Poll Shows Giuliani over Clinton in 2008 Presidential Match-Up

Canisius College ^ | Thu 17-Nov-2005

[H. Paul Pressler IV]

You are right this is a garbage poll.

You need to poll around 800 to get a MOE +/- 4%

After that is you get sucked into a battle of deminishing returns.

[outinyellowdogcountry]

If he gets nominated, he will disenfranchise people like me. He has too much baggage. But, put him in a job that needs the skills he displayed as mayor of NYC. Maybe, mayor of NYC! Not president.

[Doe Eyes]

What's his position on the murder of unborn children?

[fisherman90814]

I think he could win the nomination. Voters who are not stuck on one issue like abortion or gay marriage would vote for him. Besides...........I'm sure he'll move to the right just like Hillary will during the campaign.

[MaDeuce]

"Giulani is for gun control. Condi is AGAINST it. Waaaaay against it."

Absolutly correct ... Giulani would NEVER get my vote. There ain't a dime's worth of difference between him and Hitlery ... ESPECIALLY when it comes to OUR 2nd Amendment rights.

[ElkGroveDan]

I really hate these Giuliani/Rice threads. They bring out the political ignoramuses on FR.

I've got to quit stepping in them.

[paudio]

In addition to providing excellent educational experiences for students, recent Canisius College polls have proved to be extremely accurate... A general election poll of Pennsylvania voters on October 17-18, 2004, also with a +/- 4.8 percent margin of error, gave Kerry a 53 percent – 45 percent lead. On November 2, Kerry did indeed win Pennsylvania with 50 percent of the vote to George Bush’s 48 percent.

With a margin of error +/- 4.8, it means the numbers may deviate almost 10 points. And they consider survey numbers of K 53% and B 45% against K 50% and B 48% extremely accurate?

[Mogollon]

That's nice. That means a real conservative will be able to slaughter Hildebeast in the actual election.

[jocon307]

Run Rudi Run

[Mia T]

I disagree. Conservatives now find Giuliani very attractive. Post-Katrina, disaster-terror management competence trumps ideology for all but the most intractable social conservative. And Giuliani represents not merely competence in this area but excellence.

As this polls shows, his appeal cuts across the red-blue divide, which will absolutely obliterate a clinton candidacy. I don't think clinton would take her 'home' state.

Pair him with, say Allen, and you have a dream ticket, in my view. Rice as veep would provide an interesting dynamic, altho I don't think that combo would be as strong.

[ElkGroveDan]

I disagree. Conservatives now find Giuliani very attractive

Not any conservative I know. What is attrtactive to a conservative about a pro-gay, pro-abortion, gun-grabbing candidate?

[Mia T]

What is attractive to them is that he can win, and he can win because he possesses the qualities that a president must have in these very dangerous times.

[Mia T]

Giuliani looking good right about now

By Lorie Byrd

Sep 27, 2005

 

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.

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Find this story at: http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/loriebyrd/2005/09/27/156949.html

[ElkGroveDan]

Well isn't that just peachy? He's a strong leader. I can't wait for him to use his "strength" to sign gun control legislation and appoint pro-abortion judges and speak out against the marriage amendment.

The both of you need to go back to politics 101 and find out why people become political. If you do it just to win, you should probably stick to cheering for your favorite baseball team and quit mucking up the GOP. The rest of us are interested in the policy outcomes of elections. It does no good for conservatives to support liberals, period.

[Mia T]

You've ignored the 2nd part of my answer. Giuliani wins because he has the qualities we need during these dangerous times.

I am willing to give up my parochial wants in this time of crisis. I think most people are. It seems you are not.

The question you must ask yourself is this: If sticking to your guns (pardon the pun) will result in electing ultra leftie and ultra danger President hillary clinton, will you stick to your guns?

[Luke21]

Thank you, Dan. I can't believe all the people here who are ready to cede the entire conservative agenda just to win.

If we know in advance we are going to have liberal abortion laws, gay rights, an assault on the second amendment, and no border enforcement, why in the would we want to elect such a person in the first place?

In New York City, maybe. There Pol Pot would be a reformer. But to ask the GOP as a whole to nominate somebody for president who agrees with the Democrats on most major issues is nuts.

[Ethrane]

*Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay is seen as favorable by 18 percent and unfavorable by 40 percent, while 43 percent do not know his name. Neither are other congressional leaders household names, with majorities polled not recognizing names including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (52 percent), Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (58 percent) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (51 percent). Evaluations of these congressional leaders were split.

So in other words, this was a poll of 455 IDIOTS, none of whom ought to be able to vote.

It does however bring up an intersting point about the potential Hillary candidacy.

[ElkGroveDan]

You've ignored the 2nd part of my answer. Giuliani wins because he has the qualities we need during these dangerous times.

Liberalism is never a positive quality.

I am willing to give up my parochial wants in this time of crisis. I think most people are. It seems you are not.

EXCUSE ME. The lives of the millions of unborn children being slaughtered are not "parochial" The liberties and protections that our founding fathers left us in the Bill of Rights and generations of brave Americans have fought and died for are not "parochial". The moral foundations of human civilization and the laws of God in the Bible are not "parochial".

The question you must ask yourself is this: If sticking to your guns (pardon the pun) will result in electing ultra leftie and ultra danger President hillary Clinton, will you stick to your guns?

That's a hollow assertion. There are plenty of capable leaders with the ability to defeat Hillary. In fact the surest way to defeat her is to find someone who offers an ALTERNATIVE on the issues that matter most. Not more of the same

[Mia T]

1-Put hillary in office and all of our children will be at risk, the born and unborn alike.

2-The abortion issue will soon be mooted by medical science. (I wrote a piece on this a few months ago as did Tony Blankley.)

3-Notwithstanding, Bush's nominations to the court may very well achieve a majority position, thereby rendering the next president somewhat less important in this area.

Consider this hypothetical: Bush has the opportunity to replace Ginsburg, Souter, Breyer, Kennedy and Stevens. With 7 Justices replaced by Bush, would you then be willing to concede that this changes the dynamic as regards the ideology of a president?

4-Your definition of a capable leader seems to be by definition someone with narrow appeal. I suspect you are generalizing from Reagan. Reagan was sui generis. I agree with the author of the article, above, from Townhall.com. Because of the demonization of Bush, the demagoguery, the electorate will never go for a right-wing ideologue.

5-I agree with you on a theoretical level: a lot of people can beat hillary. I am about to post a clip in which maureen dowd and chris matthews literally tear the hillary candidacy apart. Matthews says that Pee Wee Herman would give hillary a race!

But in real life, only someone with the same degree of celebrity and power can compete with the clinton machine.

[Mia T]

BTW, when you imply that there is no difference between Giuliani and clinton, you betray your narrow perspective.