Paul rose to national prominence in 2008 with his unsuccessful bid for the Republican Party's presidential nomination. In that campaign, Paul utilized social media and engaged in a massive college campus outreach campaign to garner support for the Liberty Movement among the millennial generation. His approach was much the same in 2012, and again legions of young Americans flocked to support him. During these two failed bids, Paul developed a cult following that will carry on after he leaves Congress in January.