CS to yankel berel: “you say the reason others didn’t see The Rebbe as a candidate for Moshiach (obviously among the ones who didn’t) had nothing to do with the alive or dead debate? So what was it then?”
It obviously had nothing to do with the dead-or-alive debate because at the time ALL Lubavichers said Mashiach has to be someone who is currently alive, which has been pointed out again and again.
As to the reason the vast – virtually 100% – of the non-Lubavich chareidi world would not accept the LR as candidate for Mashiach, the answer is very simple: he did not fit any of the criteria, again, as I have pointed out again and again.
One other point came to mind. The Rambam, which Lubavich quotes, says that Mashiach will be osek beTorah keDavid aviv. Any idea why davka like David? Why compare him to anyone, when the Rambam could simply have said that he has to be osek beTorah constantly, or the like? Well I can suggest an answer.
The gemoro (Berachos 4a) tells us how unbelievably humble David was when it came to learning Torah, and how he was always willing and ready to admit that he was wrong. The LR was certainly nothing like that. He was always right and never stopped trying to convince others that his way was the only correct way. One illustrative example is his constant “nagging” other Rebbes and Roshei Yeshivos to institute the study of chassidus, even though that would have been a departure from their mesores.
That, of course, is not the only time he displayed “stubborness” when contradicted with facts. One other example, which I have written about a number of times, is that it is ok according to simple pshat not to sleep in the sukka. Oh, I forgot also that washing for Shalosh Seudos is a kula al pi chassidus.