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I suspect you’re making the assumption that free speech rights are identical to a compulsory requirement to be heard (correct me if I’m wrong).

No. I think ideas like the "equal time provision" are complete hogwash.

Were Paul a Islamofascist who preached the enslavement or murder of the Jews for instance, he would almost certainly be disinvited from the debates.

If Paul were to preach the enslavement or murder of the Jews, he wouldn't be a GOP congressman. The man has worked hard, served the public good, and been consistently conservative -- at least in a reductionist, traditional way.

As an elected Republican official, he has earned the right to participate in the Republican debates by virtue of his declaration of candidacy. Sure, you could make the argument that he doesn't speak for the vast majority of conservatives; or, you could say that he is embarrassingly out-of-sync with his party. But those are arguments of party loyalty and emotion, not arguments of principle or reason. I'll take principle and reason over fanatical partisanship any day.

>>>As an elected Republican official, he has earned the right to participate in the Republican debates by virtue of his declaration of candidacy.

This is an interesting point of course. But I think we would still disagree here on standards. It’s a tenuous proof, but by example David Duke was once an elected Republican official and given his views, I would have opposed his inclusion in a GOP presidential debate as well were he running for president from office. So I suspect the rule still applies absent an validation of office.