Why do people vote Ron Paul when he already stated?

I don't agree with Paul on much (some though), but I can see why people vote for him. The other candidates, the 'serious' ones, try to differentiate themselves from one another, but they are really exactly the same in terms of what they plan to do if elected.

If Ron Paul gets 15-20% of votes, it might influence the party, change its course, even though he won't win. I think that's a valid reason to run for president, to give a voice to a political minority. Ron Paul is like the little boy in the story that said out loud that the emperor was wearing no clothes.

Years ago, I voted for Ross Perot. I didn't expect him to be elected, in fact I didn't think he'd make a good president at all. But Perot ran his entire campaign talking realistically about deficit spending and the national debt. I thought if he got maybe 10% of the vote, whoever did get elected could at least talk honestly about the debt, and would realize that at least some Americans cared about the issue. This was after Reagan and GHW Bush both had run as strict budget hawks but once in office both of them behaved as if debt simply didn't matter.

And I got my wish! Clinton got elected and brought us close to a balanced budget. If Clinton had been in office one more year, we would have had a balanced budget. Instead GW Bush came in and he simply couldn't wait to undo all of Clinton's good work, giving away the prospective surplus in a big tax cut for the very rich.

Firstly, he didn't say he wasn't trying to win. He said he hadn't envisioned himself in the oval office before. Secondly, even if he wasn't trying to win, having a strong showing at an election is one of the best ways to get visibility for your movement. As a Ron Paul supporter myself, I could care less if it's Obama, Romney, or Newt in office. I see all of these people as more business as usual types who will just protect the status quo. I think my vote would be better spent helping Ron Paul's movement rather than wasting it on one of those candidates.

It forces the rest of the candidates to re-consider their positions on certain issues. If Obama or Romney sees that they're losing 15% of the vote over attacking Iran, they might be a little less gung-ho about doing it.

A vote for Cain is a vote for Colbert!

Go Stephen.

I vote for Ron Paul because he best represents my views. Why would I vote for those who don't represent my views?

Because they want to. Try not to reason it out, it will just leave you more confused than you already are.

Kids gotta play.

That is how they exercise their imaginations.