The Wall Street Journal Political Diary

Being Ron Paul
The Libertarian Convention starts today in Denver, but the party's real inspiration this year will be there only in spirit. Ron Paul is still out campaigning in the Republican primaries, despite a nomination that has been secured by John McCain. According to campaign finance reports filed this week, the candidate had $4.7 million in the bank at the end of April.

Mr. Paul has reiterated that he won't run as a third party candidate and it's a lock that he isn't getting the GOP nomination, so his continued presence on the trail is an eccentricity, albeit one with a message. The free-market Texas Congressman is still drawing a portion of GOP voters who remain unconvinced of Mr. McCain's conservative bona fides. He drew 16% of the vote in Pennsylvania, his highest numbers yet, and he has gotten more than a million votes nationwide. He's even been collecting a few delegates along the way.

Ron Paul voters aren't substantial in their numbers – he won support in the low single digits for most of the contested primary season. But they are a grass-roots force and have proven to excel at fund raising, raising $35 million for his primary campaign. His book, "The Revolution, a Manifesto," hit No. 1 on Amazon in a matter of days and has climbed the New York Times best-seller list, evidence that he is still serving as a voice of conscience on core principles among conservative voters.

Mr. Paul has been endorsing candidates in a number of states to good effect, and the book boasts that "candidates across America are running as Ron Paul Republicans." That is a legacy in itself.

-- Collin Levy