Posted on 09/27/2005 6:37:12 AM PDT by areafiftyone
This is the story of how Hurricane Katrina made this conservative Republican fall in love with Rudy Giuliani all over again. I first developed a fond affection for the mayor when he did what many believed could not be done and cleaned up New York City. In 1999, I cheered him when he stood up for common decency and the taxpayers of New York by rejecting city funding for elephant dung art. My admiration turned to love when Mayor Giuliani reassured the nation, and the world, with his incredible response to the attacks of September 11.
An admirer of Giuliani and a believer that he had a good shot at the presidency long before Hurricane Katrina, I now find myself becoming a full-fledged fan of the prospect. I will likely get some grief from some of my fellow pro-life, social conservatives, but I hope they will consider not only what an attractive candidate Rudy would be in the post-Katrina political climate, but also to consider the attributes Giuliani would bring to the presidency.
On September 11, we saw what a leader looks like during a crisis and it looked like Rudolph Giuliani. In contrast, the recent example of New Orleans’ Mayor Nagin taking to the airwaves cursing the federal government and calling for the cavalry, not only did not look like leadership, but made Giuliani's performance on 9/11 look positively, well, presidential by comparison.
Many of the lessons learned from Katrina highlight Giuliani’s strengths. Considering that he received some of his harshest criticism as mayor for his tough law and order positions, it is impossible to imagine Giuliani giving looters a pass (and, I would argue, encouragement) as Mayor Nagin did in the early days of flooding in New Orleans.
Thanks to the blame-Bush media, it seems the public now believes that the first and ultimate responder to any kind of disaster, whether natural or man-made, should be the federal government, or more specifically, the President. Giuliani is the only potential 2008 candidate that has shown himself capable of handling a challenge of such historic proportions. Because issues of national security and war and peace in the Middle East will outlive the Bush presidency, the nation will be looking for a leader able to perform in a crisis.
Even more than his proven ability to perform under pressure, however, one thing that Giuliani may be able to do, that some other Republicans might not, is unite the country. If Bush, as amiable as he is, and with a reputation as a uniter as governor of Texas, could be painted as an extremist divider, it is reasonable to believe the same will be attempted with the next Republican candidate. Giuliani achieved giant stature in my eyes, and those of most other Americans, with his actions following 9/11. Because he is already known as a uniter and a strong leader, he will be resistant to attempts to portray him otherwise. He can also claim to have received a large number of votes from Democrats in past elections. Not many, if any, of the other potential Republican presidential candidates can say that.
Ironically, Giuliani's positions on abortion and gay rights, while making it more difficult for him to win the Republican primary, make it almost impossible for opponents to paint him as an extremist. Abortion will always be an important issue to Republican primary voters, but with Bush appointments of two (or possibly three) conservative Supreme Court justices, the issue is not as likely to be the deal breaker that it has been in some past elections. Choosing a pro-life running mate might be enough to win over enough pro-life Republican primary voters to capture the nomination. He would definitely have to answer some tough questions about social policy (and he better not have any Bernie Kerik problems), but if he plays things smart, he can win the Republican nomination.
Electability though, while obviously necessary, does not a good president make. Giuliani's effectiveness as mayor of New York and his excellent communication skills convince me that he could be a very successful president. From his words and actions following 9/11, and more recently from his speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention, I know he can inspire. Because of Giuliani's staunch, and often eloquent, defense of President Bush’s policy in Iraq, and because of his personal experience on 9/11, I have no doubt that he would continue to vigorously prosecute the War on Terror and would be a strong defender of Israel and a promoter of democracy in the Middle East.
It is still early. I’m not saying Rudy Giuliani will be my choice in the spring of 2008. I’m just saying that in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and with the mission in Iraq and the Middle East still far from over, “the world’s mayor” is looking pretty good right now.
Lorie Byrd lives in North Carolina where she worked as a litigation paralegal before becoming a stay-at-home to her two daughters six years ago. She has written on political matters at the group blog, Polipundit, since April 2004. She also writes at her own weblog, Byrd Droppings, and is currently a contributor at ConfirmThem.com and MediaSlander.com
i'm just saying there are some rudy haters around who have nothing to lose but will have lots to gain by coming clean.
The dictators you mentioned did not really have personality cults in their own time. They were genocidal madmen and rose to power on the bones of their political enemies. They were more feared than revered.
Just as Buchanan seemed to be a magnet for kooks, Bush seems to be attracting an almost messianic following among "conservatives."
I've always heard Jane dumped Reagan. Here's one source:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reagan/timeline/
My Dad carried a gun with a permit when Robert Wagner was Mayor.
I live right smack in the middle of NYC.
NYC has the LOWEST crime rate of any city in the US.
It is safe to walk the streets and there is growth and development everywhere.
Rudy started it, but Bloomberg has continued. Crime has continued to drop on his watch. Development in all five Boroughs is at an unprecedented high.
If he say's we have to close the borders and cut Government then I will listen. But until I hear that from anyone running for president I will sit on the fence.
Your take on NYC is ridiculous and patently FALSE.
Check the stats on violent crime, rape, murder and the stats on property crime.
NYC is about everything that anyplace in America is about. It is about family,friends,raising children and worship.
It is a place with incredible diversity in terms of people from all 50 States, and every country on the Planet. Where all religions are accepted.
Never a question of not displaying a crêche,Christmas tree, Menorah, or the Ten Commandments in front of the Courthouse.
The Mayor presides over the lighting of both.
NYC is not New Orleans. This is not a laissez-faire mentality on things moral.
Your stereotypes are ludicrous in the 21st century.
The thing that unites New Yorkers is commerce. That is why the diversity exists. It's what draws people to the city, including artists, musicians and writers, etc.What you do on your own time is nobody's business.
In the 21st century New York is a commercial hub, the same as London was in the 19th century and Venice before that.
I had a parent who worked in a nice building with a nice office.
The weather was nice.
A plane flew into that building.
I want the person who managed the city in not only a time of crisis magnificently, but who also made it safer for me to walk down that sidewalk without worrying what two adult males may or may not do.
Oh, I can still get a license to carry a gun in NY even with Bloomberg (RINO) in office.
You can get a license or you have a license? Let me know what kind of hoops you have to jump through to actually get a license.
Some sources say he dumped her others say she dumped him. I believe it was a little of both. When there is a divorce pending the truth gets distorted because of anger and hurt. BUT nevertheless I don't go by divorces - I came from a divorced family and I would have been a miserable child if I had to live with my mother and father fighting all the time. I'm glad they divorced life was alot more peaceful. Some people just make mistakes in their lives - we are all human beings. I cannot condemn anyone for divorcing.
WOW! Kewl!
Uh, Jews have not fared very well under anti-gun leaders in the past.
Thanks for the great article on Rudy. I totally agree with it and I thank you for your support of Mr. Giuliani from all the Freepers that think unless you agree with someone 100% of the time they are RINOs. If the critiera for a politician getting my vote was I had to agree with them 100% of the time I would have never voted for Bush because of immigration and his spending habits. You hit the nail on the head, no president can stop abortion. Even if Roe was overturned, abortions wouldn't be stopped. It would go back to the states and of course the blue states will continue to allow it. I believe Mr. Giuliani will appoint highly qualified, strict constructionist judges with no litmus test like President Bush, which is how it should be. I believe Giuliani can win the Republican nomination, in some ways he's similar to Eisenhower, maybe not the most conservative but conservative in many aspects and a proven leader of unequal ability and well respected by almost everyone. My dream in 2008 is a Giuliani/Jeb Bush ticket. That ticket would blow Hillary away.
That would be some ticket! Or even a Giuliani/Rice ticket! I think this is going to be a very interesting race because we won't have a VP running. We will have a very diverse group this time. Thank you for your post. I post this stuff because its just news and nothing more. Nothing is ground in stone yet so there is nothing for anyone to get uptight about. I will vote for whomever wins the nomination. I refuse to let a democrat win this white house. Its going to be a tough race because Cheney is NOT running. The Republicans will not swim along on this one. I happen to be following Giuliani and am gaging his progress and he is doing very well even in the South. UNLESS he screws up royally he just might clinch the nomination. He's not going to act like runnng The U.S. is like running NYC. He's from NYC and knows that outside there is a totally different world full of people who have very different feelings and issues than most NYers do.
Like Bush.
The criminal liberal news media will not destroy Bush. Either Bush will destroy Bush or he will be destroyed by not prosecuting the war to the fullest extent.
The "conservative" critics don't understand that any hint of criticism is used by our enemies to make the situation infinitely worse.
We understand that perfectly, which is why we need a hard-ass in there fighting the war on terror. Reagan would not have screwed around like Bush is.
Your post is total BS from start to finish and wrong every way it could be wrong.
Don't think so. Corrupt associates, Rockefeller Republicanism, annoying accent and attitude, etc. Rudy just isn't fit to lead our party and our nation. The only folks who seem to be pushing that as-hole are "Noo Yawk Republicans" at the Post, Fox News, the Manhattan Institute, to say nothing of the anti-religious and cafeteria Catholic wing of the GOP.
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