This is my take on why Paul attracts such a diverse spectrum of kooks, er, supporters. Seriously.
To a lot of people who are frustrated with the status quo, Paul represents a political blank slate, and they perceive his ideas as being fresh, original, and at times radical.
Because he has a low-key personality and presents himself as a sort of unassuming Everyman, people tend to project their own views onto him, whether correctly or not.
That is why to a 9-11 Truther, he’s a Truther; to anti-war lib, he’s an anti-war lib (that’s partially true); to a white supremacist he’s a white supremacist; to someone who perceives himself as a staunch consitutionalist, Paul is a defender of the Constitution.
And the reason his supporters get so deeply offended when Paul is criticized is that they feel that their OWN deeply held views are the ones being challenged.