In a general election Paul would have to defend his proposals to raise the Social Security eligibility age and eliminate capital gains taxes. He would also have to fend off questions about his 2010 statement that the 1964 Civil Rights Act was wrong to prohibit businesses from discriminating against customers and his 1990s description of Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme.”

“He’s never had to defend these views. At some point in a debate with the Democrats, he’ll have to defend these views,” said a senior House Republican aide…

“If there’s a nut movement in the country that he hasn’t found, please call me. He’s now getting involved in the sagebrush matter with Mr. Bundy,” said the GOP staffer. “I worry about a lot of things, but my biggest concern isn’t that Barack Obama is going to take me out at Starbucks with a drone.”

An aide to Paul retorted: “Anybody who underestimates the power of the emerging Rand Paul movement is making a big mistake. The pundit class and establishment hacks said Rand Paul could not win a Senate primary — he did…

Vin Weber, an experienced hand in GOP presidential politics who served as a senior adviser to Romney’s campaign, said, “I think the business community is going to have a hard time swallowing [Paul].”