Hard to know where to start, since the so-called social conservatives seem interested in only abortion, stem-cells, gay marriage, and a handful of other "social" issues that have hijacked the Party to this point, and which are of little interest to the American voters who will decide the next election on real issues.
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.