“Rand’s personality is kind of ‘Cut to the point,’ ” she said in an interview to promote her new book of essays on women and the bonds they forge, “True and Constant Friends.” “I think in some ways people respond better to that, but we’ll see. We’ll see what the country wants.”

After a first week on the campaign trail that was sidetracked by questions about Mr. Paul’s temperament — he became noticeably irritable in several interviews, including one with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie that led to criticism that he has a problem with female interviewers — the senator probably wishes his wife were there with him more often.

“He’s the last person in the world who would ever be dismissive of someone because they’re a woman. I mean the last person,” Mrs. Paul went on, pointing out that his partner in his ophthalmology practice in Kentucky was a woman. “Someone could make the argument that perhaps he should be more poised, he needs to be smoother with this. And that’s legitimate,” she added.

But the sexism charge, she said, “frankly, it offends me, because that’s not who he is.”

It is probably not the last time the issue of sexism will surface, especially with Hillary Rodham Clinton as the target of such fierce Republican attacks. Mrs. Paul said she did not find the historical case for Mrs. Clinton’s campaign — that she would be the first female president — very compelling. “I certainly think we could have a great female president,” she said. “I’m not sure it’s her.”