1) no safeties to deal with, if im in a situation where i need my pistol, i want to be able to draw and shoot, i dont want to futz around with a safety if i can avoid it.
None of my handguns have manual safeties. Only one is a revolver. It would be the slowest to draw and shoot due to heaviest trigger pull (unless you fire in SA mode).
2) power, a .357 mag has much more power than the 9mm
While .357 magnum has more power than a 9mm, they both are going to make a 9mm wound channel. It is also very easy to argue that the faster follow-up shots, greater capacity, and faster reloads of your average 9mm give it a lot to offer.
3) durability, in a maintained revolver, there is almost nothing to go wrong....where as with a semiauto there is always the possibility of feeding jams and stovepipes...
I've seen revolvers lock up real bad. I've also seen autos that have been trucking for several hundred thousand rounds with basic maintenance. So I'm inclined to believe that both, when properly maintained, are mostly reliable.
5) there is a certain intimidation factor, all things being equal, im going to take a more intimidating looking gun. there is really nothing more noticeable than a chrome snub nose revolver with a loud barking fireball.
Intimidation is subjective. I'd be much more intimidated by an auto, knowing I'm probably going to have 10+ rounds headed towards me real fast, than by a revolver.
Personally, I don't really see much reason for a revolver anymore, other than the idea that some people just seem to prefer them.
Reliability: slight edge to revolver, but a quality semi-auto will likely be just as reliable
Power: all handguns suck, which is why I'd rather poke holes
Size: a 6-shot .380 comes in a much smaller package than a 5-shot .38, and my 12-shot 9mm is about the same size as my SP101.
Capacity: Definite edge to the auto, especially if double stack
Reload Speed: Definite edge to auto, unless you train really hard at reloading a revolver
When it comes down to it, I don't see much reason to own a revolver, personally, unless its what you really want, or you're using it because you need the extra penetration a .357 magnum round can provide.