Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Sunday he hoped voters attracted to Herman Cain's "independent mindedness" would take a second look at his presidential campaign with Cain now out of the race.
"We’re paying a lot of attention of that, because obviously they’re going to go somewhere," he said on CNN's "State of the Union." "I’m optimistic that we’ll pick up some votes from there."
Cain suspended his campaign Saturday, blaming allegations of multiple sexual improprieties as a distraction to the race and harmful to his family.
Paul struck a generally optimistic tone about his chances in the campaign, saying that his message resonates with a key bloc of voters: independents.
"You don’t win just with the hardcore Republican base, you need to have a candidate that appeals across the political spectrum," he said.
And Paul, well known for his stance on a number of issues that have at times put him out of the GOP mainstream, said that resoluteness will pay off in the long run.
"We continue to do what we’re doing. We’ve had the flavors of the month up and down so far in this campaign. I like to think of myself as the flavor of the decade," he said.
