I really don't want to get into this debate, but I have to point out that the only aoe spell RDM gets natively is Diaga... Meaning that in order to "Magic Cleave" we are forced to either use /SCH Manifestation, once every two minutes, or /BLM in which case the highest aoe spell we have access to is Aeroga II. And if you are saying that BLU's aoe nukes are only the strength of a tier II spell, then that really ought to be addressed, but I don't believe that is the case.

I really don't want to compare RDM to BLU, BLU is supposed to be a DD job, RDM is not. All I want is for it to be acceptable and possibly even helpful for RDM to melee in most circumstances, as you yourself said, meleeing is supposed to be one of their abilities. If RDM could melee for a reason other then purely for damage that would be fantastic, if for example our En-spells also inflicted a potent debuff. But that would probably require some drastic changes which SE is unlikely to do.