Yeah, not sure what Paul hopes to gain, it's speculation and all we have to go on is past performance, which has been pretty relaibly independent of the GOP. It has to rankle even non-Ruling Class Repub's that a guy who is more maverick than J-Mac ever hoped to be is out there doing his thing and yet has nominal membership in the GOP. But, bottom line I don't think much will change from now to the close of the convention, so this is purely a discussion for future reference.
My only remaining point about Paul is, even if he won the nomination outright what natural constituency exists that makes even the most ardent Paul supporter think any pieces let alone a few key peices of his policies could be implemented? He would have to be the anti-Obama in policy while being the equal of Obama in issuing executive orders in order to get his agenda going...so we would have traded a hard-left despot for a right-of-center despot. I don't mean to imply Paul is a despot I am merely looking for a common term to highlight what would have to be done for him to have any success. Hell, Boehner & Mytch bend over rock-ribbed conservatives all the time...Paul Ryan was absolutely raped last August...these guys are going to play nice with Paul? Ending the Fed, getting departments shut down, etc? Not under these clowns.
I think even if Palin would have swept the primaries and trounced Stymie in the general that she would have found to going tough in repealling/ending/eliminating all that is necessary.
All we are talking about is various degrees of slowing the decline vs speeding it up...I am willing to entertain the idea of Paul getting the big chair only so far as it stands to reason that Congress would block his more aggresive moves, which thankfully might include some of his goofier foreign policy, immigration and social views...
But I don't think he has a chance so, there we are.