UNC students travel to SC to campaign for Ron Paul

Dark horse presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., is trying to turn a few heads in the Republican South Carolina primary this weekend, and he’s enlisting young voters to help spread his message.

Youth for Ron Paul, an organization with chapters at campuses nationwide, is trying to bring Paul’s supporters on college campuses together.

As part of the group’s efforts, several UNC students went to South Carolina to campaign for Paul last weekend, including junior Everett Lozzi and freshman Graham Palmer, co-presidents of the UNC chapter of Youth for Ron Paul.

The group hasn’t been officially recognized by the University, but Lozzi and Palmer said the group hopes to work with UNC College Libertarians as the election draws closer. They also plan to campaign in Virginia and North Carolina before those states’ respective primaries.

Palmer said Paul has a better appeal than other candidates.

“He’s the only candidate who is actually taking our nation’s challenges, like the deficit, seriously,” said Palmer.

He said Paul’s appeal to college students stems from Paul’s positions on social issues.

“(Other candidates) are talking about abortion and gay marriage,” he said. “Most college students don’t really care about that. They care about the nation’s debt, the economy and foreign policy, things that our generation will have to deal with in the future.”

Palmer said it’s hard for voters to get excited about Mitt Romney, the current GOP frontrunner, because he has been criticized for wavering between conservative and moderate ideals.

“Ron Paul offers a more consistent, clear message — he wants to cut down the role of government and work towards better economic opportunities for our nation in the future,” he said.

A CNN poll released earlier this week shows Paul to be tied nationally with Romney, and President Barack Obama.

Greg Steele, chairman of UNC College Republicans, said many members of his group support Paul.

“His consistent message about getting the government out of things has resonated with a lot of us,” he said.

Palmer said if Paul wins the presidency, his extremist views won’t be a problem, as Congress can act as a moderator.

But Tom Carsey, a UNC political science professor, said in an email Paul’s policy views are too extreme for him to become a real threat in the election.

“He has never been able to expand his appeal beyond a small core of supporters,” Carsey said.
Palmer said if Paul gets the nomination, he believes he would have the resources to sustain his campaign until November, more so than his opponents.

Steele said he’s confident that Paul can win the presidency.

“Anyone the GOP puts up will gain strong national Republican support,” he said.

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