Ron Paul campaign 'touched a nerve' with supporters As nomination bid ends, passion of his followers far from quelled

WASHINGTON — Ron Paul's fight for the Republican nomination is ending, but his followers are attempting to turn his failed candidacy into a lasting movement that would alter the landscape of American politics.

While Paul's 1.1 million votes are only a fraction of those won by the presumed GOP nominee, John McCain, some supporters of the 72-year-old Lake Jackson congressman exhibit a passion uncommon in politics.

They have put his new book, The Revolution: A Manifesto, on the best-seller lists of Amazon.com and the New York Times.

Ron Paul Meetup Groups get together regularly in cities as varied as Austin, San Diego and New York, where "A Very Ron Paul Happy Hour" packs them in at a Manhattan bar.

Living in a 'Paulville'

Some loyalists have even drawn up plans for a series of utopian "Paulvilles," gated communities inhabited exclusively by Ron Paul followers.

"Ron Paul operates in a long-standing American tradition of giving voice to marginal groups at 'Time A,' who turn out to be something more at 'Time B,' usually to be absorbed by larger coalitions," said Bruce Buchanan, a government professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Paul's ranks include college students, political libertarians and people from the middle class.

Some are angered by the war in Iraq and the national debt. Others see Big Brotherism in Washington.

Still others have become cynical about the political system.

More than 150,000 people have donated $34.4 million to his presidential campaign.

Around the world, 101,502 people have joined Ron Paul Meetup.com groups in 1,040 cities in 26 countries, from Australia to Iraq.

About 131,000 have subscribed to his YouTube channel.

Paul's official Facebook profile has nearly 88,000 friends, and his MySpace page has about 131,000 friends.

Paul said in an interview that the Internet accounts for "probably 90 percent of our success in the campaign."

"The money is raised on the Internet," he said. "The message has been spread on the Internet. The books are sold over the Internet.

"And it just goes on and on."

Political phenomenon

Paul has embarked on a national tour to tout his new book, and he has visited about a dozen universities in the past six weeks.

"Ron Paul has touched a nerve among a small number of people," said James Riddlesperger, a political science professor at Texas Christian University."

That following has kept the Paul campaign alive far beyond the candidate's March 6 announcement via YouTube video that his national campaign was "scaling down."

In subsequent months, Paul fans, without assistance from the national headquarters, took over some county-level Republican conventions in Missouri and Texas.

He won 16 percent of the vote in the Pennsylvania primary, his native state. He took 15 percent in Oregon and 24 percent in Idaho.

Paul has not yet endorsed McCain. In fact, his longtime House buddy Bob Barr recently won the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination.

"There's a lot of friends of mine running for the presidency right now," Paul said, "so I haven't thought seriously about endorsing anybody."

And why should he, when his cause has taken on a life of its own?

patrick.brendel@chron.com