GRAND RAPIDS – The media glare on Rick Santorum’s surge and Mitt Romney’s fight to stave off a loss in his birth state deflects from Ron Paul’s ability to make headway in the Republican polls.

But his impact is felt in the presidential race as the Texas Congressman forces his will on other candidates by touting policies that help small business and challenges the thinking of current legislators, supporters like New Holland Brewing company founder Brett VanderKamp and U.S. Rep. Justin Amash say.

Paul's free spirit and common sense approach is likely to attract more than 1,000 people to a 4 p.m. Sunday rally at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville. The stop was organized by the Union Conservatives, a group that tries to bridge the gap between union members and liberty through conservative principles.

VanderKamp will be among the leaders of Paul’s second campaign stop during a four-day Michigan tour leading up to Tuesday’s primary. He’s been a Paul backer after meeting him during the 2008 GOP race.

“He’s really the ideal candidate from a small business perspective,” VanderKamp said. “He’s out there promoting removing regulations and getting government out of our way. He’s talking about cutting the corporate income tax to zero, forcing that discussion to the national stage.

“He knows, as other business owners do, that nothing would spur job growth and reinvestment that will make a difference in our economy.”

Paul rolls into Michigan Saturday, starting his late push at Central Michigan University before hitting Ottawa County on Sunday. On Monday, he’ll make stops in Detroit, Lansing and Dearborn to woo voters.

While it’s largely recognized that Paul won’t win the state or others that he’s campaigned in, he opens up discussion and critical thought in a time of rehearsed politics. Paul pulled in 12 percent support in a Mitchell Research/Rosetta Stone Michigan poll of 430 likely Republican primary voters. The survey, done for Michigan Information and Research Service, was conducted after Wednesday's debate.

Amash, a first-term member in the U.S. House, is the lone elected state or federal elected official to endorse Paul in Michigan. He says Paul has opened the eyes of younger members of Congress.

"When you witness the legislative process from the inside, you see a fairly pronounced divide between the freshman Republicans and more senior members in several policy areas, and I think Ron Paul deserves credit for much of this shift,” Amash said. “By and large, the freshmen Republicans are more skeptical about sending our men and women into foreign conflicts, are more protective of our civil liberties, are more concerned about the national debt and budget deficits, and are more hostile toward budget gimmicks that deceive the public.

"Republicans, on the whole, are more openly critical of the Federal Reserve and have a better understanding of the negative effects of an 'easy money' monetary policy. There's no doubt that Ron Paul is responsible for this change.”

The 76-year-old’s message seems to resonate with younger people, Amash and VanderKamp say. That crowd is more open to questioning the establishment political parties and practices.

“He’s a person who can make real change happen,” said VanderKamp.

National pundits and Santorum, who Paul has campaigned against in television commercials, have suggested that he is aligned with Romney and that has brought him to Michigan in the final days of a tight battle.

VanderKamp dismisses that thought, saying he doesn’t see Paul taking potential votes from Santorum. He thinks he’d steal people considering Romney.

“I just can’t see that,” the Holland brewery owner said. “I don’t see how any turnout for Ron Paul helps Mitt Romney.”

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