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Mitt Romney never fully captured the hearts of Tea Party supporters, but he is likely to capture their votes in November, according to activists gathering here.

Outside the convention hall where the party establishment runs the show, conservatives at events across the Tampa Bay area cite two main reasons they will support the former Massachusetts governor: He has a chance to defeat President Obama, and in Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., he has tapped a running mate who excites them.

"This isn't really about Mitt Romney; this is about the country. We've got to win this election," said Todd Cefaratti, an activist who helped organize the Tea Party-aligned Unity Rally 2012 in Tampa before the convention formally kicked off. "The voters spoke, and I'm getting behind the voters. And it's certainly better than the alternative."

Ryan's addition to the ticket helped Tea Party activists coalesce around their nominee. "I love Paul Ryan. I think he's fantastic," said Phil Elberfeld, 54, who drove 15 hours overnight to Tampa from Williamsburg, Va., to attend Tea Party events this week but has no tickets to any official convention events.

Elberfeld, wearing a Romney-Ryan T-shirt, said he thought Romney could have done more to reach out to Tea Party activists, but he echoed a common message voiced here: "He knows we'll come on board."

Kevin Wright, 57, a designer from Wesley Chapel, Fla., who once worked as a Chuck Norris impersonator at GOP events during the Bush administration years, said he had no doubt the overwhelming majority of Tea Party supporters would show up to vote for Romney.

"There are some disaffected Ron Paul people, but otherwise, no, absolutely not," he said. Paul, a Texas congressman and former presidential candidate, urged his supporters on Sunday to work within the party.

Romney may not share all of the Tea Party's views, Wright said, but he realizes its influence. "The Tea Party has demonstrated its ability to shape the landscape," Wright said. "Mitt Romney is not going to push back on that."

According to the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, about half, 47%, of Republicans identify with the Tea Party movement.

On the official convention stage, the Tea Party influence is minimal. A small handful of speakers who are popular among the Tea Party will be showcased. They include Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.; Texas Senate nominee Ted Cruz, who delivered an upset primary victory against an establishment candidate; and Mia Love, an African-American woman running for a House seat in Utah.

The Tea Party has flexed its influence in crafting the party platform, which includes language supportive of policy positions favored by conservatives, including an audit of the Federal Reserve, repeal of Obama's health care law and Ryan's proposal to change Medicare to let seniors buy private insurance.