▁fact ▁that ▁Paul ▁finished ▁in ▁third ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁popular ▁vote , ▁ 2 2 ▁of ▁Iowa ' s ▁ 2 8 ▁deleg ates ▁ultimately ▁voted ▁for ▁Paul ▁at ▁the ▁Republican ▁National ▁Convention . ▁Since ▁Iowa ' s ▁deleg ates ▁are ▁not ▁bound ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁a ▁nom ine e ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁the ▁c auc uses , ▁Paul ▁supp or ters ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁ex ert ▁a ▁substantial ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁delegate ▁race ▁by ▁master ing ▁Iowa ' s ▁arc ane ▁election ▁rules ▁and ▁winning ▁key ▁positions ▁on ▁state ▁election ▁comm itte es . ▁The ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times '' ▁described ▁this ▁effort ▁by ▁the ▁Paul ▁campaign ▁as ▁" part ▁of ▁a ▁quiet ▁strategy ▁by ▁Paul ▁and ▁his ▁back ers ▁to ▁am ass ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁supp or ters ▁at ▁the ▁G OP ▁gather ing ▁in ▁August ▁in ▁T ampa , ▁F la ., ▁to ▁push ▁Paul ' s ▁views ▁on ▁liberty , ▁states ' ▁rights , ▁the ▁mon et ary ▁system ▁and ▁foreign ▁policy ." ▁Some ▁comment ators ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁Rom ney ▁campaign ▁was ▁partly ▁to ▁bl ame ▁for ▁the ▁delegate ▁outcome , ▁for ▁their ▁failure ▁to ▁mobil ize ▁supp or ters ▁to ▁particip ate ▁fully ▁in ▁the ▁Iowa ▁nom ination ▁process . ▁ ▁General ▁election ▁There ▁were ▁eight ▁candidates ▁on ▁the ▁Iowa ▁ball ot ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election : ▁the ▁two ▁major - party ▁candidates ▁( Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁and ▁Mitt ▁Rom ney ) ▁and ▁six ▁minor ▁candidates . ▁ ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁was ▁the ▁inc