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Mending those fences is where Mr Paul comes in. The son of Ron Paul, the cranky veteran libertarian who ran for president in 2012, the younger Mr Paul is popular with grassroots Republicans who prize the Constitution, small government and personal freedom.

Bookmakers also have him as joint second-favourite to win a tangled 2016 Republican presidential nomination contest when the race for the White House finally get under way towards the end of next year.

With just five weeks until polling day, campaign managers hope that Pauls endorsement can overcome the four point gap between Mr Tillis and his Democrat opponent, Kay Hagan, the incumbent Senator who was a strong supporter of Mr Obamas healthcare reforms.

Wedged into the corner of a diner in downtown Raleigh, Mr Paul tried to work up the crowd about the Obamacare health reforms, a topic that Republicans had expected to energise their voters but which has been somewhat overshadowed in recent weeks by the rise of the Islamic State.

Dressed in slightly ill-fitting jeans and a crumpled blue shirt all part of Mr Pauls anti-establishment image the senator attacked the arrogance of the Obamacare requirement that all Americans must buy health insurance, which is seen by libertarians as an example of gross government overreach.

These are fundamental America choices and it goes against the fabric of the country to have legislation that prevents you from choosing your own doctor, said Mr Paul, 51, who is an ophthalmologist by profession.

It remains to be seen whether Mr Pauls star quality will be enough to convince sufficient numbers of hardcore Republicans to hold their noses and vote for Mr Tillis.

The North Carolina race has been complicated by the emergence of a third party candidate, a pizza delivery man called Sean Haugh who is running for the Libertarian Party and - polls suggest - is stealing precious votes from Mr Tillis.

Which candidate should libertarians back?" someone asked, to which Mr Paul a Republican with strong libertarian instincts gave the establishment answer.

There are many libertarian ideas that are Republican ideas, he said. Lower taxes, the Constitution, limited government, balanced budgets, personal liberties - and I think Thom Tillis represents those ideas.

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Rand Paul campaigns to unite the Republican Party