Ron Paul speaking to supporters at a townhall meeting in Le Mars, Iowa. (Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons)

"I love Ron Paul," Clarkson wrote last Thursday on the social networking site WhoSay. "I liked him a lot during the last Republican nomination and no one gave him a chance. If he wins the nomination for the Republican party in 2012 he's got my vote. Too bad he probably won't."

Clarkson’s recent album, Stronger, rose 442 percent in Amazon sales to the number two spot within 24 hours of endorsing Paul. The artist’s digital sales rose to the sixth spot on the iTunes Charts.

Ron Paul’s supporters took to Amazon.com to thank the artist and pledge to purchase her records.

"Thank you for your brave and intelligent support of Ron Paul for 2012!" one commenter said on Amazon. "I'm going to buy your album now, and every album hereafter!"

Other comments left on Amazon decried the media, arguing Ron Paul’s popularity is surging but the media has failed to take notice.

The Texas congressman has been nicknamed the "intellectual godfather" of the Tea Party movement. Paul favors cutting $1 trillion from the federal government, slashing the corporate tax rate and removing taxes on capital gains and dividens. He also supports the elimination of five federal cabinet agencies and strongly opposes federal health care, making him popular with groups that favor limited government.

Paul has recently come under scrutiny for allegedly writing vitriolic comments in old newsletters.

"95 percent of black men in that city [Washington, D.C.], are semi-criminal if not entirely criminal," Paul allegedly wrote in one letter.

In others letters Paul referred to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a "pro-communist philanderer"and argued there is a "federal-homosexual cover-up on AIDS."

Although the letters bear Paul’s signature, he has repeatedly denied writing them.

Clarkson, despite drawing praise for her support of Paul, has also had to respond to angry fans to defend her position.

"I do not support racism," the singer wrote on WhoSay. "I support gay rights, straight rights, women's rights, men's rights, white/black/purple/orange rights. I like Ron Paul because he believes in less government and letting the people (all of us) make the decisions and mold our country. That is all. Out of all of the Republican nominees, he's my favorite."

Paul, speaking to several hundred students at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa Tuesday, cited the pop star.

"Does anyone know the name Kelly Clarkson?" asked Ron Paul. The Texas lawmaker boasted that his "supporters went out and bumped up her sales by 600 percent."

On Tuesday evening, with most of the Iowa caucus votes counted, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were nearly tied with 24.6 percent of votes each. Ron Paul, who has seen some gains in past polls, came in third place with 21.3 percent of the votes.

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