Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Monday he hasn't decided whether he will support the party's eventual nominee, saying concerns over spending, foreign policy and civil liberties could keep him from endorsing the winner.
"I haven't decided," Paul said when asked about whether he would support the GOP candidate during an appearance Monday on WMAL, a Washington, D.C., radio station. "I want us to stand for something," he added.
Paul also left the door wider open than he has in past statements about a potential third-party bid, saying he would weigh an outside run "after the votes are counted."
"Why do it now in the middle of a race? I have a lot of campaign events," Paul said.
The Texas congressman noted that he still matched up well against President Obama in general-election polls that counted the independent and Democratic voters he believes he could win over.
"It's tough in a Republican base where many don't have concerns about civil liberties," Paul said of the GOP primary.
Paul also said he didn't think House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) went far enough to cut the federal deficit in his budget proposal, despite widespread support within the GOP.
"We have a debt crisis worldwide, and we're trying to solve it by spending more," Paul said.
Paul also expressed skepticism that the Supreme Court would knock down the entirety of President Obama's signature healthcare reform law. Conservatives expressed optimism last week that the law would be struck down after the court seemed hostile to the idea of an individual mandate.
"They'll probably knock some of it down, but I don't think it's going to have a lot of meaning, because they've been undermining the interstate commerce clause for 50, 60, even 70 years, so they're not going to throw the whole bill out," Paul said.
The lawmaker said he was staying in the race until all the delegates were counted, and feels like it's important to continue championing his platform.
"It's still important to get the people to talk about the things they ought to be talking about," Paul said.
