cheers of support as he spoke of how spending has run amok in Washington.

He also blasted Republicans who said they cut funding to National Public Radio to save money while approving billions in spending for the conflict in Afghanistan.

"It just strikes me as totally inconsistent and not addressing the subject," he said.

Thursday's crowd at UNH's Memorial Union Building included a cross-section of young and old. There were devotees, with their "Don't Tread on Me" signs and T-shirts, as well plenty of students, some clearly in support and others more curious.

Stephen Cote, a 25-year-old freshman from Chichester, said he came to find out what Paul was all about, and he liked what he saw. He particularly liked Paul's idea that American troops should be brought back from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Cote has a unique perspective on that issue. He served as a Marine in Iraq before attending UNH.

Paul was invited to campus by the UNH chapter of Young Americans for Liberty.



Clynton Namuo is a reporter for the Union Leader in New Hampshire. The Union Leader and POLITICO are sharing content for the 2012 presidential campaign cycle.