"The candidate many of us long for, however, appears not to be within reach,..." I have no idea who this could be given the horizon.
"...is the apparent momentum expressed in this thread..." I don't really see any momentum here more curiousity and anger. Those who are curious are not ruling out Guiliani and some are strong supporters. Those who are angry HATE Guiliani and almost everyone else who has a slight chance. They labor under the misimpression that the entire nation is as conservative as Utah. Much of the anger comes from the frustration of knowing that about all they can do is sling mud and have no viable alternatives to offer.
>> I have no idea who this could be given the horizon.
True, since an unknown candidate would obviously suffer from lack of 'popularity' despite any credentials. It's amazing, however, that we have so few choices. What happened between 1992 and today?
>> Much of the anger comes from the frustration .. and have no viable alternatives to offer.
This sentiment runs deep given what I believe is the concern of Rudy's position on social issues. To many, the social issues are on par with the concerns of our security and sovereignty.