Ron Paul: U.S. does not have democracy

The United States is not a democratic country, former presidential candidate and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Monday while discussing the "very poor choices" and "no real contrast" for voters to choose from between the likes of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

"This country, we do not really have democracy. I mean, even if we were really, really super happy with the Libertarian candidate, you think they'd get into the debates? No, the debates are run by the Republicans and Democrats," Paul said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" when asked about the viability of the Gary Johnson-Bill Weld Libertarian ticket.


Republicans and Democrats would "find a way of excluding them," Paul said, and it would not likely happen "unless you're a billionaire and can put enough pressure, and the media capitulate and say, hey, maybe we ought to talk to a third-party candidate."

"Overall, foreign policy won't change with either party in a significant manner. Spending is going to continue. Government intervention of the Federal Reserve is going to keep manipulating interest rates, and never facing up to the fact that this country has lived way beyond its means. And the debt is incomprehensible and all we know is it's going to grow and grow," said Paul, who mounted an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in 2012. "And I think the fighting, the personal fighting is a distraction from the real issue, which is personal liberty and the bankruptcy of this country and the failure of our foreign policy."