Meet Ron Paul: The Houston-area's presidential candidate

(8/11/07) (KTRK) -- Long before he was Ron Paul, presidential candidate or Ron Paul, cable show hero. He was just Ron Paul, the neighborly doctor from Lake Jackson.

"He actually delivered my two children," said resident Esther Lindsey.

Around Lake Jackson there are lots of people who can say that. By his own count, Paul delivered more than 4,000 of Brazoria County's babies before and while he was a US Congressman representing the area.

"I told my daughter, he delivered you and now he might be president," said Cherish Spillers.

Which is not a surprise to many of his former patients.

"We always knew he had the potential," said Evelyn Brandenberg.

But Paul himself may not have known. He is a man, who despite 20 years in Congress, has a pretty low profile. Prompting even some of his supporters to ask - who is Ron Paul?

To their and Paul's own amusement, a lot of voters are taking the time to find out.

"To my surprise there were a lot of people thinking the same way I've been thinking," Paul said.

Which is, as Paul puts it, fiercely constitutional.

He opposes the United Nations but also wants to abolish the Departments of Education, Homeland Security, FEMA, NATO, NAFTA and income taxes.

"My position is repeal the 16th Amendment and get rid of the IRS," he said.

He thinks the US spends too much time and money abroad and wants to end US military involvement in Iraq.

It is wildly popular among his supporters which is a pretty eclectic bunch.

"I believe he's the only one who can save us now," said supporter Brandy Junk.

It makes him a target amongst fellow Republicans. Some of whom ask whether he is really one of them?

"I think it's a fair question and I feel comfortable with my answer," Paul said. "My position used to be the Republican position."

But he tells us Republicans have strayed at great cost.

"We're in a heck of a mess," Paul said. "This war is a mess and the economy is in a lot worse shape than people realize."

Part of that, says Paul, is the current US foreign policy which he somewhat famously blamed for 9/11 in a debate this spring in South Carolina.

It was the highlight of the debate, but Paul feared the end of his road.

"I figured well you know the country is certainly not ready for me and it was rather frightening until my staff came up about 20 minutes later and told me you won't believe it, you're winning in the [web] polls," Paul said.

That Internet success continues. To date Paul has more than three million views on YouTube and more than 53,000 friends on MySpace, the most of any Republican contender. And while opponents question the campaign's Internet tactics, Paul's supporters say his message simply attracts the independent minded internet user.

The question now is whether he can translate his limited early and somewhat surprising success into victories.

Paul, ever humble, is again not so certain. And when asked if losing, but influencing the debate would be a success he is characteristically honest.

"I think I probably want to influence the debate more than the others," he said. "The others only desire is to be the president. Of course my desire is to be the president, but it's motivated much differently. I don't want to run people's lives. I don't want to run the economy and I don't want to run the world."

WATCH TED'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH RON PAUL

(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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