Posted on 02/01/2006 5:23:40 AM PST by areafiftyone
Political pundits have long discounted former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's presidential prospects, claiming that his particular brand of tough-talking, socially moderate conservatism would never play south of the Mason-Dixon Line. But Rudy has never been one to listen to conventional wisdom, and lately at least, he has been turning up the heat in southern conservative political circles.
In just the last week, he endorsed Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry for re-election and met with Evangelicals in Florida. Most impressively, he actually outpaced U.S. Senator John McCain in a just-released Georgia poll, garnering the support of 28 percent of Georgia Republicans to McCain's 22 percent, echoing numbers in December's CNN/USA Today/Gallup nationwide poll. The conservative blog, RightWingNews reported last week that while Condoleezza Rice was the top choice of 230 conservative bloggers for the Republican nomination, Giuliani came in second, beating out U.S. Senator George Allen and Newt Gingrich. Nationwide, Rudy earned a 63 percent favorable rating in a Pew Research Center poll in October.
In addition to supporting Perry, Giuliani has planted a Texas-sized footstep in the Lone Star State—now with three more Electoral College votes than New York. Last spring, he became a name partner in a Houston law firm, Bracewell and Giuliani, noted for its Bush connections and roster of major energy clients.
The Catholic mayor is also busy burnishing his ties to Christian conservatives. Pat Robertson has said Rudy would make "a good president" and the mayor was a headliner for a fundraising committee supporting former Christian Coalition executive Ralph Reed in his bid to be Georgia's lieutenant governor. Last week, Giuliani dropped by an Orlando meeting of the Global Pastors Network and told the Evangelical leaders that "only God knows" if he will run for president. The group offered their prayers for him and he responded in kind, showing an openly devout side not many people had seen before: "I can't tell you from my heart how much I appreciate what you are doing—saving people, telling them about Jesus Christ and bringing them to God."
Still, Giuliani's southern strategy may be an uphill climb. "It's a real stretch for Giuliani to get out voters in southern Republican primaries," Richard Murray, head of the University of Houston's Center for Public Policy said. "He has too much baggage to get through the southern primaries." Murray said Giuliani's best shot may be as a "ticket balancer," a moderate vice president to a conservative ticket leader, especially if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee.If that were the case, and Rudy got to take on the senator from New York, he would feel right at home, no matter where he was stumping for votes.
A big-government, pro-abortion pol from NYC, who can't deliver his state to the Republican column, comes South. Save your cash, Rudy. Southerners deal with the slickest pols from infancy, and you won't fool them into thinking you're a conservative.
He's going to be the next president unless a strong, smart conservative emerges.
Actually Rudy is polling really well in South Carolina and Georgia - better than any other Republican. McCain is a hard second regardless of what Freepers think. We are only a tiny portion of the electorate. If we want someone like Allen to run (which I am totally NOT AGAINST running for president) we need him to poll alot better than 3%.
BINGO!!!
I will vote for Rudy if I have to.
I'm not sure who that will be. But its not McCain and its not Lamar and its not Hagel.
Maybe Buchanan will run again. *groan*
I would if its a choice between Rudy and McCain. But I am willing to vote for whomever the nominee is.
Wouldn't that be a nice way to split the party and give us a Democrat. No thanks. Has Perot taught us nothing?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! LOL Well at least it will provide some comic relief! LOL
FReepers are like DUers at least so far as they think their views represent the mainstream in their party. I so often try to say that, with certain popular FR issues, the Republican Party mainstream is actually not with them.
The simple fact that a pro-Kerry quisling like McCain could poll 22% in a place like South Carolina...that sends shivers down my spine.
If Giuliani polls 28% against 22% for McCain in South Carolina...he can easily take the primaries in the south as well as the north.
I don't see Senator Allen making headway. Giuliani can talk him to death. I am from New York originally. Giuliani is a great politician in that he can eat a dozen opponents for breakfast and spit em out and smile.
If someone disagrees with him on a few issues...be depressed, be very depressed. But don't worry about him being pro-abortion. That isn't accurate.
I'll vote for Rudy over McLame anyday.
You got it.
I've been reading on this board for several years now that Rudy can't win in the South. Yet for the third election cycle, he is campaigning aggressively for southern GOP candidates and is being met with enthusiastic crowds. His IUO list continues to grow.
He'll cash them in 2008, when he will be the GOP candidate who will win in the South and pick off blue states like NY, NJ and Penn.
Nominate Guiliani and you'll see much more of a party split than the whole Buchanan thing.
I believe Rudy is a fiscal conservative. It is his social views that are the problem. I think he is the most competent politician in the U.S. and would overlook the social views just to get his leadership. Our security trumps everything in today's world.
HE IS NOT WELCOME.
RUDI GO HOME.
Very well put and very true. I watched George Allen and Giuliani last night on Hannity and Colmes and they both came off very well but Giuliani stood out. Colmes tried to back him in a corner but it didn't work. If Allen wants to run he needs to stand out more. He has potential but he's polling sooo poorly right now.
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