Ron Paul has an “almost cultish” following among his young supporters, including many college students, the Politico Web site reports.

His Web-savvy young fans are intensely dedicated even though he falls near the bottom of polls, according to the article, which seeks to discover the reasons behind all this passion for the Republican U.S. representative from Texas.

Polls show Mitt Romney, a Republican and former governor of Massachusetts, leading among young Republicans in the early-primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, according to Politico. But, the article says, Mr. Paul nevertheless matches Mr. Romney in online social networking, college chapters, and student fund raising.