The Senate is almost evenly divided. The dems just barely made it in the House. We need to nominate our strongest contender and pick up blue states. Only Rudy can do this. He would at the very least tip the House our way. If he won by a landslide, we would win both houses.
I don't think Rudy's the magic candidate you think he is. While he may gain votes in a few of the more moderate red states, he'll lose votes among the #1 GOP voting bloc in a big chunk of the country....southern/midwestern Christians.....due to his moral shortcomings, among other stances on important issues. He's ruled a liberal enclave and has had to say things and take stances during that rule that can and will beused against him in the fall. If anything sinks him, that's it.
Read another way, I don't think he "gets out" the conservative Christian vote.....and he'd needs to do that to win just the primary, let alone the general.
I actually can't wait until the real campaigning starts in the fall. All these fundraising speeches drive me nuts. I want debates.