Posted on 12/31/2004 4:22:22 AM PST by Ed Current
Human beings are imperfect.
And some are more imperfect than others.
So, elections are choices among imperfect alternatives.
A voter's task is to choose the best available viable candidate.
Rudy Giuliani WAS preferable to his predecessor as Mayor of New York City, David Dinkins, notable as New York City's first African-American mayor and a very good dresser.
Giuliani lost to Dinkins the first time, but, after Dinkins' dangerously inept handling of the Crown Heights riot, not even the Democrats could stop Giuliani from winning the rematch .
Guiliani WAS a great improvement.
He made New York City a safer and more enjoyable city
And the thought of Dinkins as Mayor on September 11, 2001 is frightening.
BUT, New York City is well to the left of America generally.
And the sad fact appears to be that Rudy Giuliani, a baptized Catholic, set aside his Church's basic teachings on abortion, homosexuality and marriage to be politically viable in New York City.
The recent embarrassing withdrawal of President Bush's nomination of former New York Police Commissioner and Giuliani business partner Bernard Kerik to be Homeland Security Secretary, "for personal reasons," highlights the need for the Republicans to nominate a better person than Giuliani in 2008.
Yes, Giuliani would be better than Hillary.
BUT, that's far from enough.
Of course, Kerik was Giuliani's personal recommendation to President Bush.
And that recommendation demonstrates that Giuliani lacks the judgment a President of the United States needs.
Kerik is like Giuliani, a man at his best during the War on Terror but a thrice married adulterer.
That may not be an impediment to electoral success in New York City, but it is hardly the path to the Republican Party's presidential nomination.
Giuliani's undeniable leadership in the War on Terror and cancer problem do not excuse his sins or substitute for repentance.
Giuliani's first marriage was to his cousin and childhood sweetheart, Regina Peruggi, to whom he was married from 1969 to 1982.
Giuliani had his first (childless) marriage annulled, supposedly because he discovered that they were second cousins instead of third cousins!
(How many people REALLY believe him about that?)
Giuliani had discovered Donna Hanover.
Giuliani married Hanover, an actress and television personality who became Donna Giuliani helped him get elected mayor and became the mother of his children, Andrew and Caroline.
Still not content, Giuliani became involved with an attractive press aide, prompting Donna Giuliani to resume the use of her maiden name.
Then Giuliani became involved with his latest wife, Judi Nathan, an increasingly public affair that prompted Ms. Hanover to appeal to the Cardinal to help preserve her marriage.
Unsuccessfully.
Ultimately, Giuliani moved out of the Mayor's residence, Gracie Mansion, and moved in with a gay male couple until his divorce from Ms. Hanover was final.
Then he promptly married Nathan, in Gracie Mansion, with his successor, Mayor Bloomberg, performing the civil ceremony.
Incidentally, Gracie Mansion was the one place that Ms. Hanover fought to keep Ms. Nathan from visiting while she and Giuliani were still married.
An appeals court ultimately upheld an order barring Ms. Nathan from Gracie Mansion in October 2001, when Hanover was still living there with Andrew and Caroline.
Friends of Giuliani said he picked the location solely for its privacy.
(How many gullible souls accept that explanation?)
In the eyes of his Church, Giuliani is not married to Judi Nathan and, unless he can secure an annulment, on only God knows what grounds, he's still married to Ms. Hanover, who remarried.
Giuliani IS more fit than SOME to be President, but his priorities are misordered and surely the Grand Old Party can do much better!
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Email: GaynorMike@aol.com
Immigration politics have similarly harmed New York. Former mayor Rudolph Giuliani sued all the way up to the Supreme Court to defend the city’s sanctuary policy against a 1996 federal law decreeing that cities could not prohibit their employees from cooperating with the INS. Oh yeah? said Giuliani; just watch me. The INS, he claimed, with what turned out to be grotesque irony, only aims to "terrorize people." Though he lost in court, he remained defiant to the end. On September 5, 2001, his handpicked charter-revision committee ruled that New York could still require that its employees keep immigration information confidential to preserve trust between immigrants and government. Six days later, several visa-overstayers participated in the most devastating attack on the city and the country in history.
I for one would not vote for Rudy.
I too would never vote for Rudy, the problem remains however who do we have in 08?
Bush for President!
Guiliani is the only one who could win for the reps at this point at least.
Hopefully we can make sure it is not Rudy!
"I for one would not vote for Rudy."
I said the same about GW, but the decision of who is the "anointed one" for the next election is usually made by the party heads.
The Republican Party is no longer conservative.
Activists go for pro-life candidates. I will not support Rudy. Now if Rudy does go on to be the R candidate, then I will hold my nose and vote for him. He's still better than Hillary.
If you don't mind my asking, then who WOULD you vote for if Rudy became the GOP's candidate in 2008? Nobody? A conservative Third Party (say, Constitution or Libertarian)?
I myself yould like to see J.C. WATTS become the Republican nominee. He's an honorable, intelligent man whose personality shines!
I'm glad to hear you say that the Republican Party is no longer conservative...now only if we could get conservatives throughout the country to move to a truly conservative party!
Giuliani, at least, would send everyone to jail. That is his solution to all problems, including criticism of his polcies.
J.C. Watts bump!
I respectfully disagree. I think Bill Frist would be a better choice and I also like Dr. Rice.
I would too except for her pro abortion stance and the fact that she's no politician.
I think Tommy Franks would beat Rudy in the red states. With or without Rudy, we won't take New York and California
J. C. Watts, Jeb Bush, Zell Miller....... NOT Rudy ever!
Zell Miller would be great, but I fear he is to old.
Same here. There are much better candidates out there.
No Guiliani or Schwarzy.
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