Well, I am not a social conservative. Maybe I am not even a conservative. I certainly can't describe myself as a "Republican" given what that has come to mean (nothing). But I have always voted straight Republican come election time.
Rudy's gun control position is enough for me to rule him out. I am far from being a one issue voter, but make no mistake about it, a candidates views on gun control is bigger than one issue. It is in some sense a snapshot of ALL of their views. There is no better philosophical test. It gets right to the heart of how a candidate views the nature of the relationship between citizen and State.
Rudy does not believe that I have the inalienable right to keep and bear arms. Claims to the contrary are pure sophistry. This tells me an awful lot about the man.
I don't care what he did with the zoo known as New York. I don't live in a zoo. Consequently, his track record as a zoo-keeper means nothing to me.
Well, not sure what the "inalienable" means to you, nor what you believe about the 2d Amendment. Rudy certainly wouldn't put an FA-18 in every driveway, but past that, I've not heard him say anything that would seem to endanger my guns.