Dr. Paul himself is upbeat

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/...

Justin Yourison, 29, spent an hour standing in the cold on a Des Moines street corner waving a "Ron Paul for President" sign at passing cars this afternoon.

Paul came in fifth place in the Republican presidential caucuses, but Yourison, of Des Moines, wasn't discouraged.

"I think the message still holds, because it's not really about him," Yourison said as he waited for Paul to arrive at a rather glum rally that night at the Marriott Hotel in Des Moines.

Yourison was one in a crowd of about 200 in the ballroom who thrust their fists in the air and chanted "Ron Paul! Ron Paul" when Paul arrived shortly before 10 p.m. and told them he would be continuing his campaign on to New Hampshire and beyond.

He has enough money to compete through the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries, he said. Paul raised $20 million in the fourth quarter of 2007.

"This is not the end. This is the beginning," Paul told them. "It's been the very first test. It's not the final test."

Many in the crowd were young adults like Yourison drawn to Paul's message of less government, U.S. troop withdrawal from around the world and reduced federal spending. "Tyranny Resistance Team" advertised one T-shirt.

"The other candidates talk about tinkering with the status quo - we don't want to tinker, we want to change the status quo," Paul said.

The campaign is on the upswing, he said, and gaining support among independents, frustrated Republicans and unhappy Democrats.

"The rights of the individual, that's what we're working for," said Paul. "Freedom is popular in this country."