Can Ron Paul win the Iowa caucuses?

From the Des Moines Register:

Don’t tell Matt Winter that Ron Paul’s surge in Iowa is bad for the state’s cherished Republican caucuses.

“Whether or not you agree with Ron Paul, the fact that he’s able to get out and connect with voters and get them to come and support him — that’s really what the caucuses are supposed to be about,” said Winter, an independent voter who heard Paul speak here last week and is considering voting for him. “He has an amazing organization, no question. … They’re out there giving out signs, signing people up, following up with supporters, and it’s paying off.”

The unconventional candidate draws in Republicans and Democrats who are dissatisfied with the prevailing winds of their parties, said Winter, a 28-year-old Sibley attorney who caucused for Democrat Hillary Clinton four years ago.

Paul, a Texas congressman, came in a close second in the the Iowa straw poll in August, and he has remained in the top tier in polls in Iowa ever since. In recent weeks, he has surged to the top in some polls of likely Iowa caucusgoers.