You are welcome to your opinion, but no one with his view and actions concerning the 1st and 2nd Amendments can possibly be someone I would use the term “conservative” to describe - at least in the American sense. I view one’s position on the 2nd to be a good indicator of their view as to the proper place of government and the actual intent of the Constituion. Rudy fails that test just like Hillary does. He’s actually to the LEFT of Howard Dean on that test, and that takes effort.
“Back to identity politics though, it seems to me that a lot of support here and on other conservative websites goes to people whom we let the media define.”
Exactly. Rudy has been defined as the Great Hero of 9/11. The “America’s Mayor” spin came from *Oprah*, after all.
“I see Fred Thompson getting a ton of conservative support this early being a complete unknown, and also having backed abortion rights as a senator, it indicates a leval of idenity politcs going on because MSNBC calls him a conservaitve...”
Fred Thompson didn’t “back abortion rights as a senator”. He has a pro-life voting record. Thompson isn’t a perfect conservative, but he actually is one. Guiliani is not.
From race32008
In 1994, Thompson’s first Senate run, National Right to Life deemed Thompson pro-life, but with an important caveat:
If you pick up the 1994 post-election edition of National Right to Life news, you’ll see a list of pro-life Senators elected in the class of ‘94. Thomspon was on the list, with a cross by it.
“The cross stood for Thompson’s support for legal 1st Trimester abortion. He was generally pro-life, but supported abortion during the 1st trimester. National Right to Life, as an incrimentalist organization, would much more prefer to have a Senator who favored 1st Trimester abortions and would vote for them on the rest of the issues. However, he would be defined as pro-choice in some places and would be defined as moderately pro-choice by me. Of course, Thompson hasn’t had to deal with where he stands on 1st Trimester abortions since 1996. “
This is the one trip up with the Thompson is great on aboriton argument. Although I am sure his senete record is an accurate reflection, and indeed would reflect my own.