The Case For (And Against) Rudy
Chris Cillizza, yesterday and today…for:
…[T]hose who know Giuliani best — New Yorkers — believe he has the stuff to be president. In an independent poll released earlier this month, 59 percent of registered voters in New York said he had an “excellent” or “good” chance of being elected president. Contrast that with 52 percent who said Sen. Clinton had either an “excellent” or “good” chance of winning the White House while only 27 percent gave that same rating to outgoing New York Gov. George Pataki. The survey was conducted by Blum & Weprin Associates for Newsday/NY1.
Against:
Taken together, Giuliani’s differences with the party’s base on cultural issues, his seeming lack of fire in the belly, his money-making potential in the private sector and his tumultuous personal life all seem to point to an obvious conclusion — he ain’t running in 2008.
The smart money is leaning that way, to be sure…
I think, more than anything, McCain’s strong standing to date in the polls has Rudy backing away – there may be more room than Cillizza thinks for a social moderate in the Republican Party, particularly if Hillary is the Democratic candidate. Whether there is room for two, however, is another matter altogether…
I know what your saying about there not being enough room for two moderates in the Republican Primary. My biggest fear is that Rudy and McCain would wind up cancelling each other out in New Hampshire, leading to an upset win for Romney (NH is a must win for all three potential candidates). But there’s no reason the two of them couldn’t compete together as far as Iowa. Having McCain advance past Rudy this early in the campaign, and pretty much only by default, makes me a bit uncomfortable, especially given McCain’s unwillingness to campaign for HR 1606 and undo the damage he created.
And as far as Rudy sinking relative to McCain in the polls: I haven’t seen any that reflect this, but, if true, I suspect Rudy’s lack of interest in the race is what’s fueling the slide, not the other way around.
Any republican who is pro choice will never win without the support of Christians!
I would think that any Giuliani opponent would have a field day reminding him of his ridiculously stupid decision to put the NYC emergency operations center in the WTC, after the building had already been bombed once.
Oh yeah. As for Sean P.’s comment, when did McCain become a “moderate”? I will spare you my usual rant on how those who find it necessary to place people and concepts into those neat little categories of “moderate”, “liberal”, and “conservative” must have small minds.
Chris, that’s the issue you would take Giuliani on with? Small potatoes compared to his heroic leadership during the crisis itself…
GIULIANI FOR PRESIDENT – BITE YOUR COLLECTIVE TONGUES. HE IS VIOLENTLY ANTI FIREARMS, IN OTHER WORDS DOES NOT BELIEVE IN THE 2ND AMENDMENT TO OUR CONSTITUTION. GUN OWNERS HAVE FOUGHT VALIANTLY TO PRESERVE THESE RIGHTS AGAINST ALL ODDS ONE BEING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USING OUR TAX DOLLARS AGAINST US (WHAT ELSE IS NEW?) WHERE THESE MINDSETS COME FROM IS BEYOND ME, MAYBE IT IS BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAD THE FUN OF BEING A SHOOTER, YES IT IS GREAT FUN, THERE IS NOTHING SCAREY ABOUT GUNS. IT IS THE ANTI-GUN PRESS AND POLITICIANS WHO CONSTANTLY BERATE GUN OWNERS. AS THESE, WELL I WON’T SAY IT, HOW COME THEY ARE SPEAKING ENGLISH INSTEAD OF GERMAN AND JAPANESE, SO IN CLOSING I SAY, TRY SHOOTING, YOU WILL LIKE IT…….GOD BLESS AMERICA…
Well, you were certainly emphatic with those comments…