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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, made his presidential bid official Tuesday afternoon, laying out his vision to restore liberty and freedom to Americans. He's building his candidacy on a strong national defense, a flat tax, school choice, an end to government surveillance, and the "defeat" of the "Washington machine," and over the next few months he'll have the opportunity to see how receptive voters are to his plans for the country.

Paul's fight against big government has been a central theme ever since he ran a successful campaign for the Senate here five years ago. And although many dismissed Paul as a long shot candidate, his message proved to be well-suited to the moment.

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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says in order for the tea party to succeed politically, "We have to reach out to more people."

"It was a time when people were somewhat beginning to feel that the Obama administration was overreaching," recalled Dr. Dewey Clayton, a professor of political science at the University of Louisville who has watched Paul's career rise. "They were seeing government taking a larger role in their lives."

In fact, voter sentiment against the Obama administration was felt nationwide: 2010 was a year which saw Republicans gain six seats in the Senate, winning four open seats and beating two Democratic incumbents. Although Democrats held onto control of the Senate, Republicans won more senate races than they had at any time since 1994. But 2010 was also a year that saw the rise of the Tea Party movement.

It was clear that a Republican would take over the Kentucky seat vacated by Sen. Jim Bunning, who retired when he saw support for his reelection wane among those in his party's leadership. The party liked Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson for the job - GOP Leader Mitch McConnell endorsed Grayson two weeks before the primary. But Paul beat his opponent by more than 20 points. He won the general election as an outsider with just shy of 56 percent of the vote.

Dr. Brian Strow, who served as one of Paul's economic advisors during his Senate bid, sees a similar opening now for a non-establishment candidate on the national stage.

"If people are tired of a dynasty, this guy is the polar opposite," he said. "He's not the career politician."

Much of Paul's adult life revolved around politics, although not his own career. Paul, still a practicing opthamologist, owes years of his political experience to his father, former Texas congressman and two-time presidential hopeful Ron Paul. The younger Paul appeared alongside the elder Paul at campaign stops in 2007 and 2008, and at times went solo as his surrogate, giving the impression that Paul has always been comfortable on the national stage.

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Rand Paul revisits 2010 message in his 2016 presidential bid