Rudy, Rudy, and…Rudy
Dan Balz says the Rudy Giuliani candidacy is testing the proposition of whether a relative social moderate can win the Republican nomination if he’s strong on security (duh!):
The 2008 presidential campaign is just weeks old, but already an article of faith within the Republican Party — the belief that no politician who favors abortion rights and gay rights can win the GOP nomination — is being challenged by the candidacy of former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.
The man who was named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” for his response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks is now leading in a slew of national polls. He is testing whether cultural and religious conservatives in the GOP will support a candidate who offers strong leadership on security and terrorism rather than ideological purity on social issues.
“This is the first Republican presidential primary since Sept. 11,” said Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman who is neutral in the nominating battle. “Rudy Giuliani is a candidate who can clearly test the proposition that a Republican who is more moderate on social issues can capture the nomination. He’s testing it now.”
Whit Ayres, a Georgia-based Republican pollster, said he has been struck by the number of conservatives he has encountered who disagree with Giuliani on abortion or gay rights but are still attracted to him as a possible Republican nominee. The issue is whether that appeal can survive a long campaign in which Giuliani’s New York record, his position on issues, his three marriages and his complex business dealings will be subjected to withering scrutiny.
“It truly is the question in Republican presidential politics at the moment,” Ayres said. “There are a lot of people with a more traditional view who think that his leading in the polls is just a mirage and that he has no real chance. I don’t believe that. I think there’s more to this than simply name ID.”
Newsweek gives Rudy a full-fledged profile:
In his daily interactions, Giuliani can be arrogant, abrasive and imperious, an average-size man trying too hard to prove himself a giant.
But when the crises come, Giuliani has proved to be big enough. New York City was crime-ridden with a dwindling middle class when he became mayor in 1994. By the millennium, the city was safe, swaggering—and the envy of much of the nation. On 9/11, with the president hidden from view, “America’s Mayor” steeled the country by speaking the terrible truth: “The number of casualties will be more than any of us can bear.” Now, with the war in Iraq in chaos and Al Qaeda still unvanquished, he is pitching himself to Republican primary voters as the man destined to steady the party and the nation in a time of trial.
Noemie Emery sees in Rudy’s candidacy the end of the social conservative ‘litmus test’ (on what else, but abortion…yeesh, how tedious – I’m so sick of the outsized role abortion plays in presidential politics):
Next year may see the party of the Sunbelt and Reagan, based in the South and in Protestant churches, nominate its first presidential candidate who is Catholic, urban, and ethnic–and socially liberal on a cluster of issues that set him at odds with the party’s base. As a result, it may also see the end of the social issues litmus test in the Republican party, done in not by the party’s left wing, which is shrunken and powerless, but by a fairly large cadre of social conservatives convinced that, in a time of national peril, the test is a luxury they cannot afford. For the past 30 years of cultural warfare, there has been only one template for an aspiring president of either party with positions that cross those of its organized activists: Displeasure is voiced, reservations are uttered, and soon enough there is a “conversion of conscience” in which the miscreant–Dick Gephardt, Al Gore, George Bush the elder, even the hapless Dennis Kucinich–is brought to heel in a fairly undignified manner, and sees what his party sees as the light. The Giuliani campaign seems to be departing from this pattern. And this time, a pro-life party, faced with a pro-choice candidate it finds compelling on other grounds, is doing things differently. It is not carping or caving or seeking a convert. Instead, it is making a deal.
All of this analysis is fine and well, but really, the secret of Rudy’s appeal is not-so-secret. Presidential elections often come down to the question, “Which one of these people would you like to call your leader?” Rudy is just that kind of person. He inspires confidence and projects strength – and those are two qualities essential to the presidency. It’s one thing to have charisma and star power, but that’s not exactly the same thing. Dean Martin had charisma galore – but Frank Sinatra was the Chairman of the Board, if you catch my drift…
Dan, what about Giuliani and Gingrich in 2008? Don’t discard this possibility too quickly. This ticket may be exactly what our nation needs to restore civility to our politics and to solve our nation’s problems. That would indeed be a “Big-Tent” ticket! Such a ticket would certainly take some initial heat from our far right, but I see it as a great combination and I believe that this “Team” is already being considered!
GIVEN: “Newt Will NOT Be A Presidential Candidate in 2008″
WHY: Newt is probably the most intelligent, creative, and intellectually honest politician in the US today. When asked about his intentions to run for President, he has consistently said that he’ll, “think about it in September”. “Think about it in September”??? We know that Newt is smart! How smart is it, with Presidential primaries taking place earlier and earlier, and the ability to raise money becoming less and less likely as time goes by, to WAIT until September to “think about it”? The Speaker does NOT have a reputation for being a “wishful thinker”! He’s a man of action! This makes me think that Mr. Speaker has NO intention of running for President. I DO believe that he’ll think about the Vice Presidency, perhaps before September.
GIVEN: “Newt Is Already Supportive of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for President”
WHY: Gingrich has been out front more and more in the intellectual debate on issues. True, he could be doing this just to keep the Republican candidates “honest” on the issues. However, if that was his ONLY reason for being so visible and outspoken on the issues, one would think that he’d go overboard to be totally neutral in his discourse on our Republican candidates themselves…. or might possibly be praising the more conservative candidates as a “group” simply because of their political stances on the issues. Newt isn’t doing that! Has he praised or made positive comments about ANY of our candidates? YES! He recently debated former NY Governor Mario Cuomo at Cooper Union in New York. During that debate he named former NY City Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, as the most probable Republican Presidential candidate. Newt also made positive comments about the city of New York itself. True, he directed those positive comments (comments about the huge reduction in crime in the city) toward Governor Cuomo. Anyone with a brain, however, knows that Rudy Giuliani is more deserving of credit for that drop in crime than Cuomo is. The Speaker also announced at Cooper Union that Mayor Giuliani has already promised to take part in the extensive and detailed political debates for which Gingrich has been calling. Is that agreement just the first step in the Giuliani-Gingrich discourse on “the possibilities”? Most recently, Gingrich and Giuliani worked together on a WSJ Op-Ed piece about the Iraqi War and importance of employment for young Iraqi males. These two men seem to think very well together!
GIVEN: “A Republican Ticket of Giuliani for President and Gingrich for Vice President Makes Political Sense, Philosophical Sense, and Common Sense!”
WHY: Both Giuliani and Gingrich are men of intelligence, self-confidence, and honesty! True, they do NOT agree on all the issues of our time. However, they have both shown themselves to be pragmatists who are willing to compromise on some things if those compromises lead to achieving a greater goal! The character of both of these men will allow them to disagree on some issues, discuss those disagreements in a civil manner, re-think those issues as needed, and make decisions that are well-considered and in the best interests of the citizenry. These men are CIVIL, and would be civil with all those who do likewise. Neither of these men lacks self-confidence! Both have shown a willingness to accept responsibility. Gingrich is an exceptionally creative THINKER! He thinks deeply about issues and is seldom wrong when it comes to the facts, the meaning of those facts, and he’s adept at creating solutions based on the facts. Newt is a conservative intellectual, however, and we know how much the left hates REAL intellectuals. Newt can be very divisive, since many voters in the middle may hate him just because they can’t understand what he means! Most people don’t like it when their stupidity is made obvious to them. Newt is unintentionally brilliant at making folks feel stupid. Rudy, on the other hand, is a likable DOER! When it comes to putting concepts into action and getting things done, there are few better than “Mr. Mayor”! Giuliani is a superb Administrator. To be successful as the Mayor of New York, you HAVE to be a superb Administrator. Rudy, for a variety of reasons that I don’t fully understand, is more likable to more people than Speaker Gingrich is. Perhaps Rudy impresses more people as the kind of guy you’d take out for a beer? Think about the possibilities! Gingrich thinking and creating solutions…. He and Rudy discussing those concepts and solutions, disagreeing on some, agreeing on some, and jointly selecting solutions that best fit their joint thoughts…. then, Rudy going out to the people as he did in NYC, right at the front of the action, and implementing those solutions.
If I’m right about the character of these men, a Giuliani-Gingrich ticket might become the FIRST administration of the new age that can truly SOLVE the challenges of the new age! This could be the Executive Team that defines our nation’s needs and solutions for the next century! This may be the first step toward what we all hope will achieve the ends we truly desire!
So does this mean Hillary Clinton is Joey Bishop?
Hmmm…if Hillary is Joey Bishop, then who’s Peter Lawford?…
Now that I think about it, maybe Hillary is Peter Lawford. After all, he only got to hang out with the Rat Pack because he was related to a big-time politician.
From a parody song by Frank Sinatra from his new Vegas box set:
Don’t forget I’ve got Lawford
And you know who Lawford’s got…
reply to:”This is my problem with Rudy. The Patriot Act and NSA surveillance is in no way, shape, or form akin to prosecuting the mafia. Why?”( Pokerwolf at March 5, 2007 09:23 AM).
Since Italian fascism and my liaison officers to the descendants of count Ciano and General Kesselring we are in the fight against mafia and the Jewish standing-violonist “Rudy”[Venetia Guilia[ni]] of Adolphe Hitler and Eva Braun.
> Sur “Si c’est un juif” d’Adrien Barrot
par re :BBC reporter Jane Standley (IP:xxx.x3.113.30) le 2 mars 2007 à 14H24
“« d’incident » du 11 Septembre 2001″(“Sur “Si c’est un juif”(..)” par Louis Adrien, vendredi 2 mars 2007, Tribune Libre )\WTC7:Deux bureaux avec des lampes brûlantes et l’agent immobilier Silverstein approuve:”Détruisez le Salomon Building”(WTC7) “avec des matières explosives”.
> Airbus
par Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sárközy (IP:xxx.x3.113.30) le 5 mars 2007 à 12H15
L’EADS se déplace par l’espace en suivant un ordre calculé de ma mère juive Andrée Mallah.
PostPosted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 1:26 pm Post subject: Jewish biased BBC & Gangster Larry Silverstein Reply with quote
Jewish biased BBC Video reports WTC7 crash holly 12+x minutes too early.
Jewish biased BBC Morgan & Stanley\Video:Gangster Larry Silverstein “owner” of WTC7: “Blow the Salomon building up”.
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Joined: 05 Dec 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:35 am Post subject: WTC7 office(fire) light CUI BONO? reply:THE JEWS Reply with quote
Two offices with burning lamps and the Jewish Real Estate Dealer and Vampire Larry Silverstein agrees to the Fire Brigade:”Pull the implosion trigger and destroy the Salomon Brother building(WTC7) with explosives”.
Oh, I see – you’re against Rudy because Larry Silverstein is a Jew. Listen, friend, anti-Semitism is not welcome in these parts – peddle it elsewhere…