Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Break out the tin foil hats and the 911 Truther videos! Ron Paul is having his own convention in…

*sigh*

ST. PAUL — Texas Rep. Ron Paul played up his role as Republican Party outcast Tuesday, rallying thousands of supporters of his libertarian-leaning presidential bid at his own counter-convention in Minneapolis — just across the river from the official GOP convention.

The congressman said he wasn’t trying to launch a splinter party, or commandeer the Republican National Convention, or overhaul the party platform.

But he said he felt slighted by St. Paul convention planners, who he said gave him “second-class” access and restricted him from bringing his staff to their event. Paul was also denied a speaking slot.

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So while the St. Paul convention kicked back into high gear, after a day of strictly business out of respect for the victims of Hurricane Gustav, Paul and more than 10,000 supporters gathered for his daylong “Rally for the Republic” — the capstone of three days of Paul-oriented festivities in the Twin Cities.

The affair was part rock concert, part rally, part protest and part reunion for supporters of Paul’s underdog, and ultimately unsuccessful, Republican primary campaign.

“There was so much movement and determination and excitement that supporters didn’t want it to be dropped,” Paul told reporters before the doors opened. “It was more or less something to satisfy the enthusiasm that had been built.”

Supporters said Paul was actually filling an enthusiasm gap in the Twin Cities, since the Xcel Energy Center convention site was empty much of the day Monday.

“It’s quite a contrast between there and here,” said Thomas Kiene, an Oklahoma delegate pledged to John McCain but supporting Paul. “There’s energy, enthusiasm here.”

Paul’s rally, at the 18,000-seat Target Center, was set up much like a national convention. The monitors showed images of American flags, and the floor seats were blanketed with blue-and-red “Rally for the Republic” signs.

Delegations, of sorts, even held up signs for their states on the floor as the program began.

Missing, of course, was the blessing of party elders and the unwavering focus of national media.

Outside, chanting supporters holding “Ron Paul for President” signs fished for honks as traffic passed by downtown.

(Fox)