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WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Rand Paul hasnt yet declared his candidacy for president, but the Kentucky Republican already is finding the campaign trail to be a more uncomfortable place than the cloistered, tradition-bound Senate.

Out there, its a hard-to-control world where every misstep - real or perceived, and even a televised shush - rockets around the Internet. What Pauls supporters see as feisty truth-telling is endlessly inspected for inaccuracies. Hes frustrated by what draws headlines instead of his work in the Senate, which has earned praise from once-wary colleagues in both parties.

Paul last week said of his prospective White House run: Part of the decision making process is, Do you have a chance? Is the message resonating? Do people believe that you can somehow win this?

Because its not really a lot of fun.

An ophthalmologist and father of three, Paul won election to the Senate in 2010 after defeating a candidate preferred by Washington Republicans in the GOP primary. In the past four years, hes earned respect for his work ethic, his willingness to negotiate and his effectiveness as an advocate for his home state of Kentucky.

I think Rand Paul has developed into a fine United States senator and has evolved over the last four years and is more pragmatic today than he might have been when he entered, said Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson. Hes a very thoughtful and pragmatic individual right now.

Said Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who has worked with Paul on privacy issues and ending blindness: While we dont agree on an awful lot of policy, Ive never doubted that he came to Washington with certain ideals that he wanted to make progress on. I do think folks ought to give him more credit for his willingness to work across the aisle.

Thats what Paul, 52, wants to talk about as he explores whether to run for president in 2016, he said in a recent interview. But the leap from the relative sanctuary of the Senate to the unending scrutiny of the campaign can test Pauls patience, and at times, bring out the prickliest parts of his personality.

This past week, Paul has been aggressively demanding that Washington audit the Fed, or the Federal Reserve, a calling card issue for him as it was for his father, former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul. A portrait of father and son hangs in Pauls office, but he bristled at questions about his dad, a Libertarian who ran for president as a Republican, and what he might take from Pauls potential run in 2016.

I think that would be a good question if I were 18 maybe, or something. I mean, Ive been an adult and on my own for 30-some odd years, so I guess Im not really used to thinking about my life in those terms, Paul said. Ive been a physician, been a surgeon, been a leader. Ive been elected to the Senate for four years. I think Im pretty much am able to stand on my own two feet and be judged for who I am.

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Paul finds potential '16 bid a rougher ride than the Senate