Paul will not be a monarch. As Jim stated he is one part of a machine. Congress will not just let him have what he wants. They also have mandates from their constituency. Paul as others presidents will not be able to accomplish most of what he wants or promised. I seriously doubt Paul would be assinated. I doubt he would get a second term though.
I do believe this conversation is moot. The odds of him getting the nomination much less winning the WH in my opinion is remote at best.
Some of his views are inconsistent (comes rights). Some of his views will scare people (military and SS/MC) and he just does not present well. Wind him up like Bachmann did and he gets all whiny. And frustrated.
Romney just got Criss endorsement and he wants to be VP. That would be a string ticket. Paul has made a good showing but he will not make into the end in my opinion.
I honestly don't know as to be very frank I never thought he'd get this far. Something is different, maybe it's the recession, National Debt or maybe a percentage of the population is waking up to what Libertarians in general have been saying straight away.
He's gaining traction and given the Monkey See, Monkey Do nature of politics and a lot of other things in this country that would be the last thing you think would happen.
One thing that "Main Streamers" like yourself have trouble with when it comes to Libertarians and their stance on Individual Liberty is the fact that our personal views on an issue may be polar opposite of our political stance. I'll just give two of my personal examples.
Gay Marriage - I'm personally opposed to it due to my Southern Baptist upbringing and personal moral code that I adhere to. However, when one looks at the issue based upon what the COTUS says it's not even a Federal issue, it's one that belongs in the hands of the states and the residents of that state. Iowa interestingly enough feels that gays should be allowed to marry and has put laws in place to permit it.
Abortion - To me this is clear cut, Abortion is murder. However you slice it though it comes down to your personal beliefs as to when life begins. Equally clear IMO is the role of the Federal Government in this matter, namely that they have no role. Again it is up to the states to decide based upon the will of the people in that state.
If I were running for office, you could count on me opposing every Federal Law that interferes with the Personal Liberty of the citizens of this nation. The rule of law however must prevail at the state level. The real issue with Gay marriages are the tort laws regarding things like medical decisions, estate matters and the like. Truth is this goes for anyone regardless of orientation. It's YOUR Money, Your Health etc etc and it is the appropriate role of government to ensure that these Liberties are protected. There is no role for government other than to make sure your wishes are carried out under penalty of law if need be. Same with abortion. The role of government is to preserve Liberty and safety of it's citizens. There should be little to no interference from the Government over what is an elective surgical procedure, albeit one with moral implications. Equally important is the state not interfering with the rights of parents. If a child of 16 can not legally enter into a contract, consent to sex then she shouldn't be able to have an abortion without parental permission, She couldn't get a tit job, why an abortion? Additionally the Government should not pay for abortions as it is at its root an elective procedure. Not because of the moral implications surrounding the procedure.
When you promote Individual Liberty society prospers both emotionally and financially. It is IMO the only way to maintain our status in the world by being the beacon of Freedom and Liberty to the point where other countries want to be like us not fearful of being bombed by us.