TEXAS REP. Ron Paul pulled a respectable 7.7 percent of the vote in Tuesday's Republican presidential primary. That ought to have caught the eye of New Hampshire's Republican Party, which will need every vote it can get in this fall's very important elections.

Paul finished with 18,000 votes, just 2,000 fewer than Rudy Giuliani. Even a fraction of those 18,000 votes could change the outcome of the U.S. Senate election in November, as well as numerous state House and Senate races.

Sen. John Sununu, probably the most libertarian member of the Senate, should have a natural appeal to Paul voters, especially when they realize that their choice will be him, Jeanne Shaheen or Jay Buckey. Both the Sununu campaign and the state GOP would be wise to reach out to Paul's supporters and make sure they know how good a senator Sununu has been on most of their core issues.

To the Paul supporters, we say, congratulations on bringing so much attention to your candidate and cause. Now, why not put the same level of energy into promoting your issues here in New Hampshire? Heck, if you don't see any candidates you like, you could always run for office yourself.