Ron Paul Places Third in Iowa

Ron Paul has to settle for the bronze in Iowa. The maverick Texas congressman is projected by the networks to place third in the Iowa caucus -- behind fellow Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

Paul had a solid ground team in Iowa and pulled a strong second-place showing in the Iowa GOP straw poll back in August. Paul did much better than his showing in Iowa in 2008 but the result could have been better this time out. Some polls as late as last week showed him ahead in Iowa -- meaning there could be some second-guessing of Paul spending part of this last weekend in Texas.

Paul has to do better in New Hampshire as the two other states looming in January -- South Carolina and Florida -- did not treat him well in 2008.