"every poll out there says Rudy would trounce Hillary in a general election"
It's awfully early to be basing strategy on a bunch of MSM polls almost 2 years ahead of the election. I can remember when forgotten people like Edmund Muskie and George Romney were front-running candidates for President. And polls much closer to the election showed Michael Dukakis leading Reagan by double digits!
True, but if the election were held today, Rudy would beat Hillary, no doubt about it. And polls do have some credence, or did you forget the 2006 Congressional polls? And Dukakis never ran against Reagan, he ran against Bush !!