Paul should run on a separate party line. He does not belong in the other two nor are his issues wanted by either. He should test the waters rather than being ignored. Time for him to sink or swim.
Paul is a Libertarian, not a conservative or a Republican. He is simply using the GOP label because he knows as a Libertarian no one would pay any attention to him. I'd also like him to quit the GOP. I disagree with conventional wisdom that as an independent he'd hurt the Republican nominee. I think he'd pull more drug addled college peacenik types from Obama than he would right of center voters from the Republican candidate. Pretty much every paulbot I knew/know from 2008 ended up voting for Obama because Paul is not on the ballot.