I sense your passion and I would not deny for one moment your commitment. However, a political ideology is not the perspective that this argument needs to key on. What I am looking for and, demographically what the majority of the electorate is looking for is a LEADER. The voters will vote for someone they think will lead them to a better place and/or lead them when there is the threat of the unknown.
Believe me I would love to have a Leader who is a pure conservative. In lieu of that I will take a leader who would answer the majority of my concerns.
McCain and Romney are not leaders. They are both opportunists looking for the social wind to chill their political finger. We had that with BJ Clinton. I say Rudy is the hands down winner in the leadership arena due to the 1995 Yassar incident. To do the right thing when all of your enemies are looking to shoot you down takes leadership. To stick to your guns takes character.
I respectfully disagree with your anti-Rudy position and look forward to your Pro Someone else position. There is no Ronald Reagan waiting in the wings.
To want to take guns away from the law abiding negates all that.