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Rand Paul seized the national stage on Wednesday with his second Mr. Smith-style speech on the Senate floor, linking his presidential hopes to an effort to halt the National Security Agencys data collection program.

The 10 1/2-hour speech was the big, attention-grabbing moment that presidential campaigns crave, and Pauls advisers saw it as a huge opportunity, even as rivals insisted the move was out of step with the Republican Partys hawkish mood.

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It re-establishes him as the candidate that is willing to buck the Washington establishment for something he thinks is important: to protect individual rights, said Steve Munisteri, a senior adviser to Pauls campaign and the former chairman of the Texas Republican Party. He added, Sen. Paul is the only Republican candidate on the forefront of protecting individual privacy.

A Republican strategist close to the Paul camp put it more bluntly: In a multicandidate field like this, how do you distinguish yourself? How do you break out of the pack? This is one way of doing it: Every other candidate disagrees with [you].

People in Pauls orbit believe that the decision to take to the floor to fight the NSA via a long, filibuster-like speech will galvanize the libertarian base that supported his father, Ron Paul, without turning off more mainstream Republicans. The Paul forces wasted no time fundraising off the event, something sources say will continue, and the campaign revived the #StandwithRand hashtag that Paul made popular with his 2013 filibuster of John Brennans nomination to lead the CIA in order to dramatize his skepticism about the administrations use of drones. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Paul supporters attempted to stage a small, impromptu rally at the Capitol.

But big moves carry big risks, as supporters of Pauls GOP competitors pointed out. Rival campaigns and other Republicans note that times have changed since Paul burst onto the national scene with his filibuster. Now, they say, with the Islamic State on the march, Pauls efforts to restrict the NSA could jeopardize national security. Some predicted the filibuster would backfire, serving mainly to show early-state voters just how out of step Paul can be with the Republican mainstream.

I just dont know if itll generate the same level of energy or enthusiasm, said Robert C. OBrien, a foreign policy adviser to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Were in a different security situation with the fall of Ramadi. While there are people rightly concerned about the NSA following the law and appropriate rules and regulations, I think people realize we face a very, very serious security threat.

Indeed, the move comes as Paul attempts to moderate his image on defense and foreign policy. For years, Republicans have sought to paint him as an isolationist who excessively prioritizes privacy over security. And on many issues, Paul has backed off or de-emphasized some of the harder-line libertarian views he espoused when he entered the Senate as a tea party insurgent.

But on this one, people in Pauls orbit believe that the public is with him. They note polls that suggest voters prefer a balance between civil liberties and national security and believe that the issue will resonate with young people and voters from the technology sector two groups Paul has been courting. That was reflected on his Twitter feed and Instagram accounts, both of which offered up steady streams of content tied to the senators speech, in keeping with the campaigns digital-first mentality. Paul and his allies also had no problem taking swipes at other candidates Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for example who dont go as far as he does in taking on the PATRIOT Act.

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Rand Paul bets the campaign on filibuster - Katie Glueck ...

Story highlights Paul's speech wasn't technically a filibuster because of intricate Senate rules Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden joined Paul in support

Paul, R-Kentucky, ran through several binders of material over the course of his marathon protest, and also got some help from 10 fellow senators -- three Republicans and seven Democrats.

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, were the biggest boons to Paul's efforts, joining Paul on the Senate floor several times to give the Kentucky Republican a chance to catch his breath -- and often grab a sip of water and pop a candy in his mouth. And one of Paul's rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, also ended up helping Paul's efforts late in the night.

"There comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer. That time is now and I will not let the Patriot Act, the most unpatriotic of acts, go unchallenged," Paul said at the opening of his remarks, and those who joined him on the Senate floor shared his concerns and stressed the need to reform the Patriot Act.

The Senate is considering whether to reauthorize or reform a crucial section of that law that gives the government sweeping powers to collect phone metadata on millions of Americans in an effort to thwart terrorist plots. The House last week overwhelmingly approved a bill to reform that law.

The NSA's bulk collection program expires at midnight on June 1, and the Department of Justice warned in a memo shared by a GOP aide on Wednesday that the agency will have to begin preparing a week before the expiration date for a potential lapse in the law.

Paul's talk-a-thon Wednesday came more than two years after his nearly 13-hour filibuster in 2013, which was widely anticipated and brought him national attention for delaying the confirmation of CIA chief John Brennan to draw attention to U.S. drone policies.

But his speech Wednesday wasn't technically a filibuster because intricate Senate rules required him to stop talking by early Thursday afternoon for an unrelated vote.

Still, Paul's office insists it was a filibuster, saying Paul prevented lawmakers from taking action to reauthorize the Patriot Act while he had the floor.

READ: Boehner, McConnell split over NSA bill

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Rand Paul digs in on NSA surveillance - CNNPolitics.com

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, wrapped up his so-called "filibuster" over the National Security Agency's controversial bulk collection of Americans' phone records just before midnight Thursday.

Paul's talk-a-thon on the Senate floor lasted exactly 10 and a half hours.

"My voice is rapidly leaving, my bedtime has long since passed," Paul said as he began to wrap up his speech. "The bulk collection must end, and I think we have the votes to do it now."

"Thank you for staying and not throwing things. We will try not to do this but every few years," he said. "I want to thank the American people for considering the arguments and hopefully for helping us push this towards a reform where we all respect the Fourth Amendment and the Bill of Rights all again. Thank you Mr. President, and I relinquish the floor."

Armed with binders full of material, Paul started his lengthy speech opposing the PATRIOT Act at 1:18 p.m. Wednesday.

There comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer. That time is now, and I will not let the PATRIOT Act, the most un-patriotic of acts, go unchallenged," Paul said as he started his speech on the Senate floor. "The bulk collection of all Americans' phone records all of the time is a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment.

"The people don't want the bulk collection of their records, and if we were listening, we would hear that," Paul said.

Provisions of the PATRIOT Act, including Section 215, which authorizes the NSA's controversial bulk collection of phone records, is set to expire on June 1. Paul, known for his libertarian leanings, has said he does not want the program to be reauthorized.

Over the course of his filibuster, Paul was joined by several of his Senate colleagues, most notably including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is running against Paul in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Cruz, who partook in Pauls 2013 filibuster against drones and waged a filibuster of his own against Obamacare in 2013, compared the moment to the Blues Brothers

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Sen. Rand Paul Ends Filibuster Against NSA's Controversial ...

When it comes to celebrity political endorsements, Republicans usually have to settle for an aging movie star or two, maybe a country singer if they're lucky. Hollywood's politics are decidedly Democratic.

But in 2012, Ron Paul was the exception.

Paul was the Republican it was cool for (some) celebrities to like, earning praise -- though not necessarily an outright endorsement -- from public figures like Chuck Norris, John Mayer and Drew Carey.But without him in the race, who are his famous fans taking a liking to this time?

There are only a handful who've weighed in so far, andtheir responses are an unscientific, very small-sample-size poll of whoformer Paul supporters could go for in 2016. Are Paul supportersexcited at all byhis son, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)? Do they like Bernie Sanders -- the closest thing Democrats have to their own Ron Paul? Are they looking elsewhere?

[Will Rand Paul inherit the energy of Ron Paul's campaigns?]

In lieu of specific polls showing whoRon Paul supporters like in 2016, our Philip Bump in April compared favorability of the father and son and found Rand is seen more favorably than Ron was. ButPolitico found in March that some "die-hard idealists whose energy powered [Ron Paul's]campaigns" were disillusioned by Rand and defecting. Rand inheritspartof his father's base, it seems, but far from all of it.

And what celebrities are saying about 2016 bears that out as well.Here iswhat former Ron Paul fans have said about the 2016 race:

Kelly Clarkson

2012:Tweeted that she loves Ron Paul.

2016:Saidshe's considering Clinton."I'm a fan of Hillary. ... I don't just want a woman to win, I want the right person. And I think she's also that," she toldRolling Stone magazine.

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Ron Pauls celebrity fans arent flocking to Rand Paul ...

Its not clear whether his speech on the PATRIOT Act had any real effect on Mitch McConnells plans.

By Seung Min Kim and Alex Byers

5/20/15 2:01 PM EDT

Updated 5/21/15 10:04 AM EDT

Rand Paul relinquished the Senate floor late Wednesday night after 10-and-a-half hours of lambasting the government surveillance programs capitalizing on a sleepy day in the Senate to highlight his opposition to key parts of the PATRIOT Act that expire at the end of the month.

Wearing dark green sneakers in apparent preparation to go deep into the evening, Paul launched into a lengthy critique of surveillance a stance thats put him squarely against top Republicans and other GOP presidential contenders who advocate continuing the controversial bulk collection programs.

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There comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer, Paul said as he opened his remarks at 1:18 p.m. Wednesday. That time is now. And I will not let the PATRIOT Act the most unpatriotic of acts go unchallenged.

By carrying his talk-a-thon to the brink of Thursday, Paul prevented Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) from filing cloture on a bill to extend or reform the PATRIOT Act.

But its not clear that McConnell ever intended to so its uncertain whether Paul truly gummed up McConnells plan. And with the House set to depart Thursday, a Senate surveillance vote while House lawmakers are still in town was unlikely anyway.

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Rand Paul calls it a night after 10 1/2 hours - Seung Min ...