Yeah, but then we hit the electability issue. I don't see any of those guys beating Clinton or Obama or even Edwards in a year when any Republican candidate is going to be fighting an uphill battle.
When I argue with rudy supporters, they may start with "He's strong on the War on Terror", or "He's strong on National Security", or "He's hated by liberals". (not that they give evidence for the first two). But when you ask them for evidence of the first two, and mention that virtually all of our candidates are fine on those issues, it always come down with them to "electability".
I've called this defeatism. They believe that conservatism is dead, and that the best we can hope for is to appeal to liberals and independents who are, mostly blindly, walking our country off a cliff.
Rudy supporters believe that no good conservative could possibly turn these people around, and having an "R" in the white house is so important that they are willing to march over the cliff with these people by electing a leader heading in that direction.
The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas - a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated.
Ronald Reagan
And that counts at home, too.
Charles,
You have your finger on the pulse of these people better than anyone. You are absolutely 100% dead on right. When you said they ‘stink of defeat’, you were so right and it really struck a note with me.