I think that more frequently, I run into either people who only want to play the RPG that they are already comfortable with, and know the rules to; or who had one bad "other game" experience, and assume that they'll all be like that.
That being said, I think that the "find a group, ANY group" advice is the best way to go. Find the larger community first, and then cull the smaller group from it.
PS - I'm going to be out in Gilbert in a month and change with a couple hundred other gamer nerd friends. We should roll some dice or something.