Posted on 06/11/2007 2:37:07 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Conservatives would bolt GOP over Rudy By: David Paul Kuhn June 11, 2007 04:57 PM EST
A growing number of influential social conservatives are speaking out against Rudy Giuliani, with some threatening that they will take flight from the Republican Party in 2008 if the former New York mayor is the GOP nominee.
Giuliani's support for abortion rights and gay rights has not to date prevented him from winning the support of a sizable number of socially conservative voters, according to polls. But the continued strength of his candidacy is causing alarm among leaders of conservative advocacy groups, many of which have been major players in Republican politics.
"Speaking as a private citizen, no, no, I could not support (Giuliani)," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, which has about a half-million members. "The 20 years I've been involved in politics, the life issue has been at the very top. How could I turn my back on that?"
Perkins said that should Giuliani win the nomination, he would vote for a third-party candidate who reflected his values. "It wouldn't be the first time," Perkins added in an interview last week.
Other prominent cultural conservatives to signal public opposition to Giuliani in recent weeks included James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Louis Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition, veteran activist and former presidential candidate Gary Bauer, and Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Like Perkins, Land has warned that he would not vote for a Republican ticket in 2008 if it were led by Giuliani. Others did not go that far, even as they made plain their wish that Giuliani be weeded out in the primaries.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
I’m one. The NRC called the other day looking for dough, and I told them to call back as soon as they’ve nominated someone other than Rudy.
Get Hildebeast elected President, that will really help the American cause - NOT! We would have a European socialist till the mullahs nuke us.
Dobson and Gary Bauer? hahahahahahahahahahaha....neither speak for the party. Neither speak for me certainly....Gary Bauer?? Hahahahahahaha.
I think Rudy would only be nominated if conservatives don’t vote.
You bolt the GOP and you hand the election over to Hillary. Is that what you really want to do?
Conservatives are bolting the GOP right now because of Bush.
If this certain other issue passes we’ll be gone way before Rudy gets the nod.
The Republican Party is in deep doggy do.
great! when 2012 comes around we’ll see which party can out liberal the other.
this leap to the left has to stop.
i won’t aid the liberals no matter which party they happen to be hijacking.
If that is what it takes to wake up the GOP, I'll take it
If the 2008 election comes down to Giuliani vs. Clinton, I’m goin’ back to Alberta.
“I think Rudy would only be nominated if conservatives don’t vote.”
Well said and correct.
Rudy has peaked, and his time is over.
(That said, Rudy is OK -— just not for president. He’d be a fine replacement for either NY Senator.)
Ya think?
(see tagline)
Personally, I'd vote for Rudy if he were the nominee. However, I think G.W. Bush is making it hard for conservatives to vote RINO. We used to think "OK, so he's soft on this or that issue, bit over-all, I guess he will do". Even though Bush was not ideal, we thought he'd be close. Now that he is trying to get the Amnesty Bill 2007 Comprehensive Destruction of the Republican Party Bill passed, we realize he was not really all that close to what we wanted. When a Republican president sides with Teddy on legislation, what is the difference between him and a 'rat?
yep, this is the problem with talk such as conservatives staying home or voting 3rd party. Those actions will result in the election of Hillary.
The RNC is also supporting The President’s “Amnesty” immigration bill.
Rudy should be running in the Democrat Primary. He’s a lot closer to Joe Lieberman than to Ronald Reagan.
It would take a clothespin and a gas mask, but I might vote for Rudy.
I’m hoping and praying that he isn’t the Repub nominee.
(”No Pants?” Funny screen name!)
Sunshine patriots and fair weather friends, who needs ‘em?
He came in strong because of name recognition and a positive connection with 911. He’s a good public speaker and his campaign has money. But all that only goes so far. The more the conservatives learn about him, the more they will reject him, and he will not be able to ride to the top without having his past uncovered. His undoing will be his stance on critical issues that define social and economic conservatism to most of America: abortion, guns, taxes, gays, and personal affairs. No way will he hold together the party and rally support with his positions on these issues. Not even remotely feasible.
.....good for you....I’m picking the lesser of two evils I guess....and if anything, I’m pretty pissed off at the power hungry conservatives that lost us the last election also.....and Bush’s antics.....hell, honestly, I don’t trust most politicians in either party.....
I think in the long run if Rudy or Romney are nominated the healthiest thing would be for the dems to carry the election. The GOP can get rid of the limo RINOS and get back to what the party is supposed to be about.
Tony Perkins (player of parts?), what do you think the chances are of a third party candidate winning the presidency? Or of even keeping the country safe from the Clintons and another massive sell-out of our national security? Or do you even care?
So, you won’t even try to get rid of those supporting amnesty? You’ll let them win the primary and then let someone far worse win the general?
“We would have a European socialist till the mullahs nuke us”.
Are you kidding? The only thing that will wake the GOP up is conservatives going to vote for solid nominees all the way down the ticket in the primaries.
Oh, dear ... much wailing and gnashing of teeth, over at the WAambulance, along about now, lol.
And there’s the point. Like we have fits over Giuliani but we’re supposed to give the “compassionate cowboy conservative” from Crawford a pass.Right now Giuliani is just a wanna be,while Bush is still in a position to hurt us a lot.So maybe the conservatives better concentrate at the moment on who’s their worst nightmare !!!
I don’t disagree.
Guiliani would be a great conseravative Democrat.
Where would you get that idea?
These idiots need to be crushed in the primary phase and replaced with CONSERVATIVES.
If the GOP has drifted that far left to nominate a liberal, it’s adios amigos.
No, Joe Lieberman is a lot closer to Ronald Reagan than Rudy is, I’d cash a personal check for Joe!
And since when does the Family Research Council determine RNC policy?
I’m not going to waste my vote on someone who does not represent my views regardless of who that allows to win. Fear mongering does not cut it.
In order to do that, there will have to be at least one on the ballot.
Why doesn’t the GOP just expell him from the party like they did with David Duke?
Rudy is really a Democrat anyway so he may as well run as one.
He’s a New Yawk socialist. LOL
“Conservatives are bolting the GOP right now because of Bush.”
What evidence do you have to support that ridiculous position?
Some conservatives are unhappy about immigration, Iraq, and deficit spending. However, I don’t see them bolting.
As long as there are no perfect candidates out there, I will go for the best. Right now, I gladly support GWB, even though we do not always agree. In the same vein, I will support Rudy if the Reps nominate him, even thought I prefer Fred.
I guess people either reach a point of emotional maturity (or they don’t) when they decide to make compromises to maintain relationships, and try to do what’s best. The enemy of “the good” is not “the bad”. It is “the perfect”.
If more of the so-called conservatives on this site were emotionally mature, we would not have to worry about Hillary in 2008.
Lecture over.
You bolt the GOP and you hand the election over to Hillary. Is that what you really want to do?
The answer is that conservatives need to make sure that Rudy isn't the candidate next November, and that a viable conservative IS - because otherwise there will be a disaster. Too many conservatives don't understand that sometimes you have to hold your nose and vote for the lesser of two evils. Enough will stay home or waste their vote on 3rd party candidates (y'all remember George H. W. Bush's 2nd term, don't you?) to throw the election to Hillary.
Until now, there's not been an interesting candidate with a chance to win (either the nomination or the General Election, or both). This will change very shortly when Fred Thompson announces officially. I think that all true conservatives should, at that point, unite behind him - since there's no one else with even a decent shot at winning next year who's conservative.
FWIW, I like Duncan Hunter a bit better for some things on the level of pure policy and pure voting record. However, like most other theoretical exercises, it is nearly useless in the real world. Real world says vote Fred if you are conservative and want 90% or more of your agenda to become policy (or at least be put up for a vote), and for legislation that you'd really, really hate to be stuck in committee or vetoed. Fred has charisma, name (or at least face) recognition, he has a long record of unquestioned integrity and he's a very, very smart candidate who doesn't pull punches (just ask Michael Moron). For me, Fred's The Man.
I'm counting the days until we all start getting used to hearing the whiney media whores repeat "In other news, President Thompson once again infuriated Congressional Democrats by...."
Yes, because I'll get universal healthcare then. Yippee!
My wallet is closed to them right now, as well, but the RNC has doesn't vote in GOP primaries. You get Rudy as the standard-bearer you can thank voters. You want to deny them bucks, tell them to get a little legislative integrity.
So in the mean time we pull out of Iraq, embolden Iran, send troops to Darfur, get our taxes raised, have nationalized healthcare thrust upon us, still have no border enforcement, stricter environmental laws, the Fairness Doctrine enacted, and very liberal judges at all levels of the judicial system.
every one of them?
Believe it or not, most of the votes wouldn't be any different. You'd just get less nauseated on a weekly basis due to not having to see either of their ugly mugs or listen to their patronizing, nanny-state BS.
I think that Rudy would make a decent head of Homeland Security - I don't think he likes the terrorists very much. He also has a good stage presence and the quick tongue of a prosecutor, so he'd be a good public point man for telling the media, the ACLU and the ultra-PC morons in Congress to stuff it when we actually turn the screws on the terrorists and their sympathizers/financiers...under President Thompson.
Conservatives will come out of the woodwork, to vote for Hunter -- or most, likely, for F. Thompson in the south and Romney in the northeast/north-midwest. Huckabee may survive, for awhile too, but there will be alternatives not unknown nor misunderstood by conservatives and they will get massive support.
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