Republican candidate and Libertarian hero, Ron Paul, paid a visit to the Alamo City on Thursday, April 12 as he continues to seek the Republican nomination for president. Hundreds attended to show their support at the town hall, organized by a local chapter of Youth for Ron Paul.

Paul, a licensed doctor, who represents a Galveston area district in Congress, reiterated his unique message of smaller government and personal freedom in downtown’s Main Plaza. The crowd-which was generally younger than a typical political gathering-greeted the candidate with cheers and chants of “President Paul.” The crowd’s enthusiasm was not hampered by the fact that Paul trails former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney by hundreds of delegates and dozens of points in Republican nomination polls.

Paul was quick to point out that he remains competitive with Romney in polls that pit each candidate against Barack Obama in the general election, noting that a recent Ramussen poll showed Obama losing to Paul, whereas Romney was merely tied with the President.

Paul’s message-which calls for an end to the Federal Reserve, eliminating the national debt, and bringing U.S. troops home from their stations overseas-has energized a collection of supporters that includes college students and veterans alike but has so far failed to win him a single state in the Republican primaries.

However, Paul remains one of just three candidates left in the Republican primaries after former Pennsylvania senator, Rick Santorum, suspended his campaign, leaving just Paul, Romney and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to compete for the remaining delegates.

Although he has been accused of being too moderate to represent the Republican Party, Mitt Romney is the heavy favorite as he has a sizeable lead in delegates, endorsements and money.

In a nomination process where the dialogue has been pushed further and further to the right, Romney has attracted criticism after one of his top aides compared his message to an “Etch-A-Sketch,” saying Romney can essentially start over from scratch once he is campaigning against Obama instead of other Republicans.

Although Romney has fought the image that he is inconsistent ever since the campaign started, Paul has remained one of the most consistent voices in Congress since he was first elected in 1978.

Even his fiercest critics have acknowledged that Ron Paul has never strayed away from his principles or compromised his beliefs for political benefit.

Although it is unlikely that Paul will secure the Republican nomination, his energizing rally and enthusiastic following are helping him secure delegates. This will allow him to shape the Republican platform at the Republican National Convention this summer. While other candidates in this cycle have rehashed the same Republican message, Paul has created a message that is uniquely his own, allowing him to build a following that he hopes will outlast him as a politician.