Republican candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, wasn’t invited to a presidential candidates’ forum Saturday in Des Moines – but that didn’t stop him from throwing a party of his own.

“We thought it was important we communicate with Iowa voters, so we decided we weren’t going to sulk about it, and we decided to hold our own event,” said Jesse Benton, Paul’s communications director.

And it was no small get-together – more than 600 people crowded the hall at the Iowa Events Center, a number close to the turnout of the six-candidate forum next door.

“They choose not to invite us to some of their parties,” Paul said, “but we threw a bigger and happier party.”

Paul’s campaign has gained a lot of notoriety on the Internet, using videos and grassroots support to gain a steady following, especially among the younger crowd.

“This new generation that is coming will be on our side in the preservation of liberty,” Paul said.

Paul began the rally by praising Iowa’s state motto: “Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.”

He said this is a perfect illustration of his desire to weaken federal government and give more power to the states.

“Hopefully we can return to that status,” he said. “How can you have liberty without life, and how can you have a decent life without liberty?”

Paul attributed many of his views, including his anti-abortion leanings, to that preservation of liberty.

“When we can preserve life, then we can deal with all the issues of personal liberty,” he said.

Paul stated his intention to get rid of the Federal Reserve System and eliminate wasteful government spending.

“If we could all go to the bank and withdraw five, six billion dollars every day, we could all live pretty prosperous,” he said.

Paul, the self-proclaimed “champion of the Constitution,” also has another nickname: “Dr. No.” This came from his record in Congress of continually opposing foreign wars.

“I voted against the [Iraq] war probably 15 years before it started,” he said, saying he opposed the Gulf War during the presidency of George H.W. Bush.

Paul said his stance on the war could be summed up simply: “They were over here, because we were over there.”

This has drawn flak from other politicians – former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani berated Paul at a Republican debate last month for insinuating that the Sept. 11, 2001, was the fault of the U.S.

“The diversity of the Ron Paul crowd shows the power of his message,” said David Fischer, ISU alumnus. “It transcends demographics of age; there’s a lot of Democrats, independents and Republicans here.”