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Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Image 2 of 12 After leaving the Main Plaza stage, Ron Paul takes a quiet moment to work on his right shoe. After leaving the Main Plaza stage, Ron Paul takes a quiet moment to work on his right shoe. Photo: For The Express-News Image 3 of 12 GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul leaves the stage after speaking to supporters at a rally in Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul leaves the stage after speaking to supporters at a rally in Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News Image 4 of 12 GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks during a town hall meeting at Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks during a town hall meeting at Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News Image 5 of 12 Image 6 of 12 GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul speaks during a town hall meeting in Main Plaza. GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul speaks during a town hall meeting in Main Plaza. Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News Image 7 of 12 A man shows his support for Ron Paul as the GOP presidential hopeful speaks Thursday evening, April 12, 2012, at Main Plaza. A man shows his support for Ron Paul as the GOP presidential hopeful speaks Thursday evening, April 12, 2012, at Main Plaza. Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News Image 8 of 12 GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks to supporters at a rally in Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks to supporters at a rally in Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News Image 9 of 12 GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks to supporters at a rally in Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks to supporters at a rally in Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News Image 10 of 12 Image 11 of 12 GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul waves to supporters at a rally in Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul waves to supporters at a rally in Main Plaza on Thursday, April 12, 2012. Photo: Robin Jerstad / For The Express-News Image 12 of 12 Ron Paul takes cause to Main Plaza in San Antonio 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

By Tracy Idell Hamilton

Several hundred enthusiastic fans greeted Rep. Ron Paul with chants of “President Paul! President Paul!” in Main Plaza on Thursday evening.

The diverse crowd cheered repeatedly as Paul ran through his Libertarian talking points. Billed as town hall, the event was his last stop on a three-day swing through Texas trolling for money and delegates.

As he spoke, supporters worked the crowd looking for potential delegates.

“People think it’s over, that (Mitt) Romney has it in the bag, and that’s just not true,” said Monica Leal, who was handing out flyers urging Paul supporters to attend Saturday’s Republican precinct conventions.

Texas awards its delegates on a proportional basis, so even though Paul has no chance of winning the nomination, he can influence the party’s platform, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

Paul, he said, “represents a cause, not a candidate. This is all about winning influence.”

Leal believes Paul has a shot at the candidacy, but she acknowledged the importance of influencing the platform, too. She said she’d like it to include bringing troops home from bases around the world and getting rid of the Federal Reserve.

Delegates are normally chosen on primary election night, but since Texas’ primary was pushed back to May 29, the state Republican Party decided to hold conventions this weekend and next.

Bexar County Republicans will choose delegates Saturday.

Jonathon Aguayo, 21, will be there, and said he hopes to make it all the way to the state convention to vote for Paul.

His son Zander, who will turn 4 later this month, waved a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag from his perch on his father’s shoulders.

“I was like most of my generation,” not terribly interested in politics, Aguayo said. “Then I started to ask myself, what kind of world is my son going to grow up in?”

He said he first learned about the ballooning federal debt and other issues by watching YouTube videos.

Paul emailed a fundraising appeal to donors Wednesday night, according to the Ballot Box, The Hill’s political blog.

“I won’t mince words,” Paul wrote, according to the blog. “If we don’t reach our $2.5 million goal, I am not sure our campaign can go on.”

Sabato dismissed the breathless nature of the request as a common campaign tactic, and indeed, Paul made it clear Thursday evening that he’s not going anywhere.

“They like to pretend we don’t exist, we don’t have a campaign,” he said to cheers. “But you can’t stop a message whose time has come.”