People like you said that about Arnold Schwarzenegger and what did we get? The most liberal non-Republican ever to claim to be Republican. More than half of his key appointments are not just Democrats but activist leftists. He has taken his administration policy on a leftward tilt worse that Gray Davis ever did. Moreover his so-called star appeal has proven useless in governing.
4-Your definition of a capable leader seems to be by definition someone with narrow appeal.
Your belief that conservative policies have narrow appeal is unfounded and demonstrably incorrect. I am sorry you feel the need to run from basic conservative principals.
The most important thing you are ignoring is voter motivation and turnout. It is a myth that the same bunch of people show up at the polls each time and calculate strategically which candidate is best for them. That only happens among political hacks.
There is vast majority in this country who may be registered with a party but don't consider themselves political or hold any loyalties to a party. They may or may not even show up. Politics is simply not a big part of their lives. Most of them are very conservative in their gut instincts. A lot of them are devoutly religious. The way to get them motivated is to nominate a candidate they AGREE WITH. Elections swing not on people changing their minds about who to vote for, but on WHICH people decide to show up or not show up.
When you put someone as liberal as Rudy on the ballot they are faced with choosing between Hillary and almost-Hillary. It's not a tantrum or a protest, as many liberal Republicans suggest, it is simply a lack of interest. "It doesn't matter what I do." Don't lecture me why that's a bad way of thinking (as moderates always do when I explain this dynamic) because I do vote every time. The only way to get those people up and out to the polls is to nominate someone with appeal.
You watch and read too much in the mainstream media. Conservatism and conservative candidates are not the pariah you think they are.
There is nothing wrong with your thinking during ordinary times. These are not ordinary times. We do not have the luxury of time or circumstance for another clinton. We will not survive another clinton. Indeed, we may yet not survive the first one.
Again I say this: for you to call Giuliani an "almost-hillary" exposes your narrow perspective.
If the CR elects hillary by default as you claim they will, i.e., by not showing up, they will have committed the most anti-life act imaginable.
I guess I give the CR more credit with valuing life than you do.