There is no doubt that Rudy is a patriot. All the GOP field is definitely such, even Ron Paul. But the same can be said for many democrats (though certainly not all).
The problem for Rudy is his lack of conservatism. Patriotism alone does not make for good decisions. Understanding the constitution helps, and Rudy has never understood the 2nd Amendment and has trouble with the 4th and 5th Amendments as well. Top that off with a lifetime of cheerleding, not just supporting, but cheerleading, for abortion and illegal aliens and hate crimes laws and what you end up with is, maybe, a fiscally conservative liberal.