I don't really care for Rudy's political views, but he has substance. He's not a ball of fluff like Edwards, a tabula rasa like Obama, a human windsock like Romney or an ambitious but otherwise empty pantsuit like Hillary. He strikes me as someone composed of more than just talk, ambition, and a love of cameras. Yeah, he has a lot of socially liberal views, more than I'd care for.
Still, I've followed people into some rough situations, and they were far from saints. While they were great leaders, I imagine you could see a lot worse than Rudy's dirt, if you delved into their personal lives. Great men are often flawed men, I guess. (I'm musing about people I've known, not necessarily saying that Rudy is great). In the end, I don't know. Perhaps I have a soft spot for people successfully tested in fire, especially leaders, even if I don't agree with their personal views.
Dirt? All of those are documented facts.