Ron Paul: Convention speech a fallback option

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Presidential candidate Ron Paul said Sunday if he isn't in first place heading into the Republican convention, he hopes to influence the party at the event.

When it was pointed out that his campaign manager said the Texas congressman is focused on winning at least five states so his name can be placed in nomination at the Republican National Convention in August, Paul acknowledged during an interview on "Fox News Sunday" that getting to the point where he could make a prime time speech to affect the party platform was a fall-back option.

"If we don't pull it off and we're not in first place, yes, that would be a good goal and people ask me why I run," he said. "I run to win and I have won a lot, but we also want to help direct the party and country in a certain way. So, that would be a very, very positive strategy to influence the party."

Paul added he thinks people tend to ignore platform speeches at the convention, but he hopes otherwise.

"I have to be an optimist because I have been plugging away for a long time," he said.

"My views, I've expressed since the '70s. But all of a sudden, they're getting a lot of attention, a lot of popularity. The country out of desperation now is looking at a constitutional approach."