That's what I think.
Look at it this way: The Republicans cannot win by nominating a "moderate", which is another way of saying "liberal lite".
Ron Paul is the exact opposite of Obama and any other liberal, so he has the best position to articulate real differences between conservativism and liberalism.
If a RINO is nominated, we lose (again!).
When has Paul done that, he is not a conservative he is a libertarian.