Backers Hope Paul's Iowa Strategy Will Move His Message ANKENY, Iowa - Before the voting began in Iowa, Ron Paul was asked by an ABC correspondent, "When you lay your head on your pillow at night, do you see yourself in the Oval Office?" Ron Paul, center, on Tuesday at a "Rock the Caucus" candidates' appearance at Valley High School in West Des Moines. He appears likely to remain influential. "Not really," he said. But while few Republican strategists expect Mr. Paul. 76, to make it to the White House, the results last night showed that at the very least he will be a force to be reckoned with in the primaries, and in his party's politics. If he can carry some of his momentum to other states, Mr. Paul will likely have more influence in the national Republican Party's platform, a goal of many of his supporters who say their anti-Fed, anti-debt and antiwar movement and message is just as important as Mr. Paul's candidacy. For many true believers, winning a handful of caucuses and collecting a respectable number of delegates could give them power to influence the party's message, and maybe even its nominee, this summer. Mr. Paul's strength in Iowa may also likely to bolster the political potential of Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican and darling of the Tea Party movement who is seen by many Paul campaign organizers as the inevitable heir to his father's mantle. But the results also mean that increased criticism by other candidates of Mr. Paul in the last few weeks is only the beginning of a period of more negative attacks and campaign advertisements sure to be launched against the Texas representative, whose dovish national security views are considered heretical by many establishment Republicans, and who has faced new scrutiny over racially-charged statements in newsletters distributed under his name that he later disavowed. His performance also underscores not just the resonance of his message, but the effectiveness of his ground campaign in Iowa, the handiwork of a decision four years ago to maintain an active political presence within the state while also trying to seed state and local Republican committees with Paul supporters. The goal of the four-year process was to change the perception that Mr. Paul was a Republican outsider and make him a part of the party fiber in Iowa. For Mr. Paul, the question is whether the strategy that worked so well in Iowa can be duplicated in other states. His campaign relies on well-organized and motivated local coordinators, which usually have more influence in caucus states like Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota and Washington. His political organization in other states is similar to Iowa's - using an activist group to keep supporters motivated after he dropped out of the race in 2008 and then getting them to rejoin the campaign once he declared his candidacy last year. Randy Page, a Republican activist in South Carolina, said Mr. Paul's supporters had also worked hard in states like South Carolina, which votes on Jan. 21, and Nevada, which holds caucuses on Feb. 4, to become party officials on the county and state levels. "Dr. Paul had a very effective organization across the state, and a lot of them morphed into the Tea Party as well as the mainstream Republican Party organizational structure throughout the state," Mr. Page said. A Clemson University Palmetto Poll several weeks ago found Mr. Paul with 10 percent support among South Carolina Republican primary voters, trailing Mr. Gingrich at 38 percent and Mr. Romney at 21 percent. Mr. Paul has begun running ads in the state that highlight his anti-abortion appeal to social conservatives and his military record, including a six-figure purchase of television ads that started a few days ago. But it remains to be seen whether his Air Force service will assuage voters in a state with a legacy of major military bases. "South Carolina is a national security state, and Ron Paul is not a national security candidate," said Jim Dyke, a Republican strategist in Charleston. Residents will also take into greater account a candidate's electability, not Mr. Paul's strong suit, either. And absent the same long-term attention he showered on Iowa - where he could also explain, over months and months, his foreign policy views in nuanced terms - others in the party say Mr. Paul will not be able to replicate Tuesday's caucus performance. Richard A Oppel Jr. reported from Ankeny, Iowa, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg from Washington.