Not sure why everyone is making it sound like we want RDM just in melee, or even half.

Currently, on average, without the use of manafication. We are in melee about 6-7% of the time. I'd personally like to see it around 10%. Still heavily casting, but also we get to do our class mechanic more often, and allows us to use our level 68+ abilities more often. It just happens too rarely imo. Like I said before, if Manafication CD was reduced to allow the use of it every other engage, I think it would be great.

Also, the class is already considered to be one of (If not THE) easiest classes to play in the game. Is it really so bad that a bit of extra difficulty is added to it?

Red Mage is also not the first hybrid to grace itself in the MMO world, plenty of others have managed to do it and survive quite well within high level raid conditions.