With iconoclast Ron Paul having ended his quixotic bid for the Republican presidential nomination - his platform had called for, among other things, ending the Iraq War, repealing the PATRIOT Act, returning to the gold standard and eliminating taxes on tips - his many dedicated supporters are up for grabs.Even excluding his support in caucus states, Paul received a few more than a million votes in the Republican primary, finished second in five states including Pennsylvania and Oregon and continued to draw votes well after he'd effectively withdrawn from the race. His campaign also tapped into the potent new vein of online fundraising, punctuated by the so-called "money bomb" day when his supporters, unaided by his campaign, managed to pump $5 million into his coffers in 24 hours.It's a support base that could make the difference in a close election, and while there's no guarantee that his supporters will turn out at the polls for GOP standard-bearer John McCain, one thing seems clear: Despite their overlapping anti-Iraq war positions, Barack Obama will not make major inroads among them.Paul's campaign says he is unlikely to endorse anyone. Absent that endorsement, many of his campaign officials expect Paul's votes will splinter - and the names of Libertarian candidate Bob Barr and Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin come up at least as frequently as does Obama's.