Ron Paul draws huge Lincoln Day crowd in Knoxville

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks at a rally in Spokane, Wash., on Friday, March 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Jed Conklin)

Ron Paul, former Texas congressman and presidential contender, brought his message of balanced federal budgets and non-interventionism in foreign policy to the Knox County Republican faithful Friday night for one of the largest crowds ever to attend a Lincoln Day dinner in Knoxville.

Paul, a personal friend of U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, is forming an Institute for Peace and Prosperity to work on what he called frustration with foreign policies because Democrats and Republicans pretend during elections they have different policies but really dont, he said. He said he expects the institute to attract Democrats, Republicans and libertarians, which is what he really is, along with constitutionalists and others.

He made the comments at a news conference prior to the dinner at Rothchilds Catering and Conference Center in West Knoxville. He was introduced by Duncan, who will be a member of the Institutes board of advisers.

Paul said young people are key to the success of presenting different voices on political issues and particularly within the Republican Party. Since choosing not to seek another term in Congress last year, he has been spending a lot of time on college campuses giving talks.

Paul , a physician, said he is pessimistic in the short run on foreign policy and the economy but optimistic in the long run because he sees people losing complacency and becoming active in trying to make changes.

Duncan told Paul the Friday night crowd was the largest Lincoln Day dinner in Knox County in attendance for a non-election year and the second largest ever. Duncan said the largest was in 1994 when then-U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia spoke. That year, Republicans swept Congress.

Knox County Republican Chair Ruthie Kulhman said 750 people were expected at the dinner.

Paul mentioned he had not been in Knoxville previously.

I get to pick and choose where I go. Im here because of Jimmy Duncan. People know what Jimmy and I like to do. We reach a younger generation, Paul said.

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Ron Paul draws huge Lincoln Day crowd in Knoxville