The Texas congressman was greeted by screaming supporters waving “Ron Paul for President” signs and stomping their feet in the University Center Ballroom.
“People ask, ‘Are you still in this race?' Sure. I'm still in this race,” said Paul at one point during his hourlong speech. The pronouncement led to one of the rowdiest outbursts of the night. “I'm in the race as long as supporters want me in this race.”
State Republican Party Chairman Erik Iverson expects Mitt Romney - overall winner of the Montana caucuses - to soon release the delegates he earned during his run for the presidency. The former Massachusetts governor pulled off a solid victory in Montana on Super Tuesday. Less than two days later, though, he dropped out of the race.
Should Romney release his delegates, Montana's 25 representatives at the Republican national convention in September would be free to vote for any candidate, Iverson said.
“We think the majority of the people who have been elected to be delegates will look at June's primary,” Iverson said, meaning they'll look to the popular vote for guidance.
Paul placed second in Montana's Republican caucuses, capturing 400 votes, or 24 percent of all ballots cast. He won 11 county caucuses outright, including Missoula County, and tied in two others.
That's part of the reason Paul visited Missoula, said Dave Hart, the congressman's state coordinator. Not only is there strong support for him here, but Paul is running strong among youth, Hart said. So the University of Montana was an obvious venue.
“There's no reason he can't win (Montana's) primary,” Hart said. “While the likelihood is slim he'll get the nomination, he's still running for president.”
Bob Donat, 40, of Whitehall, voted for Paul at his Republican caucus in February. He'll vote for Paul in the June primary election and he'll likely write in Paul's name on the November ballot, said the general contractor.
“He's the only person who speaks about freedom,” said Donat after the speech. “I don't want government in my life. I want the government out of my life.”
The crowd at the “Freedom Rally” Monday night filled up 700 chairs, leaving standing room only for the remaining 300 people. One homemade sign read, “STR8 BALL-A.”
A Republican presidential candidate hasn't visited Montana since Romney's visit to Helena for the Republican state convention last June. Missoula, however, recently played host to both Democrats still in the presidential race, senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Ellen Finnigan, a UM graduate student who played a big role in rallying supporters to fill empty precinct spots at the Missoula County's Republican caucus in February, introduced Paul as “the biggest thorn in the establishment's side.”
Many of the people at the rally also waited hours in line earlier in the day to have Paul sign new copies of his latest book, “The Revolution: A Manifesto,” which is marked for nationwide release April 30.
A line 200-people deep stretched out the doors of the UC Bookstore and around the corner to the UC Market.
Bookstore manager Meg Sampson ordered 215 copies of Paul's book, at $21 apiece. Some early birds purchased them Saturday, but the majority nabbed them Monday afternoon. The supply sold out by 5:30 p.m.
Bruce Charles, 67, of Deborgia, purchased eight copies of the hardback for his sons and grandchildren living out of state. That's in addition to the several copies he pre-ordered through Amazon.com.
“Even the 5-year-old gets one,” he said.
Purchasing the books for relatives will help them see that “we elect clowns,” he said. “We have three mental midgets (running for president) right now, not one can you trust if you turn your back.”
Some people couldn't wait until the book signing to catch a glimpse of the Texas congressman.
Ken Jensen, his wife and eight children drove from Stevensville to greet Paul at Missoula International Airport, along with about 25 others. Paul landed in Missoula around 3:15 p.m. after traveling from his home in Houston, Texas, and shook hands with the crowd.
“All the little kids have been blessing Ron Paul,” said Jensen, an insurance agent.
It's like an American history lesson for these home-schooled children, he said. Jensen's oldest daughter, 15-year-old Javanna, was sporting a Paul T-shirt and hat.
Jensen is a member of a Paul support group in Ravalli County that meets every Saturday at Ye Old Coffee Mill on Main Street in Stevensville to discuss how to better organize and get out Paul's message.
“He's for guns, the Constitution ... all the things Montanans like,” said Ben Kares, 23, a student at the UM College of Technology. “I think he'll restore American government to the way it's supposed to be.”
Paul rested over dinner at Finn & Porter with Hart, state Rep. Roger Koopman, R-Bozeman, and state Sen. Jerry O'Neil, R-Columbia Falls.
O'Neil described Paul as the epitome of freedom.
“Capital letters, bolded and underlined,” he said.
Reporter Chelsi Moy can be reached at 523-5260 or at chelsi.moy@missoulian.com.
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