So perhaps it is no surprise that Ron Paul's brand of fiscal conservatism appeals most to people living in northern states.
A particularly interesting difference is in the north to south alignment of Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri. None of these states have non-trivial mormon population, so that can't skew the results. None of these states are the "home" of a candidate. As you go south, Ron Paul votes dissipate.
See the map below:
Ron Paul's results in Michigan would have been much better if the chief rival (Mitt Romney) wasn't born there and have a father who was governor there. The same is true in Massachusetts where Romney lives and was himself a governor. His success in the directly adjoining states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine would likely have been even better had Romney not lived and been governor nearby.
