With all of his supporters campaigning heavily in Florida this week, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul decided to jaunt up to Maine instead.

He said he has strong support here, so it made more sense, logistically.

Paul spent Monday morning in Portland and Augusta, with about 200 people greeting him in the Hall of Flags at the State House.

Paul stands for a smaller government, elimination of the income tax, making the American dollar stronger, and bringing all of the troops home from overseas.

In other words, protecting the Constitution, he told the crowd in Augusta Monday.

He said momentum for his campaign is growing. “This is a revolution that is going on,” he said.

The crowd applauded when he suggested bringing all the troops home. They applauded when he suggested a new type of foreign policy. They applauded when he announced his opposition to the Patriot Act.

“We need to take care of our problems without attacking individuals,” Paul said.

The crowd booed when he brought up the National ID card system, which he opposes. He told Maine to keep fighting against it. “We need to live in an age where we aren’t asked to show our papers, just to go about our daily business,” he told the crowd.

Controlling terrorists is like controlling guns.

“We need to control the guns of criminals,” Paul said. “You don’t control the guns of law abiding citizens.”

He said the perception of America is fading throughout the rest of the world. “We’ve been living on borrowed money and borrowed time,” Paul said.

The key is to work with the other countries, not against them. Case in point: Vietnam.

He also addressed the flailing economy and the plight of the middle class. The woes of the middle class could be prevented by eliminating the income tax, he said.

Three first-time voters, all high school students from Readfield, came to support Ron Paul. It’s the failing economy they’re worried about, and the impact it could have on their futures.

Adam Thompson, 17, figured he’d support Barack Obama because of his change method, but one day he found Paul on YouTube.

“I have deep concern for the future of our generation,” he said.

Haley Gallant, 17, and Carrie Paul, 18, said Thompson led them to Paul. For them, it’s making America safer and protecting freedom of speech.

At school, fellow students tend to support Obama, but they said there’s not much enthusiasm about going to the caucus. They, on the other hand, are very excited to go speak up for Paul.

Paul ranks fourth in delegates among Republican candidates. He finished second in Nevada, according to CNN.

After the rally, he said he agrees with his supporters that his campaign has not gotten fair coverage in the mainstream media. Instead, his campaign has relied on alternative media and organizing tools such as MeetUp.com.

“Without them we wouldn’t exist,” he said.

After his speech, Paul allowed supporters to line up and took the time to pose for pictures and sign autographs for all of them. Many had fliers or posters. Brandon Dickey of Auburn had Paul sign a pocket version of the Constitution.

Paul said, with all the support he’s gotten, his ideas will only get more traction.

“Some have said I’ve helped to remove your apathy, but you have helped remove my skepticism,” Paul said.