Washington (CNN) - Rep. Ron Paul is taking a dig at Donald Trump, days after the business mogul told thousands of attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference that the crowd-favorite Paul "cannot get elected."
"I've won eleven times, so I don't know whether he has earned the right to criticize somebody for not winning an election when I don't know how many elections he's won so far himself," Paul said Monday on CNN's American Morning.
Paul's comments came in response to Trump's speech Thursday before the large gathering of conservative activists in Washington that this year is viewed as an early proving ground for Republican presidential candidates. Trump, who claims he is considering a presidential bid himself, ignited boos from the largely pro-Paul crowd when he question the Texan Republicans ability to get elected.
"Considering the shape the United States, we need a competitive person, a highly competent person" to run for president, Trump also said.
On CNN Monday, the 11-term congressman said he has long been viewed as an underdog.
"I run in a very conservative, Bible-belt district, and I challenged everything George Bush did, practically," said Paul. "And people say 'You can't win with that. You're too much of a strict constitutionalist. You want such little government. You actually want to balance the budget. You can't win. It just won't work.'"
Paul was the winner of the CPAC straw poll with 30 percent of the vote. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, viewed by many as a more viable choice than Paul, came in second with 23 percent.
From CNN Politics
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How many times has Ron run for Pres? Between Trump and Paul – hard to say which one brings up the most negative feelings. Probably Trump. I would not vote for either for any public office.
Ron Paul should not feel so slightly about Trump's comments. None of the buffoons paraded out at the CPAC convention have a hope of winning the presidency.
paul may have won the straw poll 11 times...so why has he not been elected president? inquiring minds want to know!
Don't be disingenuous, Ron. You know exactly what Trump is talking about, and you know he's right.
Trump is the epitome of the wall street bail-outs. Failed businessman who over-leveraged banks to the point that they couldn't default on him. There's nothing conservative about that. Either the GOP chooses a fiscal conservative libertarian who doesn't have a Fox news world-view or they lose my vote again.
Outside Ron Paul's district, he's largely known as a nutjob and is only supported by fellow nutjobs. Perhaps he and Kucinich could run against each other...that would be the quintessential nutjob election!
Winning in a conservative Bible-belt district hardly proves that Ron Paul can win in a centrist secular nation.
None of the CPAC darlings looks good from a centrist perspective. The Republican winner will need to run away from the CPAC speeches in order to gain the center vote.
The only hope the republicans have of recapturing the whithouse is to get behind Ron Paul bigtime!!!!! The rest of there potential candidates are just so much of nothing, "the same old people doing the same ol;d thing", the "good old boys club" has got to go. Ron Paul will bring back all the voters that the republicans lost during the last election, including me. If Ron Paul dosn't get the nomination from the republican party I will vote for Obama and the democrats agin. The republicans still can't fathom just how much the Bush/Cheney administration hurt them, but we the people haven't forgoten.
They should both hold their comments as neither one of the losers would ever have a chance. I just cannot believe the ego's these Republicans have.
This guy thinks he's a conservative now? What a loser. Easy to gravitate to whatever is popular today. As soon as these right wingers take the expected dive in the coming election Trump will quickly become liberal. Remember, The Donald = The Big Mouth; nothing more. I can't wait till he actually declares and have the public take his professional and personal life through some scrutiny. He doesn't stand a chance!
So, Ron Paul wins a straw poll that only the attendees of CPAC pay any attention to. Whenever he opens his mouth, the gag-writers for the late night talk shows have their next week's worth of material. The Donald says he is non-electable (and is agreed with by everyone in the Country except for the 30% of the CPAC attendees who voted for him. Now Paul is at it again. Letterman may actually have some funny material with this, if he ever learns how to deliver it again.
Donald Duck has more sense then Donald Trump when it comes to how government is run. Ron Paul is extremlely intellegent and Trump could never come close to knowing what Ron Paul knows about running a country. Trump is clueless when it come to anything Government, and is only out to get media attention to bolster his portfolio that his Daddy's left him. Trump and Palin are both pathalogical and should be admitted to deal with their egotistical idiotic ideas that people want to hear them speak.
Neither of this losers can beat Obama so let the talks begin
I love it! Get him Ron Paul. I don't agree with your politics, but I definitely don't support or condone Birthers.
At least paul did not refer top him as a 'neanderthal.'
Nothing changes from the establishment democrats keeping Ralph Nader out of debates so that establishment candidate Bill Clinton would become the false choice of teh year for democrats to the last election where establishment republicans did everything they could to keep Ron Paul out of the process so as to establish the false choice for the Republicans of McCain/Palin ... this scripted game plan is old ... we see it for what it is .........
TRANSPARENCY NOW ...
tic toc ... there is a REVOLUTION CALLING ...
YELLING FIRE!
ron paul is the man to do it , unless he gets paid off by the crooks that run things
Congrats to Ron Paul!!!
All he needs to do is get his message out and maybe, just maybe, the people will pull their heads out of the sand and understand it.
It is absolutely pathetic for them to have allowed this ignorant Donald Trump to even speak there. The nerve of this guy to even consider running for office. I wish so much Ron Paul would get elected as our president. God help us if this Trump bratt ever got elected.
But Ronald McDonald Trump has a better rug and a bankrupt casino in Atlantic City. Clearly a better (Republican) presidential candidate
Ron Paul for the win!!!!!!
The last thing we need is trump as POTUS.
I could never support or trust anyone who refers to himself in the 3rd person, as in "The Donald." Egomania or what?!
But Paul you haven't won the big one. Good luck with so many of you running to nowhere. You better be careful about what you say to trump or that thing on his head is going to attack the one your son wears!!!
donald save your money!!!You dont stand a snowballs chance in hell of ever being elected
You all are so brainwashed. The media is the one who portrays him as a "crazy", and you buy into it without forming your own opinion. What about him is crazy? No war, policing the world, and sound money?