John McCain and Mitt Romney may be the Republican front-runners nationally, but Alaska GOP voters have a history of not giving a damn how it's done Outside.

Pat Buchanan won the Alaska Republican straw poll in 1996, Pat Robertson took the party caucuses in 1988, and Steve Forbes came within five votes of beating George W. Bush in 2000.

It's that kind of unorthodox thinking Ron Paul is banking on for Tuesday.

Romney has an organized Alaska effort, and his son campaigned here last week. Mike Huckabee has the Alaska Right to Life endorsement, and his wife is here this weekend.

But Paul is the one Republican to open a campaign office here -- and he has two, one in Anchorage and one in Fairbanks. He has 12 paid staffers in the state. Paul commercials are running on Alaska radio and TV.

Craig Bergman, who was Paul's Iowa political director, came north looking for the campaign's first victory in a state.

"They asked me to take a look and say where we can get that win," he said. "I don't really like cold weather, I'd love to go to Florida, but I think we can win Alaska."

Alaska is a small state with a traditionally low caucus turnout. The winner will be whichever candidate has supporters motivated enough to show up. Paul backers are highly motivated.

Paul, who has previously run for the presidency as a Libertarian, has a pro-gun, strict constitutionalist message that his campaign thinks is perfect for the Last Frontier.

But does the Paul campaign think he has any chance of actually winning the Republican nomination for president?

Bergman paused a few beats when asked that question. A young Paul staffer looked up from his computer to hear the answer.

"There would be a scenario," he answered.

Bergman said there are also other benefits to winning Alaska delegates. It would give Paul more influence at the national convention, helping his philosophy to color the Republican platform, and maybe even landing him a vice presidential spot, he said.

Alaska may like more offbeat candidates, but pro-development themes tend to work here too. That's the Alaska strategy of both the Romney and Huckabee campaigns.

Chris Nelson, the Alaska director for Romney, said the fact is Paul hasn't taken fire nationally. The national race appears to be boiling down to a contest between Romney and McCain, he said.

"If we finally got an ANWR bill passed President Romney would sign it and President McCain would not," Nelson said.

There hasn't been a visible McCain campaign effort here. The Arizona senator has "probably the least active campaign in Alaska," said Alaska Republican Party chairman Randy Ruedrich.

Some Alaska Republicans are conflicted over McCain, including Gov. Sarah Palin. They like his maverick reputation and military background but not his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"She said she'd like to support McCain but felt she couldn't at this particular time because of his stand on ANWR," said the governor's spokeswoman, Sharon Leighow.

McCain has also singled out Alaska's "Bridges to Nowhere" for criticism on the campaign trail.

Palin hasn't made any endorsement. But Huckabee called her last week to pitch his views and she liked his pro-gun and pro-development (including ANWR drilling) message.

Alaska Rep. Don Young is the congressional chairman of the national Huckabee campaign.

Romney, though, received the endorsement of Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Saturday. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell is chairing his state campaign and he introduced Romney in an Internet ad aimed at Alaskans.

Alaska, with its small population, is used to being on the sidelines of presidential races. But Romney's son, Josh, and Huckabee's wife, Janet, both said during their visits last week that a race this close makes winning Alaska delegates important.

Alaska has 29 delegates to the Republican national convention, where the GOP presidential nominee will be chosen. That's only one less delegate than Oregon, Connecticut and West Virginia, and more delegates than eight other states have.