“run the gamut”?

Russia’s announcement that it had the bomb signaled the end of the era of the United States having what the secretary of war had called the royal straight flush. Predictably, the question of how to respond ran the gamut; even sober, humanitarian-minded scientists tried to figure out if the balance of rational thought had swung toward the idea of striking the Soviets preemptively. — Dan Carlin, The End Is Always Near

In this context, what does the phrase “ran the gamut” mean? I’ve found that to run the gamut from something to something can usually be paraphrased as to range from something to something. But I’m not sure if it’s proper to apply that usage to this case.

The meaning of "ran the gamut" nearly equals your paraphrased meaning. It is usually considered a complete range. In this context, all the possible responses were considered, with striking the Soviets preemptively as an extreme option that wouldn't have been considered in other contexts.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamut